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(May 1,
2007) - The UC Riverside Highlanders hammered three
home runs in a 7-1 victory over San Diego State at Tony Gwynn
Stadium in San Diego Tuesday night. Freshman Joey Gonzales
and juniors Mike Vass and Aaron Wible each hit homers in support
of four different Highlander pitchers who combined to strikeout
13 Aztecs to win their sixth straight and improve to 28-16.
The loss drops SDSU to 27-22.
The Highlanders got on the
board first in the second inning with an RBI single off the
bat of junior catcher Jeff Dunbar to score Vass from second
and give UCR the early 1-0 lead.
After the Aztecs answered
back with an RBI single of their own in the bottom half of
the second inning to even the score at 1-1, Gonzales then
launched his first colleigate homer to right field to give
the Highlanders a 2-1 lead. UCR used the long ball again in
the third, after Wible led off the inning with a single, Vass
followed up with big fly high over the wall in left center
to give UCR a 4-1 lead.
Wible added his eighth homer
of the season in the fifth to open up a 6-1 UCR lead. Gonzales
led off the inning with a walk which chased Aztec starter
Charles Nolte. San Diego State reliever Nate Solow was able
to retire junior Jaime Pedroza and Mark Samuelson before Wible
launched the first pitch he saw from the left hander high
over left field wall to add to the Highlander lead.
Junior Dan Runzler came
in relief of Highlander starter Stephen Penney in the fifth.
Penney went four innings, allowed one unearned run on four
hits and struck out four to improve his record to 4-2. Runzler
followed up with two solid innings of relief, striking out
five of the eight batters he faced. Senior righty Taylor Bills
came through with two innings of relief of his own, striking
out two before giving way to sophomore D.J. Smith. Smith struck
out two in the ninth to preserve the victory for the Highlanders.
Nolte (0-2) took the loss
for the Aztecs, allowing five earned runs on six hits.
(May 4,
2007) - Redshirt freshman 1B Mark Samuelson hit a run-scoring
double in the 10th inning as #16 UC Riverside overcame a 4-3
deficit with a run in the ninth and another in the tenth to
defeat Pacific 5-4 in the opener of a three-game Big West
Conference series Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex.
The Highlanders win their seventh straight to improve to 29-16,
8-2 Big West while the Tigers fall to 10-36, 0-13.
Trailing 4-3, UCR junior
LF Aaron Wible singled to lead off the ninth and went to second
on a wild pitch by Pacific reliever Jake Wild. In an epic
nine pitch at-bat, freshman pinch hitter Ryan Goetz lined
out to left but Wible strayed too far off the bag, scrambling
back just in time to avoid getting doubled up. Junior 2B Ben
Price struck out to put the Highlanders down to their last
out. Down to his last strike with a 2-2 count, senior 3B Kyle
Barratt chopped a single between third and short with Wible
just beating the throw from left for the tying run. Barratt
showed heads-up base running, advancing to second on the throw.
Junior C Jeff Dunbar lined sharply to third but it was snagged
by Baum to send the game into extra innings.
After sophomore RHP Matt
Montgomery retired the Tigers in order in the tenth, sophomore
CF Carl Uhl walked off Wild to lead off the Highlander tenth
and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Wild then intentionally
walked junior SS Jaime Pedroza to create a force out with
runners at first and second. It made no difference as Samuelson
hit a long double off the wall in center to give the Highlanders
their second extra-innings victory of the season.
Montgomery (2-0) picked
up the win with one inning of no-hit relief, striking out
two. Junior RHP James Simmons went nine innings for the third
straight start but did not figure in the decision. Simmons
finished with 11 strikeouts and no walks, allowing four runs
(two earned) on nine hits. It was his third double-digit strikeout
performance of the season.
Wild (1-7) was tagged with
the loss, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks in
1 1/3 innings. Pacific starter Cole Akins also did not figure
in the outcome, scattering seven hits over seven innings,
allowing three runs. He struck out three and walked three.
David Rowse bridged the two with one inning's work, striking
out one.
Samuelson finished 3-for-5
with a pair of doubles, driving in a run and scoring a run.
Junior DH Mike Vass, Barratt, and freshman RF Joey Gonzales
all had two hits while Price and Uhl each reached twice on
two walks.
UCR had opportunities to
take the lead in each of the first two innings. With two outs
in the first inning, Gonzales was thrown out at the plate
trying to score on Samuelson's double down the right field
line. In the second, UCR had runners on first and third with
two outs but Price was caught in a rundown and was tagged
out before Vass could slide in at home.
Simmons retired the first
nine hitters he faced, including five via strikeout, before
Joe Oliveira reached on a three-base error by Gonzales to
lead off the fourth. The no-hitter and shutout was broken
up two batters later when Zach Chamberlin sliced a double
down the right field line to make it 1-0 Pacific. UCR struck
back to take a 2-1 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the
fourth. With one out, Samuelson blooped a single to right.
After a long fly ball out, Vass hammered a ball off the top
of the tall wall in center field, scoring Samuelson. Vass
chugged around to third for the triple, then went home when
the relay throw got away.
Pacific pulled level in
the top of the fifth. Back-to-back one-out singles by David
Flaherty and Brett Manning put runners on first and second
and a groundout moved the runners up with Flaherty scoring
on a passed ball. UCR wasted no time in regaining its lead,
scoring a run in the bottom of the frame. Uhl walked and then
executed a perfect hit-and-run with Gonzales to move to third.
A poor throw from the outfield enticed Gonzales to attempt
to stretch his hit into a double but he was thrown although
Uhl was able to come home for a 3-2 UCR advantage.
Yet again, Pacific came
back and took its second lead of the game with a pair of runs
in the following inning. Leadoff batter Matt Fuson chopped
a single to second and advanced to second when Price's throw
went into the dugout. Two batters later, Justin Baum blooped
a double down the right field line. Baum was subsequently
brought home on a single to right by Jason Haar.
(May 5,
2007) - UC Riverside could not pull off the heroics
of the night before, rallying but ultimately falling 5-3 to
University of the Pacific in the second game of a three-game
Big West Conference series Saturday night at the Riverside
Sports Complex. The Highlanders see their seven-game winning
streak come to an end to drop to 29-17, 8-3 Big West while
the Tigers improve to 11-36, 1-13.
UCR dug itself into a hole
in the first inning, committing errors against each of the
first three Tiger batters to load the bases for Justin Baum,
who cleared them with a double into the left-center field
gap. Baum then came home on a single by Greg Murray to stake
Pacific to a 4-0 lead after just half an inning.
The Highlanders pulled a
run back in the second but it could have been more except
luck was not on their side. Freshman 1B Mark Samuelson hit
a one-out double down the right field line and went to third
on a single through the left side by junior LF Mike Vass.
The Tigers then caught a break as junior 2B Ben Price scorched
a liner that looked to be a sure double but it hit the third
base bag on the fly and bounced to Baum at third, who threw
out Price at first. Samuelson scored on the play but instead
of having runners at second and third and one out, UCR had
Vass at second with two outs. Although Vass later stole third,
he was stranded when senior 3B Kyle Barratt struck out looking.
The Tigers regained their
four-run advantage in the fifth when Joe Oliveira hit a one-out
triple to right. With the infield in, Matt Fuson lined a ball
to Price, who made a good effort to dive and knock it down
to get Fuson at first but could not prevent the run from scoring.
UCR put runners in scoring
position in both the sixth and seventh innings but came away
empty each time against Curtis Pasma. In the eighth, the Highlanders
got to Pasma again as sophomore CF Carl Uhl led off with a
single and went to third on freshman RF Joey Gonzales' double
to left-center. Uhl came home on a groundout by junior SS
Jaime Pedroza and junior LF Aaron Wible followed with a double
to center, scoring Gonzales to make it 5-3. That was the end
of the day for Pasma as he was replaced by David Rowse. Rowse
struck out Samuelson for the second out but then walked Vass
and fell behind sophomore pinch hitter Jordan Opdyke 3-1 before
striking him out to keep it at 5-3. Rowse then closed out
the Highlanders in the ninth.
Senior LHP Marc Rzepczynski
allowed only five hits and one earned run in six innings but
was saddled with the loss to drop to 6-2. He struck out seven
and walked one. Junior LHP Dan Runzler and senior RHP Taylor
Bills combined to allow two hits over the final three innings.
Pasma (1-5) went 7 1/3 innings,
allowing three runs on nine hits, striking out seven and walking
one. Rowse collected his first career save with 1 2/3 innings
of hitless relief, walking one and striking out three.
Four of UCR's nine hits
were doubles as Wible had two hits on the day, including a
double. Barratt also had two hits and a double. The Highlanders
lead the Big West Conference with 106 doubles.
Baum finished with a 2-for-4
effort with three RBI while Oliveira and Murray also went
2-for-4.
(May 6,
2007) - Pacific shortstop Denis Hill's throwing error
with two outs in the bottom of the ninth gave #16 UC Riverside
an 8-7 victory and series win in the finale of a three-game
Big West Conference series Sunday afternoon at the Riverside
Sports Complex. The Highlanders claim their 30th win for the
first time since 2004, improving to 30-17, 9-3 Big West while
the Tigers fall to 11-37, 1-14.
On a beautifully sunny and
warm day but with strong swirling winds, it was the last of
seven combined errors by the two teams that decided the outcome.
Junior C Jeff Dunbar led off the home half of the ninth with
a double to left-center after seeing two hits earlier in the
at-bat falling just foul. Sophomore CF Carl Uhl bunted Dunbar
over to third, bringing up freshman RF Joey Gonzales, who
popped out to Justin Baum at third for the second out. The
Tigers looked as though they would escape and send the game
into extra innings when junior 2B Price hit a routine grounder
to Hill at short. Hill, who had entered the game the previous
inning as a pinch-runner, sailed his throw wide of a diving
Brett Manning at first to allow Dunbar to trot home for the
game-winning run as UCR scored in its last at bat for the
second time on the weekend.
Pacific jumped out on top
early, scoring in the first inning for the second straight
day on a sacrifice fly by Baum. Pacific starter Hunter Carnavale
was anxious to give his advantage back to the Highlanders,
walking the first two batters and surrendering a single to
junior SS Jaime Pedroza to load the bases. Freshman 1B Mark
Samuelson followed with a sacrifice fly to center that tied
the game and enabled all three runners to move up. Junior
LF Aaron Wible then blooped a single over second base, plating
two runs for a 3-1 UCR lead.
UCR added a run in the second
on Pedroza's two-out RBI single and another run in the third
thanks to a trio of Tiger errors. Carnavale continued to struggle
with his control, issuing a one-out walk to Samuelson in the
fourth. The Highlanders made him pay as junior DH Mike Vass
doubled down the left field line to plate Samuelson. Senior
3B Kyle Barratt then singled through the left side to bring
home Vass and make it 7-1 in UCR's favor.
On the other side of the
coin, UCR senior LHP Pat Cassa settled down to retire 11 straight
batters until hitting David Flaherty to lead off the fifth.
Kurt Wideman followed with a double off the wall in right
to put runners at second and third with no outs. Cassa came
back to strike out Brett Manning and got Josh Powers to hit
an RBI groundout to third. There would be no further damage
as Joe Oliveira hit a long fly ball to left-center but it
held up enough in the wind for Wible to track it down.
Pacific mounted its rally
from 7-1 down as it was UCR's turn to show shaky defense to
allow the Tigers a run in the sixth. A pair of errors by Pedroza
enabled Pacific to pull back to 7-3 and the visitors loaded
the bases with no outs in the seventh thanks to three successive
singles. A fielder's choice by Matt Fuson brought home the
fourth Tiger run and Zach Chamberlin hit a sacrifice fly to
bring home Josh Powers to make it 7-5.
UCR loaded the bases with
one out in the bottom of the eighth but could not add to its
tally and took a two-run lead into the ninth. Freshman RHP
Joe Kelly came on looking for his fifth save but walked pinch-hitter
Mike Walker to open the inning and gave up a single to Oliveira
to put runners on first and second with no outs. Fuson failed
to put down a sacrifice bunt and instead lofted a fly ball
to right that fell in when Gonzales, battling the sun and
wind, had it drop next to him. Chamberlin made it 7-6 with
an infield groundout and Kelly intentionally walked Baum to
load the bases for a force play. That brought up Greg Murray,
who hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Oliveira to complete
the rally with the game-tying run.
Kelly (2-1) ended up with
the win, allowing two unearned runs on two walks and a hit
in one inning of work. Cassa went 5 1/3 innings, allowing
three runs (two earned) on four hits but left without a decision.
David Rowse (2-7) took the
loss for the Tigers, allowing one unearned run on three hits
and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Carnavale received no decision
despite being a victim of his own wildness. He walked five
and allowed six hits while giving up seven runs (six earned)
in four innings.
Pedroza finished the day
3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored for his team-leading 19th
multiple-hit game of the season. Wible was 2-for-4 with a
pair of RBI while Gonzales and Barratt also had two hits for
the Highlanders. Oliveira and Fuson both went 2-for-5 for
the Tigers.
(May 10,
2007) - Junior 2B Ben Price's grand slam highlighted
an eight-run ninth inning as #17 UC Riverside rallied from
a 10-6 deficit with 12 runs over the final three innings to
pull away from Cal State Northridge 18-10 in the opener of
a three-game Big West Conference series Thursday afternoon
at Matador Field in Northridge, CA. The Highlanders improve
to 31-17, 10-3 Big West while the Matadors drop to 14-34,
2-11.
After CSUN took the lead
with an eight-run sixth inning, junior SS Jaime Pedroza started
the Highlander comeback with a solo home run off Phil Hann
to open the seventh, his team-leading 11th round-tripper of
the year. Pedroza came up again in the eighth against Brian
Slover with runners on second and third and drove a two-out
double into left to pull UCR back to 10-9. Junior LF Aaron
Wible followed with a chopper up the middle to bring Pedroza
home with the tying run. The Highlanders would go on to load
the bases but could not take the lead as Edwin Quirarte struck
out Price to end the inning.
The Matadors went quietly
in the eighth against sophomore RHP Stephen Penney, giving
the Highlanders the chance to complete the rally. They did
so with their highest-scoring inning of the season, matching
CSUN's eight-run frame to put no doubt in the outcome. UCR
loaded the bases against Quirarte and took the lead on freshman
RF Joey Gonzales' two-run double to right. Quirarte then hit
Pedroza to reload the bases and Wible came through with a
two-run single up the middle. Three batters later, the bases
were loaded once again for Price, who delivered when he couldn't
an inning earlier, launching a grand slam to put the game
out of reach. It was Price's first career home run and the
sixth home run of the day, fourth by the Highlanders.
Penney (5-2) earned the
victory with two innings of one-hit relief, striking out two.
He was the third UCR pitcher of the day. Junior RHP James
Simmons was left still searching for his 10th victory of the
season after going 5 2/3 innings. Simmons allowed a season-high
10 hits and gave up seven runs, although only two were earned.
He struck out four and walked one. Senior RHP Taylor Bills
went the middle inning-and-a-third, allowing three unearned
runs on three hits and a walk.
Eight Highlanders collected
hits and all nine crossed the plate at least once as the Highlanders
posted their highest scoring game of the season. Pedroza (3-for-4)
and Wible (3-for-6) each had three hits with Wible collecting
a career-high five RBI, including his ninth home run of the
season. Pedroza drove in three and scored four times while
reaching base in five of his six at-bats. Price also had a
career-high for RBI, making his one hit count for four RBI.
Quirarte (2-8) suffered
the loss, giving up eight runs on five hits in just two-thirds
of an inning. The Matadors used five pitchers on the day with
starter Bobby Paschal going five innings. He allowed six runs
(four earned) on five hits and three walks.
Kris Kasarjian went 2-for-4
with a grand slam for the Matadors while Jason Dabbs also
homered, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.
The Highlanders jumped out
to an early 3-0 lead thanks to some erratic Matador pitching
and fielding. Two runs came across in the second when Paschal
put the first two runners on via hit by pitch and walk, then
saw two runs score on an error. A walk, passed ball, and error
led to UCR's third run in the third.
CSUN pulled back to 3-1
in the third as it put together three singles and then loaded
the bases in the fourth for Dabbs, who singled to make it
3-2. Simmons would leave the bases loaded, though, and UCR
increased its lead thanks to fourth-inning home runs by Wible
and Vass. With a man on, Wible pulled a pitch from Paschal
over the wall in left for a 5-2 lead. Vass followed two batters
later with a solo shot, his eighth of the year.
The Matadors rallied back
to take the lead with an eight-run sixth inning, pushing across
all eight runs with two outs and all going down as unearned.
After the first two batters were retired, nine straight Matadors
reached. Alex Bardeguez opened the rally by grounding a ball
to Samuelson at first, who tossed the ball to Simmons covering
the bag. Simmons was unable to handle the ball, prolonging
the inning for Dabbs, who followed with a two-run home run
to left to make it 6-4. That jumpstarted the Matadors, as
C.J. Belanger doubled, scoring on Jonathan Sakurai's single.
Jorge Andrade, Jr. tied it up with a single that plated Sakurai
and chased Simmons. With Bills on in relief, a single and
error on Price loaded the bases for Kasarjian, who hit a grand
slam over the wall in center for a 10-6 lead.
Price's grand slam was the
first for the Highlanders since D.J. Hollingsworth hit one
May 14, 2006 against CSUN. The Highlanders' four home runs
were also the most in one game since they hit four at Cal
Poly on May 21, 2005. UCR also had three doubles on the game
and leads the Big West Conference with 110 doubles and 42
home runs.
(May 12,
2007) - #17 UC Riverside tied its season high for runs
for the second straight game, pounding out an 18-1 victory
against Cal State Northridge in the second game of a Big West
Conference series Saturday afternoon at the Riverside Sports
Complex. The Highlanders improve to 32-17, 11-3 Big West while
the Matadors fall to 14-35, 2-12.
Playing as the designated
visiting team with the game being switched from Northridge
due to the Big West Track and Field Championships, UCR took
some time to get used to being visitors in its own park but
then found its stride, scoring 17 unanswered runs to break
open a 1-1 tie. The Highlanders scored seven runs in each
of the sixth and seventh innings and tied their season high
with four home runs and 18 runs for the second consecutive
game. Ten different Highlanders had at least one hit and crossed
the plate as UCR tied its season-high with 24 hits.
After threatening in the
first and second innings, UCR broke through in the third off
CSUN starter Joe Rocchio. Freshman RF Joey Gonzales chopped
a single over the second baseman, stole second, and came home
two batters later when freshman 1B Mark Samuelson hit a long
single off the wall in right. Cal State Northridge came back
with a run in the bottom of the fourth off sophomore RHP Matt
Montgomery as Richard Cates bunted past Montgomery’s
glove to bring home the tying run. Montgomery got out of the
jam on the next pitch, as Amiel Traynum lined right back to
the pitcher, who nabbed the line drive and then doubled up
Kris Kasarjian at second.
UCR claimed back its lead
in the top of the fifth thanks to a pair of unearned runs.
Sophomore CF Carl Uhl walked to open the inning and was sacrificed
to second. Junior SS Jaime Pedroza followed with a chopper
to first that was misplayed by Andrade, Jr., allowing Uhl
to race all the way home. One out later, Pedroza stole second
and came home on junior LF Aaron Wible’s single to left.
Two days after scoring eight
runs in the ninth inning, the Highlanders broke open this
game with a seven-run sixth, sending 12 batters to the plate.
Rocchio walked each of the first two batters to start the
Highlander sixth and was chased when Uhl tripled into the
left-center field gap to make it 5-1. Eric Billings came on
but allowed the next six Highlanders to reach. Billings’
second pitch to Gonzales was hammered over the wall in right
for Gonzales’ second home run of the year. The inning
kept going when Pedroza singled and went all the way to third
when Billings’ attempt at a pick-off went into the right
field bullpen. Samuelson then singled to right to plate Pedroza
with the fifth run of the inning and Wible subsequently hit
his 10th home run of the season to left-center, making it
10-1.
That was all the support
needed for Montgomery, who made his first career start and
improved to 3-0 this year. He went six innings, allowing one
run on five hits while walking two and striking out three.
Three other Highlander relievers combined to finish off the
eight-hitter.
UCR added to its tally with
seven more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a three-run
home run over the center field fence by junior DH Mike Vass,
his ninth homer of the year. Freshman DH Ryan Goetz added
his first career home run in the eighth off the first pitch
he saw from Billy Ott.
Uhl and Vass each went 4-for-6
with three RBI, with Gonzales and Wible both collecting three
hits. Wible joins Pedroza with double-digit home runs this
season, becoming the first UCR teammates to achieve the feat
since Brian Wahlbrink (12) and Kevin Mangels (10) did so in
2003. UCR’s 46 home runs this season leads the Big West
and is the second-highest single-season tally at the Division
I level.
Rocchio (2-6) suffered the
loss as he was tagged for six runs (four earned) on six hits
and six walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six. Cates led
the Matadors offensively in a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI.
(May 13,
2007) - #17 UC Riverside completed its three-game sweep
of Cal State Northridge with a 7-4 victory in the finale of
their Big West Conference series Sunday afternoon at Matador
Field in Northridge, CA. The Highlanders win their fourth
straight and 11th in the last 12 games to improve to 33-17,
12-3 Big West while dropping the Matadors to 14-36, 2-13.
After putting up 18 runs
in each of the first two games of the series, UCR pulled away
with three runs in the top of the ninth. Leading 4-3 entering
the final frame, sophomore CF Carl Uhl was hit by a pitch
from Phil Hann to open the inning and was sacrificed to second.
Hann then intentionally walked junior SS Jaime Pedroza, who
had hit his team-leading 12th home run earlier in the game,
and then unintentionally walked freshman 1B Mark Samuelson
to load the bases. Junior LF Aaron Wible, who had driven in
eight runs to that point in the series, came through with
an RBI single for a two-run cushion and junior 2B Ben Price
followed two batters later with a two-run single to make it
7-3.
The Matadors came back with
a run in the ninth but freshman RHP Joe Kelly struck out Jason
Dabbs with two runners on to cap the sweep. Kelly was the
fourth UCR pitcher of the day, with junior LHP Pat Cassa getting
the start. Cassa tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs
on seven hits while walking two and striking out three. Cassa
left with two outs in the fifth as the Highlanders clung to
a 4-3 lead but the Matadors were threatening with two runners
on. Junior LHP Dan Runzler (4-6) came in and shut the door,
picking up the win with an inning-and-two-thirds of work in
which he gave up two hits. Sophomore RHP Stephen Penney gave
up a run in 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Kelly.
All nine Highlanders had
at least one hit. Uhl continued his hot hitting by reaching
base in four of his five plate appearances, going 2-for-3
with a walk and three runs scored. Junior DH Mike Vass had
his second straight multiple-hit game in a 2-for-4 effort.
Pedroza, Samuelson, and Price all drove in two runs each.
Chuckie Fick (0-5) gave
up four runs on six hits in five innings for the Matadors
while Hann went the final four innings, allowing three runs.
Jorge Andrade, Jr. and Amiel Traynum each went 3-for-5 with
an RBI.
Samuelson gave UCR a 1-0
lead in the first with a single that scored Uhl, who had led
off with a single. The Highlanders jumped on top 3-0 with
a pair of runs in the third. Uhl again opened the inning with
a single, moving to third on a double by freshman RF Joey
Gonzales. Pedroza followed with a sacrifice fly that plated
Uhl and moved Gonzales to third, with Gonzales coming home
on a groundout by Samuelson.
The Matadors got on the
board with Alex Bardeguez coming around on an RBI single by
Andrade, Jr. in the third. In the fourth, the Northridge pushed
its second run across with a Todd Shelton RBI single Pedroza's
solo homer with two outs in the fifth staked the Highlanders
to a 4-2 advantage. CSUN came back in the bottom of the frame
with Traynum plating Jon Sakurai with an RBI single.
Pedroza's 12 home runs pulls
him even with Brian Wahlbrink (2003) for the UCR Division
I single-season record. The Highlanders' 33 overall wins this
year is also tied for the second-most at the Division I level
while the 12 Big West wins are the second-most in history
and the most since 2003. Additionally, the 43 runs scored
by the Highlanders in the three-game series is a new program
record, topping the 38 registered earlier this season against
Santa Clara.
(May 18,
2007) - #16 UC Riverside moved into a tie atop the
Big West Conference standings with a 7-4 victory over #11
Long Beach State in the opener of their series Friday evening
at Blair Field in Long Beach, CA. The Highlanders improve
to 34-17, 13-3 Big West while 49ers fall to 34-15, 13-3.
Both teams came into the
game on a roll, with UCR winning 11 of its last 12 and the
49ers on a 13-game winning streak so something had to give.
UCR got the start it was hoping for, pushing across two runs
in the top of the first. Sophomore CF Carl Uhl led off with
a single that 49er first baseman Shane Peterson dove and smothered
but Uhl won the footrace to the bag. Two batters later, junior
SS Jaime Pedroza singled to short and both came home when
junior LF Aaron Wible hit a two-out, two-run double to right-center.
LBSU came back with a run
in the bottom of the third when T.J. Mittelstaedt hit a triple
to left-center that a diving Uhl nearly came up with. Matt
Cline followed with a single through the left side to make
it 2-1. The 49ers continued to threaten in the inning with
runners on first and second and one out but junior RHP James
Simmons got out of it by getting the next two batters to fly
out.
The 49ers threatened again
in the fourth when Chris Nelson reached on an error. The next
batter, Brandon Godfrey, bunted to freshman 1B Mark Samuelson
but Samuelson let it roll, thinking it would go foul. Instead,
the ball hit the first base bag to put runners on first and
second with no outs. After the runners were sacrificed over,
Simmons bore down, striking out Jason Tweedy and Mittelstaedt
to leave the runners stranded.
UCR increased its advantage
with four runs in the fifth. With Adam Wilk on the mound replacing
starter Manny McElroy, freshman RF Joey Gonzales led off with
a single to right. After Pedroza flew out, Wilk walked Samuelson
and then uncorked a wild pitch, enabling Gonzales and Samuelson
to move up. Wilk then walked Wible, with ball four getting
away from the catcher as Gonzales showed heads-up base running
to come home and Samuelson heading to third. The Highlanders
continued to roll with junior 2B Ben Price stinging a ball
between the hole at short and third that shortstop Danny Espinosa
made a superb diving stop on but his throw to first was wild
as Samuelson scored and Price and Wible ended up on second
and third. Senior 3B Kyle Barratt brought both runners home
with a single to left-center to make it 6-1 and end Wilk's
day.
The Highlanders tacked on
another run in the sixth when Uhl was hit by a pitch and went
to second on a passed ball. After a walk to Pedroza, Samuelson
laced a single to right, scoring Uhl and sending Pedroza to
third. Samuelson would move up on a wild pitch but the Highlanders
would strand the runners as Wible lined out and junior DH
Mike Vass grounded out to end the inning.
The 49ers would get three
runs over the final three innings but it was too little, too
late, as sophomore RHP Stephen Penney earned his fifth save
with three innings of work.
Simmons (10-2) went six
innings, allowing one run on seven hits. He struck out five
to reach 107 strikeouts this year, moving past Dale Reis into
third place on the Highlander single-season strikeout list.
He also became the first Highlander 10-game winner since 2003
and just the third to reach the mark at the Division I level.
Barratt finished 2-for-5
with two RBI while Wible also drove in two. Samuelson went
1-for-2 with an RBI and three walks and Price reached three
times with a hit and two walks.
McElroy (5-2) lasted 3 2/3
innings, allowing two runs on four hits but walking four.
Long Beach pitchers were wild all day, walking 10 and throwing
three wild pitches.
The win was the first for
the Highlanders at Long Beach in the Division I era and their
first-ever win at Blair Field. UCR last won in Long Beach
in 2003. The Highlanders also set a new single-season Division
I record by reaching 223 walks, topping the 218 from 2004.
(May 19, 2007) - Sophomore
RHP Matt Montgomery came one strike from his first career
complete game, pitching #16 UC Riverside into first place
in the Big West Conference standings with a 2-1 victory over
#11 Long Beach State in the middle game of their weekend series
Saturday afternoon at Blair Field in Long Beach, CA. The Highlanders
have won six in a row to improve to 35-17, 14-3 Big West while
49ers fall a game behind the Highlanders at 34-16, 13-4.
Making his second career
start, Montgomery kept the 49ers off the board for the first
8 2/3 innings to improve to 4-0. He scattered nine hits and
struck out three without conceding a walk. He got help from
the excellent Highlander defense as UCR turned a season-high
four double plays.
A shuffle in the Highlander
lineup paid off as UCR would get all the offense it would
need in the fifth inning. Sophomore CF Carl Uhl was scratched
after getting hit by a pitch in Friday's game, making way
for freshman Joey Gonzales to move to center and bat first
with freshman DH Ryan Goetz inserted into the lineup, hitting
second. Both came through large in the fifth after junior
C Jeff Dunbar hit a one-out single through the left side.
Gonzales followed with a double down the right field line
to put runners on second and third and Goetz brought them
home with a single to right.
That would be enough for
Montgomery, who received double play help in the second, fourth,
sixth, and eighth innings to erase 49er baserunners. He flashed
the leather himself twice, the first coming on the first double
play of the game. With runners on first and third and one
out in the second, he snagged a Taylor Krick liner and flipped
to first to double off Jason Corder and escape without damage.
He also reacted quick to end the third, getting his glove
up in time to snare a T.J. Mittelstaedt liner.
LBSU rallied in the bottom
of the ninth when Mittelstaedt hit a one-out double to left-center.
A groundout moved him to third, just the second 49er baserunner
to reach that base, but Montgomery quickly went to a 2-2 count
on Shane Peterson and was one strike from a complete game.
Instead Peterson singled to right, plating Mittelstaedt and
putting the tying run on base for Danny Espinsoa. In came
freshman RHP Joe Kelly, who wasted no time with a three-pitch
strikeout for his fifth save.
Gonzales went 3-for-4 with
two doubles and a run scored to increase his hitting streak
to 10 games. Junior LF Aaron Wible extended his hit streak
to nine games in a 2-for-4 outing and a double while Goetz
finished 1-for-4 with both RBI.
Andrew Liebel (7-3) suffered
the loss despite tossing a complete game. Liebel allowed both
runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking none.
UCR's 14 Big West Conference
victories this season ties for the most in program history,
equaling when the Highlanders went 14-7 in 2003. UCR has also
won 13 of its last 14 games, including seven straight over
ranked opponents.
(May 20, 2007) - #16 UC
Riverside overcame a 6-3 deficit with three runs in the ninth
inning, adding a run in the 10th for a 7-6 extra-innings victory
and sweep of #11 Long Beach State Sunday afternoon at Blair
Field in Long Beach, CA. The Highlanders have won seven in
a row and 14 of their last 15 to move two games clear atop
the Big West Conference standings at 36-17, 15-3 Big West
while 49ers fall to 34-17, 13-5.
Trailing 6-3 entering their
last at bat, the Highlanders rallied for three runs off Bryan
Shaw to tie the game. Three consecutive singles to open the
inning loaded the bases before senior 3B Kyle Barratt fouled
out to the catcher for the inning's first out. Freshman pinch
hitter Ryan Goetz fought off a number of pitches before drawing
a walk to bring in a run. After sophomore CF Carl Uhl struck
out, freshman RF Joey Gonzales drove a ball in the hole between
third and short. 49er third baseman Taylor Krick made a diving
stop but his throw to second was wide, allowing two runners
to come home and tie the game at 6-6.
After freshman RHP Joe Kelly
set the 49ers down in order in the bottom of the ninth, the
Highlanders took the lead in the tenth off Vance Worley. Junior
LF Aaron Wible led off with a single to right-center. Freshman
1B Mark Samuelson then hit a sharp grounder to second. LBSU
turned one at second to retire Wible but shortstop Danny Espinosa's
throw to first was wild and Samuelson went to second. Junior
DH Mike Vass then hit a flare that Krick lost in the sun,
putting runners on first and second with one out. Junior 2B
Ben Price loaded the bases with a walk and Dustin Rasco became
the sixth Long Beach pitcher of the day. Barratt came through
when he could not an inning earlier, sending a sacrifice fly
to right as Samuelson beat the throw with the go-ahead run.
UCR reloaded the bases on another walk but would settle for
the one run.
Kelly gave up a one-out
single to Brandon Godfrey in the bottom of the tenth but retired
the next two batters to complete the Highlander comeback.
Kelly improved to 3-1 on the season with 2 1/3 innings of
two-hit relief. Senior LHP Pat Cassa started and went 4 2/3
innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits, walking
one and hitting two. He struck out three. Junior LHP Dan Runzler
pitched the next three innings, giving up two unearned runs
on four hits and one strike out.
Gonzales put together his
second consecutive multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 effort, scoring
once and driving in a run. Wible also was 2-for-4 with an
RBI while Vass finished 2-for-5.
Worley (1-2) took the loss,
allowing one run on a walk and two hits in a third of an inning.
Shane Peterson went just an inning on the mound before switching
to designated hitter. He allowed three runs (one earned) on
a walk and a hit while striking out two. Omar Arif faced two
over the minimum over the next 5 2/3 before leaving in the
seventh after giving up a two-out ground-rule double to Barratt.
He was replaced by David Roberts, who struck out junior C
Jeff Dunbar to end the inning. Arif scattered three hits,
striking out one. Roberts was followed by Shaw, who allowed
three runs (two earned) on four hits in an inning for his
fifth blown save of the season.
The 49er offense was led
by Godfrey, who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Matt Cline
was 1-for-5 but drove in two.
UCR took advantage of shaky
49er defense to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Uhl led off the game with a walk off Peterson. Gonzales then
placed a sacrifice bunt down the first base line but Godfrey
threw the ball into right field as Uhl raced around to third.
Junior SS Jaime Pedroza drove in the game's first run with
his 50th RBI of the season, a single to right that moved Gonzales
to third. The Highlanders then broke out some trickery as
Wible followed with his 50th RBI, a sacrifice bunt that plated
Gonzales. With two outs, the 49ers committed their second
error of the inning when Krick allowed a liner from Vass to
get past him and Pedroza trotted home to put UCR up 3-0.
LBSU came back with a run
in the second on a two-out RBI single by Travis Howell off
Cassa. Cassa struck back with runners on first and third by
getting Krick to fly out to center. That started a string
of seven straight batters set down by Cassa before Brandon
Godfrey led off the fifth with a double that jumpstarted a
three-run 49er rally. An infield error put runners on first
and third with no out but Cassa struck out Krick. Pinch-hitter
Steve Tinoco then nubbed a ball through the right side to
bring in Godfrey and send Howell to third. Cassa got what
could have been a double play ball but it got under Pedroza's
glove at third to tie up the game at 3-all. Pedroza came back
to make a nice play over the middle for the second out but
the runners moved up to put them at second and third with
two outs. Cassa then hit Espinosa and Robert Perry to force
in the go-ahead run, Long Beach's first lead of the series.
On came Runzler to face Jason Corder and he got the Highlanders
out of the inning when Gonzales made a diving catch in right
field to keep it at 4-3 LBSU.
Another Highlander error
led to two more runs for LBSU in the sixth. Godfrey led off
with a single, advancing to third on a sacrifice and infield
groundout. Runzler then got Tinoco to ground back to him but
Runzler's throw to first was wide, enabling Godfrey to come
home and Tinoco to go to second. Cline followed with a single
to center to make it 6-3. Peterson reached on a bunt single
but Cline got too aggressive and the Highlander defense stepped
up as they didn't get Peterson at first but Samuelson threw
a bullet across the diamond to Runzler covering third as they
nailed a greedy Cline at third.
Pedroza and Wible become
the third set of UCR teammates to register 50 RBI in a season
at the Division I level and the first since Nick Salotti and
Tony Festa did so in 2004. The sweep was UCR's first against
the 49ers, having entered the series never having won in Long
Beach at the Division I level.
(May 21, 2007) - UC Riverside
sophomore righthander Matt Montgomery was named the Big West
Conference Pitcher of the Week for May 14-20, the conference
office announced Monday. The award is the first of Montgomery’s
career and the school-record sixth by a Highlander pitcher
this season.
Making just his second career
start, Montgomery (Sun City, CA/Paloma Valley HS) pitched
UC Riverside into first place in the Big West standings with
a 2-1 win at #11 Long Beach State. He came within one strike
of his first career complete game and shutout before giving
up a single run with two outs in the ninth. Montgomery settled
for the win, tossing 8 2/3 innings and scattering nine hits.
He struck out three and did not issue a walk to win his second
straight start and improve to 4-0 on the season. Montgomery
also flashed the leather, snaring a line drive to start an
inning-ending double play with runners on first and third
and one out in the second and then snatching another liner
in the fifth.
Montgomery joins teammates
James Simmons (three awards) and Marc Rzepczynski (two) among
UCR pitchers to win the award this year. In total, the Highlanders
have been recognized in six of the 18 weekly pitching honors,
tying Cal State Fullerton for the most this season.
UCR (37-17, 15-3 Big West)
enters the final week of the regular season with a two-game
lead over UC Irvine and Long Beach State atop the conference
standings. The Highlanders, ranked #13 in the nation, host
the 10th-ranked Anteaters this weekend, needing one victory
to claim the school’s first-ever Big West baseball championship.
Game times are 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m.
Sunday.
(May 22, 2007) - Coming
off its first-ever three game sweep of Long Beach State and
with the program's first Big West Conference championship
in sight, the UC Riverside baseball team has attained its
highest Division I ranking in history. Along with the sweep
came individual and team awards, while several records were
set over the weekend.
UCR is currently at its
highest-ever ranking in four of the polls, coming in at #13
(Collegiate
Baseball), #16 (Baseball
America), #18 (Rivals.com),
and #22 USA
Today/ESPN. The Highlanders are also ranked 28th by the
NCBWA.
This marks the first time in school history that they have
been ranked in every poll.
UCR opened the 2007 season
ranked 26th by Baseball America and in the "Receiving
Votes" category of the Collegiate Baseball poll, just
the second time in school history that they had been included
in a preseason poll. The Highlanders got as high as #20 in
the Baseball America poll on February 26 before dropping out.
Following a week in which they beat #18 UCLA and swept #14
Cal State Fullerton, UCR returned to the Collegiate Baseball
(#16) and Baseball America polls (#25) and was receiving votes
in the National College Baseball Writers Association, USA
Today/ESPN, and Rivals.com polls dated April 30. Since then,
the Highlanders have won 14 of their last 15.
In addition to its national
ranking record, UCR also set some team and personal records
over the weekend at Long Beach State. With a 15-3 Big West
Conference record, UCR is is guaranteed the winningest season
in its six-year existence in the conference. This year's Highlander
pitching staff has registered the most strikeouts in school
history (431) while the hitters have drawn the most walks
at the Division I level (227). The pitchers have not stopped
there, posting a team earned run average of 3.39, the lowest
of the Division I-era and currently the fourth-lowest in the
school's history. UCR also leads the conference in doubles
with 119 and is closing in on the school's D1 record of 126,
set in 2004.
Junior RHP James Simmons
became the 15th UCR pitcher to win 10 games in a season, and
the third at the Division I level, with his 7-4 victory over
Long Beach State on Friday. Simmons also moved up to third
place on the single-season strikeout list with 107. Additionally,
junior SS Jaime Pedroza and junior LF Aaron Wible are the
first set of UCR teammates since 2003 to hit 10 or more home
runs and drive in 50 runs in the same season. With 12 home
runs, Pedroza is tied for the most in UCR's Division I history.
Both Pedroza and Wible have 50 RBI this season, two behind
the school's Division I record of 52, set by Tony Festa in
2003.
Sophomore RHP Matt Montgomery
was named Big West Pitcher of the Week following his stellar
outing on Saturday in which he went 8 2/3 innings and allowed
a single run in a 2-1 victory. Montgomery is the third Highlander
pitcher to be so honored this year and UCR has claimed six
of the 16 pitcher of the week awards, easily the most in school
history. UCR also has had four field players named Big West
Player of the Week to give Riverside 10 overall weekly awards
from the Big West, the most in school history and most by
any Big West team this season.
Entering the final weekend
of play, UCR holds a two-game lead in the Big West standings
over UC Irvine and Long Beach State. The Highlanders face
the Anteaters for three games at home, needing just one win
to clinch the program's first-ever Big West title. In doing
so, they would claim the conference's automatic bid to the
NCAA Regionals. UCR has been to the NCAA Division I Playoffs
one other time in history, in 2003. The 64-team NCAA Championships
field will be announced on Monday, May 28 at 9:30 a.m. (Pacific)
live on ESPN.
(May 25, 2007) - In a match-up
of the top two teams in the Big West Conference, #10 UC Irvine
snapped #13 UC Riverside's winning streak at seven, 5-0 in
their series opener Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex.
The Highlanders fall to 36-18, 15-4 Big West while the Anteaters
win their eighth straight and move within a game of UCR at
39-14-1, 14-5.
A school-record crowd of
1100 showed up in anticipation of the Highlanders clinching
their first-ever Big West title but were left to wait another
day as the Anteaters combined small ball and the long ball.
Cody Cipriano's three-run home run in the top of the eighth
broke open what had been a close 2-0 game. The inning started
with a Taylor Holiday double to left-center and Ben Orloff
followed with an attempted sacrifice bunt but he beat it out
for an infield single to put runners on first and third. Cipriano
stepped in and showed bunt twice before turning on a curveball
and sending it over the wall in left.
Scott Gorgen (10-2) outdueled
junior RHP James Simmons in what was a pitcher's game until
the eighth. Gorgen went the distance on a three-hitter, striking
out 11 and walking two in a 135-pitch outing. Gorgen retired
19 of the last 20 batters he faced, including 14 in a row
at one point.
Simmons (10-3) held the
Highlanders close before Cipriano's home run. He ended up
going eight innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. He did
not issue a walk and struck out six to move into second place
on the UCR single-season strikeout list with 113. Freshman
RHP Kevin Dickey closed out the ninth, working his way out
of a bases-loaded jam.
Freshman RF Joey Gonzales
extended his hitting streak to 12 games with two of UCR's
three hits. Junior LF Aaron Wible had the other hit, which
increased his hitting streak to 11 games.
Holiday went 3-for-3 with
a run scored, falling a home run shy of the cycle. Aaron Lowenstein
and Tyler Vaughn both went 2-for-4 while Cipriano was 1-for-4
with three RBI.
The Anteaters played small
ball to manufacture the game's first run in the third inning.
Back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt opened the inning,
putting runners on second and third with one out. Orloff then
hit a high chopper to second to make it 1-0. Simmons came
back to strike out Cipriano to end the inning and strand a
runner at third.
Simmons was dynamite, setting
down the next seven Anteaters before Holiday led off the sixth
inning with a triple down the rightfield line. That would
be as far as he would get, however, as Simmons induced the
next three batters to sky infield pop ups and leave Holiday
at third.
Meanwhile, Gorgen was in
a groove, retiring 14 straight batters from the third to eighth
innings. He gained an insurance run in the seventh when Bryan
Peterson led off with a bunt single but was thrown out at
second on a failed sacrifice bunt by Sean Madigan. Madigan
moved to second on a groundout and Ollie Linton's soft liner
to center brought him home.
(May 26, 2007) -#13 UC Riverside
clinched its first-ever Big West Conference championship with
a 4-2 victory over #10 UC Irvine in front of 975 fans Saturday
evening at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders have
won 15 of their last 17 to take the title at 37-18, 16-4 Big
West, two games ahead of the Anteaters, whose record stands
at 39-15-1, 14-6.
Having produced in the clutch
with two outs all season, it was fitting that the Highlanders
would use a two-out rally to score the go-ahead runs. In a
2-2 game with one out in the seventh, freshman RF Joey Gonzales
singled up the middle for his third hit of the game. With
junior SS Jaime Pedroza, the Highlanders' RBI leader, stepping
up to the plate, UCR gambled to get Gonzales in scoring position
by sending him but he was caught stealing at second. Back
at the plate, Pedroza continued to foul off pitches from Dylan
Axelrod in an epic 12-pitch at-bat, winning the battle with
a double off the wall in right. Freshman 1B Mark Samuelson
then reached out to stab a single to left, giving UCR the
lead as Pedroza came home. The inning stayed alive as junior
LF Aaron Wible extended his hitting streak to 12 games with
a single to center. That brought up freshman pinch-hitter
Ryan Goetz, who slapped a single to right to give the Highlanders
a two-run cushion.
Sophomore RHP Matt Montgomery
came out for the eighth pumped up and struck out Ben Orloff
and Cody Cipriano to conclude four straight innings in which
he faced the minimum, striking out six of the nine batters
he faced between the sixth and eighth. For the second consecutive
start, he trotted out to the mound in the ninth. After getting
the first batter to fly out, Montgomery gave up consecutive
singles to Bryan Peterson and Sean Madigan and was relieved
by freshman RHP Joe Kelly with the go-ahead run at the plate
in Ollie Linton. Linton chopped a ball straight down that
was fielded by Kelly, who went to first to get Linton but
the runners moved up to put the tying run on second. With
the UCR fans on their feet, Kelly went to a 2-2 count on pinch-hitter
Zach Robinson, getting him to pop out to Pedroza as the Highlanders
rushed out of the dugout to celebrate their first-ever Big
West Conference championship.
After pitching the Highlanders
into first place last weekend at Long Beach State, Montgomery
lifted UCR to the title with a career-high eight strikeouts
and no walks over 8 1/3 innings Saturday. He allowed two earned
runs on seven hits to improve to 5-0 on the season and 3-0
as a starter. Kelly closed out the ninth for his sixth save.
Gonzales extended his hitting
streak to 13 games, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Samuelson
was 2-for-3 with a walk, run scored, and two RBI. Pedroza
went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Axelrod (3-4) took the loss
after replacing starter Wes Etheridge in the third inning.
Axelrod gave up two runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking
out seven and walking none. Etheridge had allowed two runs
(one earned) in 2 1/3 innings but left after suffering a leg
injury trying to field a bunt. Peterson and Madigan were both
2-for-4 for UCI.
For the second consecutive
day, UCI manufactured the game's first run through its baserunning.
With two outs in the third, Taylor Holiday singled through
the right side and Orloff followed with a hit-and-run chopped
single to right that advanced Holiday to third. The Anteaters
then pulled off a double steal as Orloff took off from first.
Junior C Jeff Dunbar's throw to second was cut off by junior
2B Ben Price but Price's throw home was too late to get the
diving Holiday.
UCR came back in the bottom
of third to take the lead, playing some small ball themselves.
Back-to-back one-out singles by Gonzales and Pedroza put runners
on first and third for Samuelson, who hit a flare over second
to tie the game. Wible then put down a sacrifice bunt that
Holiday had skip off his glove at first, allowing Pedroza
to come home. Etheridge stumbled in an attempt to back up
Holiday and was unable to continue, giving way to Axelrod
out of the bullpen, who struck out the next two batters to
leave the Highlander lead at 2-1.
Just as soon as the Highlanders
took the lead, the Anteaters responded in the top of the fourth.
Matt Morris led off with a single and then executed a perfect
hit-and-run to move to third on Peterson's single through
the right side. After Peterson stole second, Madigan plated
Morris with a single to left. With runners on first and third,
Linton tried to squeeze home Peterson but Montgomery was off
the mound quickly to come home and scoop to Dunbar to nail
Peterson at the plate. Montgomery got out of the inning by
getting a popup and a groundout and it stayed that way until
UCR took the lead in the seventh.
(May 27, 2007) - #13 UC
Riverside closed out its regular season with a 16-8 loss to
#10 UC Irvine in the regular season finale for both teams
Sunday afternoon at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders,
having already won the Big West Conference title, fall to
37-19, 16-5 Big West while the Anteaters improve to 40-15-1,
15-6.
After clinching the Big
West Conference title the night before, UCR handed starting
jobs to many of its youngsters but could not keep up with
the hot Anteater bats. Cody Cipriano staked Irvine to a 2-0
lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first, his
second of the series. The Anteaters added a run in the second
and three more in the third to knock out senior LHP Pat Cassa.
UCR pulled back a run in
the bottom of the third, putting the first two runners of
the inning on. Freshman DH Ryan Goetz bounced a ball to the
right side that was thrown away, allowing the first UCR run
of the day to score and putting runners on second and third
with no outs. Eric Pettis worked his way out of the jam, strike
out the next two batters and ending the inning with a foul
pop up.
A four-run sixth inning
broke the game open for the Anteaters, highlighted by Cipriano's
two-run double. UCI tacked on another run in the seventh and
five more in the eighth. The Highlanders came back with five
of their own in the bottom of the eighth, including three
on sophomore C Jordan Opdyke's first career home run. Junior
RF Mike Vass added a solo homer in the ninth, his 10th of
the season, to give UCR three players with 10 or more home
runs in a season for the first time in Division I history.
Cassa (2-4) lasted 2 1/3
innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits. Gonzales
finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored to equal his season-high
hitting streak at 14 games. Vass went 2-for-4 with an RBI
and two runs scored while freshman 3B Phil Boscarino was 2-for-3,
driving in one and scoring once.
Pettis (4-0) went seven
innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck
out five and walked two. The Anteaters used five pitchers
on the day. Cipriano had a 3-for-5 day, driving in four runs
and scoring four times. Ben Orloff, Matt Morris, and Jeff
Cusick each had two hits for the visitors.
(May 28, 2007) - The UC
Riverside Highlanders earned a No. 2 seed and will travel
to Arizona State University to face No. 3 seed Nebraska on
Friday, June 1 in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Baseball
Championships. The Highlanders are 37-19 this season and won
the Big West Conference Championship for the first time. Nebraska
was 30-25 overall and 14-13 in the Big 12, good for fourth.
Also in the bracket are hosts Arizona State (43-13), the No.
5 national seed and Pac-10 champion, vs. No. 4 seed Monmouth
(36-22-1), the champions of the Northeast Conference.
“We are pleased with a #2
seed,” Head Coach Doug Smith said. “It is a tremendous accolade
for our conference to get four bids but it a little disappointing
that the Big West champion is in the same region as the #5
national seed and Pac-10 champion. Having said that, we are
happy to not have to fly across the country. The regional
we are in will be tough to get through but that is how it
is supposed to be in the postseason.”
UCR will face Nebraska in
the first round at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 1 with ASU playing
Monmouth in the day’s other game at 7 p.m. The rest of the
regional schedule is as follows: Saturday (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.),
Sunday (11 a.m. and 3 p.m.) and Monday, if necessary, at 6
p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Sun Devil Athletic
Ticket Office at (480) 965-2381 or by by visiting www.thesundevils.com.
UCR clinched its first-ever
Big West title on Saturday with a 4-2 victory over UC Irvine.
The Highlanders finished a game ahead of the Anteaters at
16-5 in conference play and have an overall record of 37-19.
This will be UCR’s second appearance in the Division I playoffs,
having previously participated in 2003.
(May 29, 2007) - The Big
West Conference announced Tuesday that eight UC Riverside
Highlanders have received Big West Baseball All-Conference
honors and Head Coach Doug Smith has been named Easton Big
West Coach of the Year.
Three Highlanders were
first team selections: junior shortstop Jaime Pedroza, junior
starting pitcher James Simmons, and freshman relief pitcher
Joe Kelly. Junior left fielder Aaron Wible, designated hitter
Mike Vass, and freshman right fielder Joey Gonzales were placed
on the second team. Junior catcher Jeff Dunbar and senior
pitcher Marc Rzepczynski received honorable mention. The eight
All-Big West selections are the most since 2003 when 10 Highlanders
earned all-conference honors.
Simmons was named Easton
Big West Pitcher of the Year in addition to his place on the
first team after he finished the regular season with a 10-3
record and a conference best 2.32 ERA. He struck out 113 batters
in 116.1 innings and also held hitters to a conference low
.219 batting average. He received Big West Pitcher of the
Week accolades a conference-best three times this season.
Gonzales was named Easton
Big West Freshman of the Year after he finished the regular
season with a team-high .360 batting average, seventh best
in the conference. He also finished with 62 hits including
14 doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI.
Joe Kelly was named Easton
Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year along with his first
team selection after he took over the closer role half way
through the year. He finished the season with six saves in
21 appearances with 19 strikeouts in 26.1 innings and a team
best 0.68 ERA.
Pedroza was named first
team all-conference at shortstop after posting team-highs
in home runs (12), RBI, (51), hits (74), and doubles (17).
Pedroza was named Big West Player of the Week twice this season;
placing in five Big West top-10 offensive categories. He was
second on the team with a .329 batting average and his 12
homers tied a UCR Division I record.
Wible earned second team
honors after he ended the regular season second on the team
in RBI (50), hits (68), and tied for second with 10 home runs.
He also received Big West Player of the Week on April 9th.
Vass joined him on the second team after finishing with 10
homers, 26 RBI, and a .565 slugging percentage in his first
season with the Highlanders.
Dunbar was named honorable
mention after finishing with three home runs and 17 RBI. He
also was second in the Big West with 21 baserunners thrown
out. Rzepczynski earned honorable mention status despite missing
his final three starts after breaking his hand. He went 6-2
with 84 strikeouts in 72.2 innings and was second in the conference
with a 2.72 ERA and a .236 opposing batting average.
This is Smith’s first
conference Coach of the Year award after guiding UCR to its
first Big West Conference Baseball Championship. Smith led
the UCR to a 37-19 overall record and a conference record
of 16-5. The 16 wins are the most in the school history, topping
the 14 conference wins in 2003, which was their last and only
Division I post season appearance.
(May 30, 2007) - Collegiate
Baseball announced Wednesday that UC Riverside junior
starting pitcher James Simmons earned third team honors on
the 2007 TPX All-American team. Simmons earns his first All-American
honor after being awarded Big West Conference Pitcher of the
Year and first team all-conference on Tuesday. He is the first
UCR All-American since Ryan Harvey was Honorable Mention in
2003.
Simmons finished the regular
season with a 10-3 mark, leading the conference with a 2.32
ERA, five complete games, and a .219 batting average against.
He also finished second in the conference in strikeouts with
113 in 116.1 innings. He collected Big West Pitcher of the
Week honors a school record three times this season, on February
19 and back-to-back weeks April 2 and April 9. Simmons was
also named the InsidePitching.com West Region Pitcher of the
Week twice this season and once was named Collegiate Baseball
Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. He remains
a top-30 finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes
the National Player of the Year, and also a top-50 finalist
for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.
Earlier this season Simmons
achieved a career high and tied a school record with 15 strikeouts
in a complete game winning performance against University
of San Francisco on February 16. In a classic pitchers duel
against #14 Cal State Fullerton’s All-American Wes Roemer
on April 27, Simmons came out on top after throwing a complete
game with nine strikeouts and not walking a batter in the
3-2 win. Simmons became the third pitcher in the school’s
Division I history to win 10 games in a season after picking
up the win against #11 Long Beach State on May 18. He became
the first since AJ Shappi and Jaymie Torres won 11 and 10
respectively in 2003.
(May 27, 2007) - (Tempe,
AZ) - The No. 2 seeded UC Riverside Highlanders defeated the
No. 3 seeded University of Nebraska, 10-5, in the opener of
the NCAA Baseball Regional at Packard Stadium on the campus
of Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ Friday.
The Highlanders improved
to 38-19 overall and the Cornhuskers fell to 30-26. Junior
starter James Simmons improved 11-3 on the season, allowing
seven hits and three earned runs in 7.1 innings or work, and
senior Taylor Bills wrapped the game up with 1.2 innings of
work. Offensively, shortstop Jaime Pedroza led the attack
with a homer and a single and four RBI, while sophomore centerfielder
Carl Uhl went 3-for-5 with three RBI including his first collegiate
home run and screaming line drive double to right.
Nebraska jumped out in
front on a two-out solo home run from first baseman Andrew
Brown off of Simmons to give the Cornhuskers a 1-0 lead. The
ball, aided by a stiff breeze blowing out to right center,
was just the 20th to be hit over the batting-eye in straight-away
centerfield in the history of the ballpark.
But Simmons settled down
and UCR put on a power display in the third. Uhl launched
a two-out homer off of Nebraska starter and loser Luke Wertz
(4-1), a line-drive shot over the right centerfield fence,
to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman right fielder Joey Gonzales
followed with a walk and then junior shortstop Jaime Pedroza
hammered his 13th homer of the season high over the right
center field fence to give the Highlanders a 3-1 lead.
The very next inning Uhl
was at it again. After a single by junior second baseman Ben
Price and back-to-back walks to senior third baseman Kyle
Barratt and junior catcher Jeff Dunbar, Uhl smacked Wertz's
pitch half-way up the right field wall for a double, just
missing a grand slam. Price and Barratt scored for a 5-1 lead.
Gonzales earned a walk from Wertz which ended his day. Nebraska
brought in southpaw Dan Jennings to turn Pedroza around, but
he thwarted the strategy by lofting a bloop single to left
center to plate Dunbar and Uhl to extend the UCR lead to 7-1.
Simmons struggled a bit
in the sixth. After a base hit by left fielder Andy Gerch,
one of his three on the day, designated hitter Jeff Tezak
chopped a ball to Pedroza, whose throw to second base to start
the double play was wide and went in to right field to put
runners at the corners. Simmons got catcher Jeff Lanning to
ground into a run scoring double-play and UCR escaped the
inning with the very next batter flying out for the third
out with a 7-2 lead.
The Cornhuskers tallied
three times in the top of the eighth to make it 7-5. Tezak
launched an RBI double to score Gerch and chase Simmons after
129 pitches. Lanning's RBI single off of Bills made it 7-4
and following a strikeout, rightfielder D.J. Belafonte followed
with a single to make it 7-5. But Bills got out of the inning
with a ground ball to retire the side.
The Highlanders put three
insurance runs up on the board in their half of the eighth.
Reliever Thad Weber hit Dunbar, Uhl reached on a bunt single,
Gonzales moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, and
Pedroza was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Nebraska
lefthander Zach Herr got Mark Samuelson to pop up for the
second out, but Coach Mike Anderson's strategy backfired as
right handed reliever Steve Edlefsen walked the next three
batters, forcing three runs across and giving the Highlanders
a 10-5 lead.
Bills finished up the game
with a one-hit ninth.
The Highlanders set several
Division marks in the game, as Pedroza's 13th homer set the
Division I record and put him three shy of the all-time UCR
mark. In addition, Pedroza's 55th RBI of the season is tops
in the DI era. Finally, Simmons' 11th win tied the DI mark
for wins and puts him three shy of the all-time mark of 16.
Director of Media Relations
Ross French will be periodically posting notes from the NCAA
Regional at Arizona State University.
(June 4, 2007) - 11:19 a.m.
- The post-mortems on the Regional have already begun. The
Highlanders left Arizona via the Big Blue Bus about 6:30 p.m.
and rolled into Riverside about midnight or so. Less than
an hour after the game the team had showered, packed up and
was on the road. The ride home wasn't silent or sad - there
was pride over what the team accomplished this season. Head
Coach Doug Smith and Assistant Coach Randy Betten shared their
experiences in being thrown out with the team, but for more
details, you'll have to talk to them.
Carl Uhl was named to the
All-Regional Team following Sunday's finale. He had a strong
tournament, hitting .364. In fact, he hit for the cycle in
the tourney with a single, double, triple and homer on the
weekend. He had a .909 slugging percentage. Congratulations
to Carl.
Speaking of averages, the
tale of the tape: UCR's batting average: .207. Opponents':
.351. OBP was .342 for the Highlanders and .452 for the opponents.
On the internet broadcast,
we had over 400 listeners over the course of the weekend.
It was nice to know that some people were listening. Hopefully
I didn't embarass myself too much with the color commentary.
Dale Parsons did a good job with the play-by-play, and my
inning of work each game gave me new appreciation for what
play-by-play guys do.
Thanks to everybody who
has read this blog and thanks for the comments and positive
feedback. Let's do it again next year.
(June 3, 2007) - 5:25 p.m.
- Ball game. Not the way UCR wanted to go out, but the season
was still outstanding. Everything went Nebraska's way. More
later.
(June 3, 2007) - 3:00 p.m.
- Both Head Coach Doug Smith and Assistant Coach Randy Betten
have been ejected, with Smith getting booted in the bottom
of the first by home plate umpire Rick Darby for arguing balls
and strikes and Betten getting run in the bottom of the second
on a questionable safe-call at first base.on the back end
of a would-be UCR double-play. Smith got his monies' worth
on the ejection, while Betten seemed incredulous at being
run. Maybe the sun is giving the blues a short fuse.
(June 3, 2007) - 1:55 p.m.
- What will hopefully be a long day in terms of innings today
begins in just a few minutes. The Highlanders didn't take
BP this morning, coming to the park about 12:40 and hitting
in the cage. Coach Doug Smith has shaken up the lineup a little,
putting Goetz at DH and Boscarino at third.
(June 2, 2007) - 11:10 p.m.
- Not a lot to say about this game. UCR has a long row to
hoe to reach the Super Regionals, and it starts tomorrow at
2 p.m. as UCR has to beat Nebraska a second time. If they
win, they face ASU at 7 p.m. And if they win that, they face
ASU again on Monday at 6 p.m. Give credit to Mike Leake, he
was dealing. Montgomery pitched well, but things just didn't
go UCR's way. UCR's Pat Cassa vs Nebraska's Johnny "Don't
Call me Roger" Dorn. If we win, then who pitches game
two? According to Coach Doug Smith, "A cast of thousands."
We'll worry about that when we get there.
Before I forget, I have
to give huge props to the UCR women's volleyball team, track
and field team and softball team, whose members came out to
support the baseball team. The volleyball team came in whooping
and hollering, wearing the face-paint that they have worn
all year long. Way to go, Highlanders. Way to support your
fellow student-athletes.
(June 2, 2007) - 9:23 p.m.
- Mark Samuelson's homer was a moon-shot, a no-doubter. Unfortunately,
it only counted for one. ASU showed great patience in the
top of the seventh and that helped them to their six run inning.
Montgomery seemed to lose his control a bit in the inning
as he grew more fatigued. Still a great effort.
(June 2, 2007) - 8:38 p.m.
- ASU's Mike Leake is cruising and the Highlanders are helping
him out by swinging a lot. Leake has thrown about 60 pitches
to Montgomery's near 100.
(June 2, 2007) - 7:08 p.m.
- First pitch at 7:08. Nice pick by Samuelson on the opening
ground out.
(June 2, 2007) - 5:03 p.m.
- No. 3 Nebraska knocks out the No. 4 Monmouth University
Hawks, 6-5. Monmouth had a 4-1 lead before giving up a five
spot in the bottom of the seventh. They loaded the bases in
the top of the eighth, but could only score once. Farewell
MuHawks.
We hardly knew ye.
(June 2, 2007) - 1:10 p.m.
- It was a fairly early night for everybody, and today the
mission is to stay inside, out of the heat, and rest up for
this evening. ASU has not yet announced their starter, something
that is not-uncommon apparently. The ASU SID had a stat in
his game notes at one point that read that "TBA is 17-4
this season for ASU." By all accounts Matt Montgomery
will throw for UCR.
It doesn't really matter
who ASU throws. You know you will have to beat their best
eventually.
What we do know is that
UCR will be the home team tonight vs. ASU. Even better, the
Highlanders will be inhabiting ASU's third base dugout. I
am sure that just thrilled the ASU coach.
It will definitely be a
hostile environment, with probably 4,000 or more ASU fans
doing their thing. In my experience, ASU's fans can be the
most.... um.... creative? I don't want to say rude, so lets
stick with creative. Anyway, I suspect we will hear some unique
things tonight.
As for Tempe itself, this
is a nice little college town that is growing like crazy.
A lot of construction, not unlike Riverside. The Tempe Town
Lake area is a great recreation area and there were a lot
of wildlife to be seen. Lots of fishermen on the banks and
folks out on the lake rowing this morning.
(June 1, 2007) - 7:40 p.m.
- Back at the hotel room with everything posted online. Thanks
to everyone who listened online. We will be back at 6:55 p.m.
Saturday, and thanks to the folks at UCR Strategic Communications,
I think we have an easier way to connect up to the web cast.
Just make sure that you have Apple Quicktime downloaded to
listen to the broadcast. If you have any questions about the
stuff going on here, you can email me questions at ross.french@ucr.edu.
Also, somebody asked about
our UCR gamecast. We are forbidden from using it by the NCAA,
so we are out of luck. Sorry.
(June 1, 2007) - 5:22 p.m.
- Ball game! Highlanders win and will play the winner of the
ASU vs. Monmouth game. Great all around effort.
(June 1, 2007) - 5:11 p.m.
- Three bases loaded walks, with none of them close. Coach
Mike Anderson almost hung himself up on the dugout railing
coming out to pull his next to last guy. His wave of his right
hand for the reliever was a mix of anger and frustration.
I think we have all been there.
(June 1, 2007) - 4:46 p.m.
- Nebraska takes back some momentum, but Taylor Bills escapes
the jam with UCR still leading, 7-5 after 7 and a half.
(June 1, 2007) - 4:37 p.m.
- Pedroza's homer was a new school Division I record for home
runs. 1,829 fans in attendance. Simmons comes out for the
8th with Taylor Bills throwing in the pen.
(June 1, 2007) - 3:26 p.m.
- Uhl is just hammering the ball. His double was a laser to
the wall. Four feet higher and it would have been a homer.
(June 1, 2007) - 3:18 p.m.
- Top of the fourth inning, with UCR leading 3-1. Andrew Brown
hammered a bomb to straight away center. Sophomore Carl Uhl's
home run is probably a double or triple at UCR, right up the
gap in right center. The outfielders started chasing it in
earnest, but started coasting as it just kept carrying. Junior
shortstop Jaime Pedroza's shot was a no-doubter.
(June 1, 2007) - 10:37 a.m.
- Game day. Most of the team was up at the hotel's complimentary
breakfast this morning. The attitude on this trip is different
than the 2003 trip at Stanford. That was the first time that
UCR sent a team to the postseason in any sport and there was
a lot of excitement. Much like the women's basketball team
and their first trip to the postseason two years ago. This
time, even though it is the first trip for all the players
on the current squad, there is a quiet confidence. They feel
like they belong here.
And they do belong. No question.
UCR deserves to be here. They have worked their tails off.
No debates about who got seeded where. It is all about what
goes on between the lines.
It is now about 11:05 and
the guys are starting to show up in the lobby to get ready
to take the bus over to the ballpark. Several parents are
popping up as well.
It will be interesting to
see how the game shakes out. I don't know if I will be able
to post at the ballpark, but will try. Otherwise, back on
after the game. Here's hoping technology works for us.
(May 31, 2006) - 6:00 p.m.
- The first day of the postseason experience is pretty much
in the books. The baseball team arrived via the "Big
Blue Bus" late on Wednesday night, and a few staff members,
myself included, flew in on Thursday morning. The highlight
of that trip was sitting on the end of the runway at Ontario
for 35 minutes waiting to take off. We sat on the ground almost
as long as it took us to fly here.
I am told the bus ride was
pretty low key, with a stop for dinner on the way and a pair
of films shown over the bus' video system. Delvyn, the bus
driver is a favorite of the athletics department and can frequently
be found traveling with different UCR teams. He is an outstanding
driver and the way he handles that bus is impressive.
We are staying at a Courtyard
Marriott in Tempe, just a couple of miles from the ballpark.
Nice property.
Thursday at noon the team
headed out to the ballpark for the first time and did a full
practice. The stadium is nice, with a great view, not unlike
the one we had in Riverside. The sun-bleached, yellowish seats
are not really an ideal backdrop to see flyballs off of the
bat and the outfielders were focusing on getting used to seeing
the ball come off the bat. The park is slightly smaller than
the RSC and the ball certainly carries well. I don't think
the heat will be too big a problem. It is warm, but not oppressive,
and not terribly different than Riverside.
After our practice, a few
media interviews, and setting up a photo with the Press Enterprise,
the team returned to the hotel and had the rest of the afternoon
to themselves. Dinner, movies, video games and studyi | 
