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baseball, Big West Conference, College Baseball, Exposition Park, Irvine, Long Beach, Long Beach State Dirtbags, Malibu, NCAA, Pac-12 Conference, Pepperdine Waves, Santa Barbara, UC Irvine Anteaters, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, West Coast Conference, Westwood
CHECKING OUT WHAT SO CAL HAS TO OFFER IN COLLEGE BASEBALL THIS SPRING
Before the owners of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and the Major League Baseball Players’ Association reached a settlement to end the 99-day lockout that MLB had imposed on the players this past December,
I had intended this post as offering an alternative to going to Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium to watch the Dodgers and the Angels, since I was pretty convinced that there was going to be no Major League Baseball in 2022 due to the hard line stance that the owners were taking.
Just because Opening Day for MLB is this coming April 7th, however,
Doesn’t mean that fans should ignore this part of baseball,
Which is exciting and more pure than the professional version, with the quality of play being at about mid-level (AA) minor league level,
Is a very good alternative to their counterparts in “The Show”,
And is lot more affordable to attend a game, the ticket, parking, and concession prices at places like UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium, USC’s Dedeaux Field, Long Beach State’s Blair Field, Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field, and Pepperdine’s Eddy D. Field Stadium being far less than at Chavez Ravine or the Big A.
Below is an overview of six SoCal college ball clubs that are having good seasons at the moment;
I’m going to be at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Westwood this Saturday to check out UCLA taking on Oregon, and I am looking forward to it as it’s been about three or four years since I’ve seen the Bruins play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And speaking of the Bruins, here’s my look at my alma mater’s team to begin things…
UCLA BRUINS
Record: 16-8, 3-3 and fifth place in the Pac-12 Conference
Rank: #25
Last Game: Beat UC Santa Barbara, 7-2, on March 29th
Next Series: vs Oregon on April 1-3
Top Hitters:
- Kenny Oyama, OF – .284 average, 1 HR, 14 RBI
- Ethan Gourson, 2B – .282 average, 2 HR, 19 RBI
- Jake Palmer, 1B – .272 average, 0 HR, 16 RBI
- Cody Schrier, SS – .268 average, 5 HR, 19 RBI
- Malakhi Knight, OF – .253 average, 1 HR, 12 RBI
Top Pitchers:
- Jake Brooks: 4-2, 2.09 ERA
- Thatcher Hurd: 2-0, 1.07 ERA, 48 strikeouts (leads team)
- Max Rajcic: 2-3, 2.92 ERA
USC TROJANS
Record: 14-8, 4-5 and seventh place in the Pac-12 Conference
NOTE: Won Crosstown Rivalry Series from UCLA for the first time since 2014, taking two of three from the Bruins at Jackie Robinson Stadium on the weekend of March 11-13
Last Game: Lost to Oregon, 7-6, on March 27th
Next Series: vs San Jose State on April 1-3
Top Hitters:
- Adrian Colon-Rosado, OF – .360 average, 2 HR, 15 RBI
- Tyrese Turner, 2B – .346 average, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 9 stolen bases (leads team)
- Rhylan Thomas, OF – .330 average, 0 HR, 9 RBI
- D’Andre Smith, SS – .284 average, 3 HR, 17 RBI
- Garret Guillemette, C – .263 average, 3 HR, 17 RBI
- Tyler Lozano, DH – .246 average, 6 HR, 16 RBI
Top Pitchers:
- Charlie Hurley: 3-1, 2.08 ERA
- Carson Lambert: 3-1, 3.24 ERA
- Matt Keating: 2-0, 1.26 ERA, 3 saves
UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS
Record: 16-6, 5-1 and second place in the Big West Conference
Last Game: Lost to UCLA, 7-2, on March 24th
Next Series: vs Hawai’i on April 1-3
Top Hitters:
- Jordan Sprinkle, SS – .306 average, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 13 stolen bases (leads team)
- Kyle Johnson, 1B – .311 average, 3 HR, 16 RBI
- Nick Vogt, OF – .281 average, 3 HR, 14 RBI
- Broc Mortensen, OF – .214 average, 6 HR, 21 RBI
Top Pitchers:
- Cory Lewis: 4-0. 1.34 ERA, 43 strikeouts
- Mike Gutierrez: 3-1, 3.30 ERA
- Ryan Harvey: 0-2, 2.70 ERA, 8 saves
UC IRVINE ANTEATERS
Record: 15-8, 5-1 and second place in the Big West Conference
Last Game: Beat Hawai’i, 7-1, on March 27th
Next Series: vs Cal State Northridge on April 1-3
Top Hitters:
- Nathan Church, OF – .330 average, 3 HR, 18 RBI
- Jacob Castro, 1B – .295, 1 HR, 12 RBI
- Justin Torres, OF – .276 average, 1 HR, 8 RBI
- Ben Fitzgerald, DH – .258 average, 3 HR, 9 RBI
Top Pitchers:
- Gordon Ingebritson: 4-0, 1.27 ERA
- Michael Frias: 3-1, 5.10 ERA
- Troy Taylor: 0-1, 1.76 ERA, 3 saves
LONG BEACH STATE DIRTBAGS
Record: 13-10, 3-3 and sixth place in the Big West Conference
Last Game: Beat Pepperdine, 5-4, on March 29th
Next Series: vs UC San Diego on April 1-3
Top Hitters:
- Tanner Carlson, DH – .429 average, 1 HR, 11 RBI
- Chase Luttrell, OF – .326 average, 4 HR, 18 RBI
- Sebastian Murillo, SS – .323 average, 0 HR, 4 RBI
- Jonathan Long, 3B – .314 average, 4 HR, 19 RBI
- Rocco Peppi, OF – .313 average, 3 HR, 14 RBI
Top Pitchers:
- Luis Ramirez: 2-0, 0.36 ERA
- Jack Noble: 3-1, 2.56 ERA
- Matt Fields: 0-0, 0.64 ERA, 3 saves
PEPPERDINE WAVES
Record: 14-9, 4-2 and third place in the West Coast Conference
Last Game: Lost to Long Beach State, 5-4, on March 29th
Next Series: at Gonzaga on April 1-3
Top Hitters:
- John Peck, SS – .387 average, 4 HR, 22 RBI
- Mike Malinchak, OF – .326 average, 1 HR, 7 RBI
- Cam Conley, 3B – .294 average, 2 HR, 10 RBI
- Connor Bradshaw, OF – .272 average, 2 HR, 15 RBI
- Ryan Johnson, 2B – .226 average, 3 HR, 17 RBI
Top Pitchers:
- Brandon Llewellyn: 3-2, 2.63 ERA
- Trevor Hinkel: 2-2. 2.88 ERA
SoCal Sports Chronicles 