UCI Baseball Opens Home Slate with Matchups Against San Diego State and California

IRVINE, CA – UC Irvine baseball begins its home schedule this week, hosting San Diego State and California at Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark. The Anteaters (3-0, 0-0 Big West) are coming off a series sweep at Sacramento State and face a challenging schedule that has been rated the No. 1-toughest in the nation by PEARatings.

Schedule

• vs. San Diego State: Wednesday, February 18, 6:00 PM PT (ESPN+ & KUCI) – Note: Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the game was postponed.
• vs. California: Friday, February 20, 6:00 PM PT (ESPN+ & KUCI)
• vs. California: Saturday, February 21, 1:00 PM PT (ESPN+ & kuci.org)
• vs. California: Sunday, February 22, 1:00 PM PT (ESPN+ & KUCI)

Anteater Notes

UCI’s pitching staff was dominant in the opening weekend, posting a 1.00 ERA and allowing only five runs in the series against Sacramento State. Trevor Hansen recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts in a one-hitter on Friday, while Ricky Ojeda pitched six shutout innings in a win. The bullpen allowed just one earned run in 12.2 innings.

The Anteater offense reached base frequently, drawing 22 walks, and utilizing five sacrifices and three errors to score 18 runs on 17 hits. Frankie Carney leads the team with four hits, while Zach Fjelstad has four runs and Landon Gaz and Rowan Felsch each have three RBIs.

The team features 10 first-time ‘Eaters, including six making their collegiate debuts, and the return of Tim Grack and Auggie Gutierrez, who missed the 2025 season due to injuries.

UCI has a 3-8 record against current ACC schools, including a 1-4 mark against Virginia. The Anteaters are 25-33 all-time against members of the ACC.

Scouting the Aztecs

San Diego State (3-0, 0-0 Mountain West) is led by first-year head coach Kevin Vance and features a roster retooled with 19 college transfers, including 13 from Power 5 programs. The Aztecs swept their opening series against LIU, scoring 10 runs per game.

Adam Magpoc leads the Aztec offense with six hits, a home run, and eight RBIs. Isaac Araiza and Evan Miranda are key pitchers for San Diego State.

The series between UCI and SDSU marks the 103rd matchup, with UCI winning the last six games dating back to 2020. UCI has added a new Aztec transfer to their roster in each of the last three years, including closer Peyton Rodgers this season.

Scouting the Golden Bears

California (2-1, 0-0 ACC) is in its second year as an ACC member. The Golden Bears won their series against Santa Clara after dropping the opener. This marks their first visit to Anteater Ballpark since 2013, and the teams haven’t met since 2015, with UCI holding a 20-16 all-time lead.

Daniel Murillo leads the Golden Bears with four doubles, including a walk-off hit, while Carl Schmidt has two solo home runs. Oliver de la Torre, Ethan Foley, and Gavin Eddy are key starting pitchers for California.