Anteaters aim to fill gaps

By taking advantage of pitcher-friendly ballpark, UCI hopes to contend with perennial Big West bullies Titans, 49ers.Three stories up on the parking structure that sits beyond the right-field fence at Anteater Ballpark looms a three-digit demarcation: 438. The white numerals painted on a green background indicate the distance in feet from home plate.

While similar signage at other baseball venues might tantalize hitters, those who swing for the fences and beyond at UC Irvine’s home yard might consider it more of a taunt.

“At different ballparks, you’re going to have crazy games where it’s 15-12,” UCI junior pitcher Justin Cassel said. “But at Anteater Ballpark, it’s usually going to be a low-scoring game.”

Cassel and his fellow pitchers appreciate their home park’s august dimensions -- a symmetrical 335 down the lines, 380 in the alleys and 405 to dead center, as well as a fence high enough to eliminate leaping attempts at home-run saving catches. Other factors also conspire to accentuate a pitcher’s advantage.

“We play mostly night games at home and there’s usually a marine layer that comes in,” said Cassel, who will start Friday’s season opener against visiting Cal at 6 p.m. “One of the great things about playing under the lights on Friday and Saturday nights, is that you don’t have to worry about balls being juiced out of here.”

Cassel also said the typical wind pattern at Anteater Ballpark hampers homers.

“Every once in a while, you get a breeze blowing out,” he said. “But normally it’s pushing the other way. I kind of love that, but the hitters hate it.”

The last two seasons, there have been 34 home runs in 57 games at Anteater Ballpark, including one inside-the-park homer. That’s an average of one home run every 1.68 games. A home run off the bat of an Anteater occurred an average of once every three home games.

In the 28 games in which a dinger has been hit at UCI in those two seasons, only three games have had more than one. Two games last season featured two home runs each, while four were hit in one 2004 game against the University of San Diego.

UCI Coach Dave Serrano, entering his second season, said the Anteaters’ offensive approach has been shaped by playing in the pitcher-friendly environs.

“Every lineup would love to have power,” said Serrano, who favors the “small ball” bunting game used so effectively by Cal State Fullerton -- where he served as pitching coach before coming to UCI. “But we’re going to play for a run an inning.

“This is a pitchers’ park and it’s not a power-hitting park. But we’ve adopted the philosophy that it can still be an offensive park. Because the gaps are so big here, any ball hit into the gap is almost a sure triple. We’ll trade doubles and triples for home runs and we’ll try to have outfielders who can run down balls hit in the gaps to try and limit triples.”

The Anteaters (31-25 last season) were outscored, 1,909-1,906, in 56 games. They lost more than half of their home-run production from last year’s squad and have only three players back who drove a ball over the fence last season.

Jaime Martinez, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound first baseman and designated hitter, hit five homers last year to lead the team. Martinez, whose .339 average in 2005 ranked third on the team, has 13 home runs and 77 RBI in his first three seasons at UCI. He hit 26 varsity home runs at Hueneme High, a school record.

“It can get frustrating at times, playing in a big ballpark,” Martinez said. “You kind of have to learn to deal with it and make it work to your advantage. If you think about hitting home runs all the time, it’s going to damage your swing. I try to work on hitting line drives.”

Junior Spike McDougal, forced to redshirt last season due to a torn labrum after transferring from Diablo Valley College, will open the season in center field for UCI. He will be challenged both offensively and defensively by his home ballpark.

“I’m excited about the chance to use my speed and athleticism to try and run balls down in the gaps,” said McDougal, who made a sparkling over-the-shoulder catch of a drive near the fence in Saturday’s alumni game.

McDougal, a 6-4, 190-pounder who said he has a little lift in his swing, does not hold illusions about hitting home runs at home.

“I was a home-run hitter in high school and I had six the first week at Diablo Valley [in 2004] before everybody stopped pitching to me,” McDougal said. “But I’m trying to flatten out my swing. I won’t hit as many home runs here, but I still believe this can be an offensive park, because the gaps are so big. I want to hit line drives into the gaps.”

The Anteaters, picked to finish third behind Fullerton and Long Beach State in the Big West Conference preseason coaches’ poll, will be trying to close the gap between themselves and their neighboring powers.

“It’s kind of a reserved optimism,” said Serrano, who admits his team enters the season “under the radar,” but likes the squad’s improved depth.

The pitching staff is anchored by Cassel (9-4 with a 3.54 ERA last season), junior All-American closer Blair Erickson (a school career record 27 saves, a 2.99 career ERA and 103 strikeouts in 72 1/3 career innings) and senior Glenn Swanson.

Swanson, a left-hander with 16 career wins as an Anteater, was granted a redshirt season after pitching just nine innings last spring with elbow problems. Still building arm strength after not pitching all fall, he begins the season as the Sunday starter.

Returning starters include Cody Cipriano, who shifts from third base to first, and junior shortstop Chad Lundahl.

McDougal, sophomore third baseman Tyler Vaughn (a transfer from Nebraska) and freshman second baseman Ben Orloff highlight the newcomers.

UC Irvine

* 2005 record: 31-25, 10-11 in Big West Conference

* Coach: Dave Serrano, second year

* Key losses: P Chris Nicoll (6-4, 2.50 ERA), C Mark Wagner (.355, 39 RBI), 2B Brett Dalton (.376, 23 RBI), DH Matt Anderson (.332, 32 RBI), P Steve Schroer (7-5, 3.44 ERA); OF Erik Johnson (transferred to Loyola Marymount); 1B-DH Tim Stewart (transferred to UCLA).

* Leading returners: P Blair Erickson (10 saves, 1.80 ERA), 1B-DH Jaime Martinez (.339, five homers, 46 RBI), OF Ollie Linton (.306, 14 stolen bases).

* Noteworthy newcomers: P Scott Gorgen, Fr. (Clayton Valley High), 2B Ben Orloff, Fr. (Simi Valley High), UT Taylor Holiday, So. (Arizona State transfer), OF Matt Morris, Jr. (Santa Ana College).

* Outlook: The Anteaters took a step backward in 2004 after UCI had made its first NCAA Division I regional appearance.

The pitching nucleus of starters Justin Cassel and Glenn Swanson -- as well as closer Blair Erickson -- is solid, though others need to step forward to solidify the staff.

A largely unproven lineup needs to produce.

Serrano said depth has improved from a year ago, though his recruiting efforts won’t be fully realized until next season.

As usual, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State are the top two teams in the Big West preseason coaches’ poll. UCI was picked to finish third, but some view UC Riverside as a significant sleeper.

2006 SCHEDULE

Feb. 3 -- California (home), 6 p.m.

Feb. 4 -- California (home), 6 p.m.

Feb. 5 -- California (home), noon

Feb. 7 -- Loyola Marymount (home), 6 p.m.

Feb. 10 -- at Hawaii, 8:35 p.m.

Feb 11 -- at Hawaii, 8:35 p.m.

Feb. 12 -- at Hawaii, 3 p.m.

Feb. 17 -- Cal State Fullerton (home), 6 p.m.

Feb. 18 -- at Cal State Fullerton, 6 p.m.

Feb. 19 -- at Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m.

Feb. 21 -- at San Diego, 2 p.m.

Feb. 24 -- San Diego State (home), 6 p.m.

Feb. 25 -- San Diego State (home), 6 p.m.

Feb. 26 -- at San Diego State, 1 p.m.

Feb. 28 -- UNLV (home), 6 p.m.

March 3 -- Sacramento State (home) 6 p.m.

March 4 -- Sacramento State (home), 1 p.m.

March 5 -- Sacramento State (home), 1 p.m.

March 7 -- at USC, 6 p.m.

March 10 -- Houston (home), 6 p.m.

March 11-- Houston (home), 6 p.m.

March 12 -- Houston (home), 1 p.m.

March 14 -- at Loyola Marymount,, 2 p.m.

March 16 -- Oral Roberts (home), 6 p.m.

March 17 -- Oral Roberts (home), 6 p.m.

March 18 -- Oral Roberts (home), 1 p.m.

March 25 -- at Arizona, 5 p.m.

March 26 -- at Arizona, 11 a.m.

March 31 -- at Long Beach State, 6:30 p.m.

April 1 -- at Long Beach State, 2 p.m.

April 2 -- at Long Beach State, 1 p.m.

April 4 -- at UCLA, 6 p.m.

April 7 -- Cal State Fullerton (home), 6 p.m.

April 8 -- Cal State Fullerton (home), 6 p.m.

April 9 -- Cal State Fullerton (home), 1 p.m.

April 13 -- at Cal Poly SLO, 6 p.m.

April 14 -- at Cal Poly SLO, 6 p.m.

April 15 -- at Cal Poly SLO, 1 p.m.

April 18 -- USC (home), 6 p.m.

April 21 -- UC Santa Barbara (home), 6 p.m.

April 22 -- UC Santa Barbara (home), 6 p.m.

April 23 -- UC Santa Barbara (home), 1 p.m.

April 25 -- San Diego (home), 6 p.m.

April 28 -- at UC Davis, 2:30 p.m.

April 29 -- at UC Davis, 1 p.m.

April 30 -- at UC Davis, 1 p.m.

May 2 -- UNLV (home), 6 p.m.

May 9 -- at San Diego State, 6 p.m.

May 12 -- Pacific (home), 6 p.m.

May 13 -- Pacific (home), 1 p.m.

May 14 -- Pacific (home), 1 p.m.

May 16 -- UCLA (home), 6 p.m.

May 19 -- at Cal State Northridge, 3 p.m.

May 20 -- at Cal State Northridge, 1 p.m.

May 21 -- at Cal State Northridge, 1 p.m.

May 26 -- UC Riverside (home), 6 p.m.

May 27 -- UC Riverside (home), 6 p.m.

May 28 -- UC Riverside (home), 1 p.m.

ROSTER

1 Ollie Linton, OF, So.

2 Gary Dudrey, OF, Sr.

3 Sammy Donabedian, C, Fr.

4 Chad Lundahl, SS, Jr.

5 Cody Cipriano, 1B, Jr.

6 Ben Orloff, 2B, Fr.

8 Jeff Werhun, C, Sr.

10 Josh Tavelli, IF, Jr.

11 Tyler Vaughn, 3B, So.

12 Glenn Swanson, ,P Sr.

14 Tommy Echols, P, Fr.

15 Dillon Bell, OF, Fr.

16 Brock Bardeen, OF, Fr.

17 Kyle Necke, P, Fr.

19 Travis Rhymes, P, Sr.

20 Matthew Morris, OF, Jr.

21 Tim Wojcik, 3B, Sr.

22 Spike McDougall, OF, Jr.

23 Brian Roades, 3B, So.

24 Taylor Holiday, UT, So.

25 Justin Cassel, P, Jr.

26 Cole Hathcock, P, Fr.

27 Dylan Axelrod, P, Jr.

28 Bryan Petersen, OF, So.

29 Jared Pate, P, Fr.

30 Geoffrey Thorne, C, Fr.

31 Blair Erickson, P, Jr.

32 Scott Gorgen, P, Fr.

33 Gary Nakashima, P, Jr.

34 Kevin Mayer, P, So.

35 Jaime Martinez, 1B, Sr.

37 Michael Gilmartin, IF/P, Fr.

39 Chris Lopez, P, So.

40 Kyle Gibson, P, Jr.

42 Aaron Lowenstein, C, So.

43 Danny McCarthy, OF, Sr.

44 Justin LaTempa, Fr.

45 Chris Shrieve, P, Fr.

50 Zach Robinson, 1B, Jr.

Coach: Dave Serrano (second year)20060202B91NIBGTNo Caption20060202iepph9kfMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)UC Irvine will rely on the hitting of Jaime Martinez (above) and the pitching of Justin Cassel (below) this season. The Anteaters open the 2006 campaign with a three-game series against Cal starting Friday. 20060202iha2x1kfKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT