Briefs: Gorgen to Triple-A

Former UC Irvine All-American pitcher Scott Gorgen was promoted from Double-A to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday.

Gorgen, who was drafted in the fourth round by the St. Louis Cardinalsin 2008, after his third and final baseball season with the Anteaters, was 3-5 with a 4.18 earned-run average in 14 starts for the Springfield Cardinals this season. He allowed 71 hits with 65 strikeouts and 29 walks in 71 innings.

Gorgen, the 2008 Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year, was 12-3 with a 2.26 ERA as a junior. He amassed 327 strikeouts and 32 wins in three seasons with the ‘Eaters, who he helped reach the 2007 College World Series.

— Barry Faulkner

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Former ‘Eater wins

Lalita Patipaksiri, a recent UC Irvine graduate, won the 82nd annual Long Beach Women’s City Championship that concluded Friday.

A first team All-Big West Conference golfer this past season, Patipaksiri carded rounds of 69 and 72 for a 36-hole total of 131 over two days at El Dorado Park and Recreation Park golf courses.

She defeated another former UCI player, Hillary Packard, by two shots.

Ronnie Valerio, who recently completed her sophomore season with the Anteaters, tied for 11th at 152.

— From staff reports

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UCI bolsters slate

The UC Irvine men’s soccer program, the two-time-defending Big West Conference regular-season champion which made its third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years last season, has bolstered its schedule for 2012.

Coach George Kuntz’s Anteaters, who set a school record for victories by finishing 16-6-1 in 2011, play four teams that finished in the top 12 in rankings last season, including NCAA semifinalist UCLA. The ‘Eaters visit UCLA Sept. 9.

New Mexico (No. 8 last season when it reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and posted the nation’s lone unbeaten record at 18-0-4) plays host to UCI in the Lobo Invitational on Sept. 16.

Louisville, which finished last season ranked No. 7, plays host to UCI on Oct. 24.

UCSB, which finished No. 12 and reached the Sweet 16 last season, rounds out the four NCAA Tournament participants on this year’s schedule. The Gauchos play host to the Anteaters in their lone Big West Conference regular-season meeting on Oct. 5.

UCI opens its regular season at San Diego on Aug. 24, then returns home to face Long Island-Brooklyn to kick off the Anteater Invitational on Aug. 31.

Detroit (Sept. 2) and Stanford (Sept. 7) venture to Anteaters Stadium to comprise part of a nonconference schedule that also includes Gonzaga, Oregon State and Missouri State.

UCI opens conference play at home against first-year Big West member Sacramento State on Sept. 28.

The ‘Eaters play home-and-home conference series against Cal State Northridge, Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. They meet conference foes UCSB, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Davis and Sacramento State only once.

“We have taken great strides to position ourselves with matches that will challenge our team in and out of our region and the national stage,� Kuntz said. “We feel it is important as we grow this program to continue to push the envelope and great new ground for UC Irvine soccer.�

— From staff reports

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‘Eaters step up

The UC Irvine women’s soccer program, which has back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and Big West Conference regular-season titles, will play five teams in 2012 that made the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Coach Scott Juniper’s Anteaters, who are 33-7-5 the last two seasons, including 14-1-1 in conference regular-season games, will play host to two of its five marquee games, against teams that finished in the national top 25.

UCI plays host to Texas A&M (No. 21 last season) on Aug. 24. It plays host to Auburn (No. 24) on Aug. 26 and visits Oregon State (No. 23) on Sept. 2.

The ‘Eaters face No. 10 Pepperdine on Sept. 14 in the UCLA Invitational and square off against Big West rival Long Beach State (No. 14 after advancing to the Sweet 16) in a Sept. 20 road game.

All five of those teams played in the NCAA Tournament, in which UCI reached the Sweet 16 in 2010.

UCI opens its season Aug. 17 at home against BYU. It opens Big West play Sept. 28 at Cal State Fullerton.

After playing its first four games at home, UCI has nine straight games away from home, before finishing with four home games in its last seven.

— From staff reports