Pitchers follow Silva

Mike Gillespie knows what it’s like to have Ted Silva competing against him. The most memorable of those instances came in the College World Series championship game in 1995, when Silva pitched Cal State Fullerton to an 11-5 victory over Gillespie’s USC squad.

So, when Gillespie was named to take over the UC Irvine baseball program in September, he lured Silva away from Fresno State to guide his pitching staff.

The results have been impressive, as the Anteaters have posted a team earned-run average of 2.88, second best in the nation, heading into the best-of-three Super Regional series that begins today at LSU’s Alex Box Stadium.

UCI has also thrown nine shutouts this season, including four in a row early in the season. The ’Eaters rank sixth nationally in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (8.4) and are No. 17 in strikeouts per nine innings (8.4).

Gillespie said Silva’s coaching personality, a mix of intensity, professionalism and humor, has helped UCI hurlers buy into his way of doing things, after having worked with previous pitching coach Dave Serrano. Serrano was also the Anteaters’ head coach until leaving after UCI’s run last season to the College World Series to take the helm at Cal State Fullerton.

Silva, too, learned much of his craft at Fullerton, where he was a talented and versatile pitcher from 1993-95. He was 18-1 with a 2.83 ERA and five saves as a junior in 1995, when he helped the Titans win their third national championship. He earned two victories in the College World Series that season, including the aforementioned triumph over Gillespie and USC.The 18 victories led the nation and are a school single-season record.

Silva was named first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Assn., Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball and he was the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year.

After posting a combined 26-7 record, a 2.92 ERA and 26 saves in three collegiate seasons, he was drafted in the 21st round by the Texas Rangers. He spent five seasons in the minor leagues, then pitched one season in Taiwan and one in the independent Atlantic League.

He began his coaching career at Villa Park High in 2004, before returning to Cal State Fullerton as volunteer pitching coach in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the Titans, under Silva’s tutelage, posted a national-best 2.73 team ERA.

Last season, Silva moved to Fresno State, where he helped guide a staff that this season led the Bulldogs into the Super Regionals.

“Coach Serrano and Coach Silva have prepared us well,” said Scott Gorgen, UCI’s All-American starter who was named Tri-Pitcher of the Year in the Big West Conference and was drafted in the fourth round Thursday by the St. Louis Cardinals.

“That’s a pretty good duo right there,” Gorgen said. “Like Coach Serrano [who pitched one season at Cal State Fullerton in 1986], Silva grew up as a Fullerton Titan.”

Naturally, there are differences between the two, Gorgen said.

“It has been a very gratifying experience working with Coach Silva, because he brings a lot to the table,” Gorgen said. “Fairly fresh from his professional career, he still has a mindset to compete hard, get after it and work hard in conditioning and drills and weights. He doesn’t let anything slide.”

Gorgen and other UCI pitchers have said Silva places a greater emphasis on mechanics than Serrano did.

Bryce Stowell, a sophomore starter who helped blank Oral Roberts in the Lincoln Regional championship game Sunday to improve to 8-2 with a 2.77 ERA, said Silva broke down his mechanics to help improve his delivery.

“Silva is more of a technical teacher and Serrano was more about mindset,” Stowell, drafted in the 22nd round by Cleveland Friday, said. “I think Silva has really helped shed new light on a different part of pitching for some of our guys. For the guys who were here last year [under Serrano], they’ve got to see the best of both worlds. Silva has complemented Serrano’s teaching and the two molded together have helped make us what we are today.”

All-American sophomore closer Eric Pettis (17 saves and a 1.65 ERA) said Silva helped him make some subtle mechanical adjustments that have helped his command.

Gorgen also said Silva helped him learn the importance of pitching inside and also helped him resume throwing curveballs to go with his fastball, changeup mix.

“Attacking guys inside has been huge for me and the curveball has been a very successful pitch for me,” Gorgen said. “Coach Silva has been the main reason behind those two things.”

Sophomore left-hander Danny Bibona, who beat Nebraska in the regional to improve to 9-3 with a 3.03 ERA, is another of many who have been helped by Silva’s teachings.

Sophomore Christian Bergman, a reliever and spot starter, is 5-2 with a 1.47 ERA and the Anteaters’ top nine pitchers all have an ERA of 3.91 or lower.

“To me, it’s clear that, as a staff, they have really, really benefitted and really progressed under Silva,” Gillespie said. “He’s really knowledgeable. He’s young, so I think he commands their immediate respect, because they know it hasn’t been very long ago that he pitched in and won the national championship game and that he was a consensus All-American, and that he was a successful professional [pitcher] and he has coached. But to hold that [respect], it’s about how he has dealt with them. He doesn’t treat them with kid gloves. I think everybody has benefitted from that.”

Gorgen said Silva brings a nice balance between having fun and focusing on the job.

“Coach Silva is a very intense human being on the field,” Gorgen said. “That helps drive us. He can be laid back at practices, but he has a lets-get-after-it mentality with the pitching staff.”

Gillespie, who often uses humor to emphasize a point, said he admires the way Silva can do the same.

“I think he’s unique in that he has a sense of humor,” Gillespie said. “He’s glib. He’s quick and if it’s appropriate or inappropriate, he might throw a needle out there that may or may not be appreciated.

“But I think the big thing is, he doesn’t take any baloney and nobody is the star. It doesn’t matter if it’s Gorgen or Stowell, or whoever. There is one set of rules for everybody in terms of their work. And if they’re not [following those rules], then they’re going to hear about it.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].