College baseball: UC Irvine batters Fresno State in regional opener

Fresno State pitcher Greg Gonzalez took I’m-invincible-like numbers to the mound in the NCAA regional opener Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Before the first inning was over, UC Irvine had made him look painfully mortal in a 12-6 victory.

The Anteaters (40-16) scored five runs in the top of the first inning, three on a home run by Jordan Leyland. Gonzalez had an 11-0 record and a 1.43 earned-run average during the regular season. He had given up  only 23 runs in 15 starts. Irvine scored 10 runs -- five unearned -- before Gonzalez was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning, his shortest outing of the season.

“There were a couple times where he had to get four or five outs in innings,” Fresno State Coach Mike Batesole said. “That wasn’t him. We weren’t as neat and clean as we usually are in the field.”

Gonzalez was culpable even there. He made two of the Bulldogs’ four errors, one gave the Anteaters a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Leyland, the next batter, then homered, with the ball glancing off right fielder Dusty Robinson’s glove.

Leyland also had a two-run single in Irvine’s four-run fifth inning. The Anteaters finished with 15 hits. Ronnie Shaeffer had two hits and drove in three runs.

“We got some breaks, for which we are eternally grateful,” Irvine Coach Mike Gillespie said. “But we had 15 hits and 10 of them were hit right on the screws.”

Irvine’s Matt Summers, who throw a no-hitter against Long Beach State in his last game, went seven innings, giving up only one earned run. Summers (11-2) had a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings snapped in the third inning. He struck out six batters in winning his ninth consecutive game.

“The no-hitter was nice,” Summers said, “but I was really excited about this game. It was my first postseason start. The guys went out and got five runs. That made it a lot easier.”

-- Chris Foster

Photo: UC Irvine's Jordan Leyland, who had five RBIs, heads to the dugout after scoring a run in the fifth inning against Fresno State on Friday afternoon. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire

College baseball: UCLA draws familiar foe in NCAA baseball tournament

UCLA's baseball team begins the postseason where its regular season started -- at home against San Francisco.

The Bruins (33-22) are scheduled to play the Dons (31-23) at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday. UC Irvine (39-16) and Fresno State (40-14) are to play in the regional's other game.

Cal State Fullerton (40-15), which also hosts a regional, is set to play Illinois (28-25) on Friday at Titan Field. Kansas State (36-23) is to play Stanford (32-20) in that regional's other game.

UCLA began the season as the top-ranked team in the nation and swept San Francisco in the opening series without allowing an earned run in the three games. The Bruins labored offensively during the season but captured the Pacific 10 Conference title by winning eight of their last nine games.

For the first time since the NCAA tournament was expanded to 64 teams, the West does not have a team seeded in the top eight. Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, defending champion South Carolina, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Texas and Rice are the top eight teams.

-- Chris Foster

 

College baseball: Mike Gillespie picks up 900th career victory

Jordan Fox’s four runs batted in did more than give UC Irvine a 5-3 victory over Sacramento State on Saturday. It allowed Coach Mike Gillespie to reach a milestone.

The victory was the 900^th in Gillespie’s 23 years as a Division I coach. He has a record of 900-526-2.

Gillespie went 736-471-2 in 20 seasons at USC, where he produced 28 major league players, including Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Aaron Boone and Bret Boone. He has been the Anteaters’ coach the last three seasons, going 164-55.

--Chris Foster

NCAA baseball: UCLA defeats UC Irvine, wins regional

It’s an old baseball adage, and a repetitive one for UCLA this season . . .the best pitching wins.

That played out again Sunday night in a 6-2 victory over UC Irvine at Jackie Robinson Stadium that sent the sixth-seeded Bruins (46-13) on to next weekend’s super regional.

UCLA probably will play host to the best-of-three series; the university has put in a bid to host. But it might not matter where the Bruins play if they continue to baffle opposing batters.

A scrappy Irvine team, which eliminated LSU with a 4-3 victory earlier in the day, hung around until Cody Regis’ three-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Bruins a 6-2 lead.

UCLA batters may not like being viewed as the support staff, and they did scrap out key runs early in Sunday's game. But it is pitching that has the Bruins flirting with only the third College World Series appearance in school history, and that was evident again against Irvine.

The Anteaters (39-21) were unable to get much traction against UCLA starter Rob Rasmussen other than two lightning strikes, bases-empty home runs by Drew Hillman and Jordan Leyland .

Rasmussen has been all but unsolvable since being roughed up by Arizona State on May 2. He allowed seven runs and seven hits, three of which were home runs. Rasmussen then allowed only four runs in 26 1/3 innings over the rest of the regular season, winning three consecutive decisions.

It was more of the same against the Anteaters. Hillman homered in the second, Leyland in the fifth. Otherwise, Rasmussen (10-2) cruised along, striking out seven. The Anteaters had two on with one out following Leyland’s homer, but Rasmussen struck out Sean Madigan and Casey Stevenson to end the inning.

Erik Goeddel pitched two scoreless innings and Dan Klein one. UCLA relievers  allowed only one run in eight innings during the regional.

The Bruins’ staff is so deep that Garett Claypool, who is 7-3 with a 2.27 earned-run average as a starter, did little except sun himself this weekend. He was to be the starter if a Monday game was necessary. It wasn’t.

Irvine gutted out a victory over LSU to get to the evening game, getting six solid innings from freshman starter Evan Brock (seven strikeouts) and two innings of relief from Nick Hoover. But the Anteaters’ pitching was extended during the weekend and that became apparent against UCLA.

Starter Eric Peters, who pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief against LSU on Friday, and was less than sharp. Peters walked Regis to start the second inning and it cost him when Niko Gallegos tripled into the gap in left-center field  with two outs. An inning later, the Bruins took a 3-1 lead, with Blair Dunlap and Chris Giovinazzo driving in the runs.

--Chris Foster

NCAA baseball: UC Irvine eliminates LSU, 4-3

UC Irvine finally survived a ninth inning against defending champion LSU and stayed alive in the NCAA baseball tournament Sunday.

The Anteaters (39-20), who had known only agony against the Tigers in postseason play, got solid pitching from freshman Evan Brock and two innings of edge-of-the-seat relief from Nick Hoover to advance to a game Sunday night against UCLA, scheduled for 6:07 p.m.

UCLA needs one victory to win the regional. An Irvine victory would force a decisive game Monday night.

Brock (6-4) retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced, and the only run he allowed through six innings was on a home run by Blake Dean. Brock struck out seven and left after giving up back-to-back doubles to start the seventh.

The Anteaters led, 4-3, through seven but had to live with bad memories. LSU (41-22) rallied from one-run down in the ninth and won, 11-10, in 11 innings Friday night. The Tigers had also decimated the Anteaters with a five-run ninth to stave off elimination in 2008, then bounced Irvine from the tournament.

The Tigers had chances to reenact those moments Sunday.

LSU had two on with no out in the eighth, but Hoover was brought in and retired the side.

The Tigers’ Alex Edward singled to lead off the ninth, but the game turned on a slick defensive play. A ground ball by Matt Gaudet appeared headed for center field, but Irvine second baseman Casey Stevenson got to the ball and started a double play. Hoover got Tyler Hanover to pop up to pick up his first career save for Irvine.

The Anteaters scratched out just enough offense, taking a 4-2 lead on Drew Hillman’s  home run in the sixth inning. Irvine’s Ryan Fisher and D.J. Crumlich drove in runs with groundouts in the fourth. Jordan Leyland drove in a run with a single in the second.

-- Chris Foster

College baseball: UC Irvine stays alive with 19-9 victory over Kent State

UC Irvine didn't wallow in the aftermath of its opening-game defeat in the NCAA baseball regionals.

The Anteaters rebounded from their 11-inning loss to defending national champion Louisiana State by routing Kent State, 19-9, in an elimination game at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Irvine, which scored in every inning, will play Sunday against the loser of tonight's game between UCLA and LSU.

Irvine (38-20) was leading, 15-1, when it pulled starter Christian Bergman, who gave up one unearned run and five hits in five innings. Bergman (9-3) had not given up a run in his last 27 2/3 innings.

Kent State (39-25) scored eight runs in the sixth with the help of three-run homers by Ben Klafczynski and Kyle McMillen.

Casey Stevenson had five of the Anteaters' 21 hits and Jeff Cusick drove in five runs for Irvine. Jordan Leyland and Francis Larson homered for the Anteaters. 

More later at latimes.com/sports.

-- Gary Klein

College baseball: LSU comes back for 11-10 win over UC Irvine in 11 innings

Trey Watkins hit a bases-loaded double in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Louisiana State an 11-10 victory over UC Irvine in the opening game of an NCAA baseball regional at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Watkins, who entered the game earlier as a pinch-runner, got the game-winning hit after Irvine reliever Eric Pettis gave up a two-out walk to Austin Nola, an infield single to Alex Edward and a walk to Leon Landry.

Irvine, which trailed, 7-3, in the fifth inning, came back to take a 10-9 lead on Francis Larson's 11th-inning squeeze bunt. Larson also hit two home runs.

LSU will play the winner of tonight's game between UCLA and Kent State.

-- Gary Klein

College baseball: LSU fans make themselves at home at UCLA in regional opener against Irvine

You can take a regional out of Louisiana State but you can’t take LSU fans out of the NCAA baseball equation.

LSU fans seemingly take over Rosenblatt Stadium at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., every time their beloved Tigers advance. And they have descended upon UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium en masse for the defending  national champions’  first game against UC Irvine.

LSU is 40-20, lrvine 37-19.

Irvine left-hander Daniel Bibona is  9-2 with a 2.10 earned-run average. Tigers starter Austin Ross is 5-4 with a 5.07 ERA.

I’ll have more later at latimes.com/sports.

--Gary Klein

UC Irvine baseball: Anteaters to get ace Daniel Bibona back for regional

The most intense moment for the UC Irvine baseball team Monday wasn’t when the NCAA pairings were announced. It was when senior pitcher Daniel Bibona went up to the bullpen and threw.

“He pushed himself a little bit,” Anteaters Coach Mike Gillespie said. “We’ll see how he responds.”

The Anteaters, ranked 21st by BaseballAmerica, knew they were in the tournament, and will play No. 23-ranked LSU in the first round Friday at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Field. The bonus is that Bibona is ready to rejoin the team after missing the last month with a ribcage injury, Gillespie said.

The senior left-hander has not pitched since beating Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 3-1, on May 7. Bibona, who played at Santa Margarita High School, has a 9-2 record and 2.10 earned-run average this season.

“Daniel will be back,” Gillespie said. “We just have to figure when we will use him and long can he go.”

In Bibona’s absence, Christian Bergman was elevated to the No. 1 slot in the Anteaters’ rotation. He is 8-3 with a 3.82 ERA this season. Freshman Evan Brock has filled the void, going 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three starts since Bibona was injured. Brock is 5-4 with a 2.96 ERA on the season.

“If there is a silver lining to Bibona being injured it’s that Evan matured rapidly,” Gillespie said. “Bergman stepped in and energized our pitching. We have not lost a Friday game with him the last month.”

-- Chris Foster

College baseball: UCLA is seeded sixth in NCAA baseball tournament

UCLA was rewarded by being seeded sixth in the NCAA baseball tournament, then punished with a regional field that may be the tournament’s toughest.

The Bruins (43-13) will face Kent State (39-23) on Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium, while UC Irvine (37-13) faces LSU (40-20). Irvine is ranked 21st by Baseball America, and LSU, the defending national champion, is ranked 23.

At Cal State Fullerton, the Titans (41-15) will play Minnesota (30-28), and New Mexico (37-20) plays Stanford (31-23). Fullerton, ranked seventh, is the only team in the regional that is in the Baseball America top 25.

-- Chris Foster

UC Irvine hires NBA assistant Russell Turner as head basketball coach

UC Irvine announced Friday that Russell Turner, an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, has been hired as the Anteaters basketball coach.

Turner, 39, replaces Pat Douglass, who was fired last month after compiling a 197-191 record in 13 seasons with the Anteaters.

Turner has been a Warriors assistant for six seasons. He played at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and coached as an assistant at his alma mater before moving to Wake Forest and then Stanford.

“Russell’s body of work makes him a superb choice for our program,” Irvine Athletic Director Mike Izzi said in a statement. “He has worked in successful programs, gaining valuable knowledge from hall of fame caliber coaches, and has thrived in academic settings.

“He has had the opportunity to help develop some of the NBA’s top players and work closely with many outstanding collegiate competitors. Our players will benefit greatly from his experience."

The university said Turner agreed to a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $205,000.

“I am honored and extremely excited to be chosen to lead the men’s basketball program at UCI,” Turner said in a statement. “In many ways this is a dream job for me because of the culture of excellence within this University. I am eager to get to work with my team and to earn the respect of the Irvine community and I will approach all of the important aspects of this job with great enthusiasm. I have tremendous respect for the coach I am following, Pat Douglass, and I am hoping to form strong relationships with the many impressive people who are a part of this program’s past as we build for the future of our team.”

Irvine finished 14-18 last season, losing to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the first round of the Big West tournament.

-- Gary Klein