The Schedule
Cal State Bakersfield
Friday, May 28 at 5:00 PM at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Saturday, May 29 at 1:00 PM at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Saturday, May 29 (Game Two) at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Sunday, May 30 at 1:00 PM Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Series
Cal State Bakersfield comes to town for the final series of the regular season and the first matchup between the two teams as Big West Conference opponents. The Roadrunners enter the weekend with a 20-19 record and a 17-15 Big West mark having lost three of its last four games to No. 14 UC Irvine. The Gauchos lead the all-time series with the Runners 10-6 with the last win coming in 2019.
Gauchos on the Air
All four games will be aired live on Big West TV with coverage by Kevin Cannon and Bob Brontsema. Additionally, live stats are available on UCSBGauchos.com.
Thank You!
Sunday's contest with the Roadrunners will be the last game at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium for six graduating Gauchos in McClain O'Connor, Conner Roberts, Zach Torra, Chris Troye, Jorge Arellano Jr., and Conner Dand. They will be celebrated prior to first pitch with a special ceremony. UCSB thanks these student-athletes for their commitment to the program during their Gaucho career.
The Big Picture
With the regular season coming to a close this weekend, UCSB will be making a push for an NCAA Regional bid come Monday morning's selection show. DI Baseball predicts that the Gauchos will make the Field of 64 as one of the at-large bids and head to the Tuscon regional, hosted by Arizona, to face Florida State in game one.
Trailing UC Irvine by three games in the conference race, defending champion UCSB would need the Anteaters to be swept by Cal State Fullerton, while also sweeping Cal State Bakersfield to win the Big West title and earn the automatic bid to the tournament.
The selection show is scheduled for Monday, May 31st at 9:00 AM and will be broadcasted live on ESPN2.
Current Streaks
Marcos Castanon – 11 game hit streak
Broc Mortensen – Has reached base in 10 straight games
Zach Rodriguez – Eight game hit streak
Cole Cummings – Has reached base in eight straight games
In the Record Book
The 2021 Gauchos have etched their names into the all-time records on several occasions this season on both the individual and team level.
Team
541 strikeouts and counting – Most all-time in a single season
5 shutouts and counting – Tied for 4th all-time in a single season
Individual
Rodney Boone: 105 strikeouts and counting – 8th all-time in a single season
Rodney Boone: 216 strikeouts and counting – Tied for 3rd all-time in a career
Michael McGreevy: 104 strikeouts and counting – Tied for 9th all-time in a single season
Broc Mortensen: 18 HBP and counting – Tied for 4th all-time in a single season
Broc Mortensen: 13 home runs- Tied for 10th all-time in a single season
Zach Rodriguez: 17 HBP and counting – Tied for 7th all-time in a single season
Jordan Sprinkle: 12 total bases – Tied for most all-time in a single game
Cole Cummings: 5 walks – Most all-time in a single game
Michael McGreevy: 15 strikeouts – Fourth most all-time in a single game
McGreevy Named Pitcher of the Year Semifinalist
After being named to College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year watchlist back in April, Michael McGreevy of UCSB Baseball has now been named a semifinalist for the award. He is one of just 17 pitchers to make the list and the sole representative from the Big West Conference.
The winner will be crowned later this summer by the College Baseball Foundation.
Cole is Crushing
Third baseman Cole Cummings has been the face of consistency for the Gauchos this year having reached base safely in 49 of the 53 games played this season. He eHecurrently leads the conference with 42 walks and 54 runs scored, second with 18 doubles, and fifth with 68 hits. His doubles mark also ranks 17th in the country and his walks rank 25th.
He recently etched his name into the Gaucho history books collecting a program-best five walks in a single game vs UC San Diego and is flirting with two top-ten lists needing one more double and two more walks to rank 10th all-time in those categories for a single season.
Freshman on Fire
Ranking second in the conference in batting average this season is none other than true freshman outfielder Zach Rodriguez, who currently sits at .378. He also ranks second in hits (65), third in RBI (48), HBP (17), and total bases (97), and eighth in home runs (7).
Sprinkle it On
One of the top young shortstops in the conference, Jordan Sprinkle has emerged as a reliable spark plug for the Gauchos this year at the plate and on the basepaths. He currently leads the conference by a fair margin with 22 stolen bases this year, a mark that is good for 26th in the nation.
Additionally, the middle infielder is also fourth in hits (69), fifth in runs (44), ninth in batting average (.347), sixth in total bases (95), and tenth in slugging (.513).
On the Mound
UCSB prides itself on strong defense and pitching, leading the Big West Conference in strikeouts (541). They also boast the second-best team opposing batting average at .240 and are third with a team ERA of 3.95.
Much of this comes from the dynamic duo of sophomores Rodney Boone and Michael McGreevy, who are ranked first and second in the conference with 105 and 104, respectively. Boone is 8th in the nation with nine wins, ninth in the nation with a 4.94 hits allowed per nine average, and is second in the conference with a 2.41 ERA. McGreevy is second in the nation with a 10.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fourth with a 0.87 walks allowed per nine average, and fourth in the conference with a 2.94 ERA.
Big Bats
The Gauchos have been getting it done at the plate this season leading the Big West in several major offensive categories. This includes home runs (53), hits (521), RBI (341), doubles (101), slugging (.446), stolen bases (77), sac flies (30) and total bases (815). They are also second in the league with 17 triples and third with a .285 batting average.
Mortensen Mashes
First-year Gaucho Broc Mortensen has made his presence felt in his first season with UCSB sitting tied for first in the conference in home runs (13) and HBP (18), while ranking fourth in runs (45) and RBI (47), and sixth in slugging (.553). His HBP count also ranks 12th in the nation and is tied for the 4th most all-time by any Gaucho.
