Round Rock: Anteaters advance
By Glenn Tanner - June 04, 2007
California Smallball normally produces single-run innings. UC Irvine's brand produced three three-run innings to finish off Texas 9-6 and win the Round Rock Regional.
The three unearned runs they put up in the eighth compliments of two Texas errors really proved important, as Texas put on a furious rally in the ninth.
Taylor Holiday was named regional MVP.
Irvine will either play at Wichita State or Arizona in a super regional next weekend.
Leading 9-5 heading to the ninth, Irvine brought on NCAA career saves leader Blair Erickson to try to close it out. But Travis Tucker greeted him with a single and Jordan Danks followed with a double. After a strikeout, Erickson lost the plate and walked two in a row to force in a run. Irvine went to the pen to get Wes Etheridge and Texas pinch-hit little-used Clay Van Hook, whose last hit came on March 18th. Erickson struck him out on a 3-2 pitch, then got Chais Fuller to bounce out to end it.
Seconds later, Etheridge was buried at the bottom of a dogpile.
Irvine had ten hits in the game, two each by Taylor Holiday, Cody Cipriano, Bryan Peterson, and Tyler Vaughn.
Texas actually had 13 hits, three by Fuller and two each by Wheeless and Danks.
Back in an hour or so with quotes and the All-Regional team.
Posted by Glenn Tanner at 02:59 PM on June 04, 2007
Comments (8)
Comments
Thanks for giving some credit to Irvine. Their form of small ball has resulted in some rather large innings throughout the season and the pitching is very good. PS - their hitting about .340 for the season too. Maybe more credit by the CSTV commentators needs to be given to the Big West and its "little" teams.
Comment by crawford - June 4, 2007 03:14 PM
HOW DO YOU LIKE US NOW!!
UCI IS THE SURPRISE OF THE SEASON ONLY TO THOSE WHO CHOSE TO IGNORE US!!!
HELLO COLLEGIATE BASEBALL!!
HELLO BASEBALL AMERICA!!
ETC. ETC. ETC.
Comment by Julia Humphrey - June 4, 2007 03:25 PM
When Blair Erickson is on, his pitches are absolutely unhittable. On those very rare occasions when he's struggling a bit, he can make the ninth inning quite "interesting" :-).
Credit the Longhorns for fighting on until the final out. UT has a great team with supportive fans.
Congratulations to the entire UCI team -- the Regional Champion!
Comment by Ally - June 4, 2007 03:30 PM
Top to bottom The Big West year in and year out is as good as any conference in the nation. This is a fact! There is also a strong East coast bias in all sports, NCAA especially. But real fans know that S. Cali churns out the most and best baseball talent in the country, it's a hotbed and Irvine has benefited greatly. Furthermore, Irvine continues to steal talent from Fullerton and LB for obvious reasons (better academically, better city, better campus, etc.)
Comment by Jared Cunningham - June 4, 2007 04:09 PM
UCI had never won a regional game, let alone a regional, so congrats to our team for literally making UCI baseball history!
This team and fans deserve the SR to be at/close to home. We got jobbed with the seeding in the 1st round. How does the 9th overall ranked team in the country get a 2 seed playing the #4 overall seed half way across the country? It was a real slap in the face. Now after clubbing a decent WF team and taking 2 of 2 from the #4 seed, we deserve the home field in the SR, esp if AZ wins tonight.
Comment by Brian - June 4, 2007 04:37 PM
Zot.
Comment by Brenden - June 4, 2007 04:41 PM
Brian,
The UC Irvine athletic department did not apply to be a super regional host, so yeah, I think the 'Eaters deserve to host, but they won't, and it's not the NCAA's fault.
GT
Comment by Tanner - June 4, 2007 06:35 PM
Glenn,
Can't they have it at Fullerton, LB or San Diego, instead of Tucson or Wichita?
Comment by Brian - June 4, 2007 07:51 PM