The Schedule
Abilene Christian
Friday, February 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
Saturday, February 21 at 4 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
Sunday, February 22 at 12 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
All-time record vs. the Wildcats: First Meeting
Projected Starting Pitchers vs ACU
Friday Game 1: LHP Rodney Boone vs LHP Austin Wagner
Saturday Game 2: LHP Zach Torra vs RHP Austin Ruesch
Sunday Game 3: RHP Michael McGreevy vs LHP Nate Hawkins
Gauchos on the Air
All three games at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium will be live streamed courtesy of BigWest.TV. Gerry Fall and all-tiume winningest coach in program history, Bob Brontsema, will be on the mic for the Friday and Sunday matchup, while the team's assistant DOBO, Kevin Cannon, will fill in on Saturday.
Down Goes Cal
UCSB is slated to face a trio of Pac-12 schools and the first matchup with Cal went in the Gauchos' favor 17-7 this past Monday night. Despite trailing 6-2 early, UCSB fought and chipped away at the Golden Bear lead and behind an eight-run 5th inning was able to surmount the gap on the scoreboard. The team finished with three doubles, 16 hits, and 15 RBI.
W-W-W
The Gauchos are currently riding a three game win streak after taking its only loss on opening day. Over these three games UCSB has outscored its opponents 22-9 and even picked up a shutout in extras defeating Sac State 1-0 in the 11th.
Take a Seat
Pitching has been key in the team's hot start as the Gauchos lead the Big West in opponent batting average with a mark of .152 only having allowed 26 hits. They have also been deceptive in their dealing collecting 11 looking strikeouts which is goof for 2nd in the conference.
Connor Roberts leads the league in opponent batting average on the individual end giving up a dismal .063.
Sliding into Home
The Gauchos have a very favorable schedule this year that features 31 games held at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. This includes a seven-game home stint from March 10th, to March 22nd. In all the UCSB will play 12 of its 16 March matchups at home.
Let There Be Light
Last Monday's home opener with the Golden Bears was the debut of the new stadium lights installed at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium this past summer, and the first ever night game hosted at UCSB. The Gauchos have scheduled a total of 23 night games this season on their home turf.
Big West Preseason Poll
Despite losing several key players to the MLB after a historical 2019 season, the Gauchos were still tabbed to finish in the top half of the conference in the 2020 Big West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. UCSB came in at 4th place in the nine-team conference collecting 55 points and one first-place vote.
Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll
UCSB came in as the 27th ranked team in the 2020 Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I Pre-Season Poll, announced in December of 2019. They trailed only 26th ranked Cal State Fullerton making the Gauchos the second-highest ranked Big West team.
Pitching Pair Garners Preseason All-American Status
Sophomore southpaw Rodney Boone and sophomore right-hander Michael McGreevy were named to the 2020 Preseason All-American Third Team by Collegiate Baseball, announced in December of 2019.
Boone, the reigning Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, figures to be the ace of the staff as a sophomore following an exceptional debut campaign that saw the lefty go 8-0 in 14 starts with a 2.78 ERA as the Sunday starter. With 80 strikeouts in 81.0 innings pitched, the Orange, Calif. native held hitters to a .204 batting average and earned a host of postseason accolades. In addition to being a Second Team All-Big West selection, Boone was selected as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game and Baseball America.
Following suit with a bevy of postseason accolades after a fantastic freshman campaign was sophomore McGreevy, who joins Boone as a Third Team Preseason All-American. The First Team All-Big West selection and Freshman All-American was one of the most reliable arms in the bullpen for UCSB, making a team-high 29 appearances while leading the Gauchos with a 1.94 ERA. Batters hit just .234 against him and he recorded 53 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched, picking up six saves along the way with a 5-1 record.
