Schedule
Game 1
Friday, February 18, 2022 at 2:00 PM
UCSB at San Francisco
Bennedetti Diamond – San Francisco, Calif.
WCC Network | Audio | Live Stats
Game 2
Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 1:00 PM
UCSB at San Francisco
Bennedetti Diamond – San Francisco, Calif.
WCC Network | Audio | Live Stats
Game 3
Sunday, February 20, 2022 at 1:00 PM
UCSB at San Francisco
Bennedetti Diamond – San Francisco, Calif.
WCC Network | Audio | Live Stats
Game 4
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 6:00 PM
UCSB at Loyola Marymount
Page Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
Video | Audio | Live Stats
Tickets
Tickets for all UCSB Baseball home games are on sale at our online ticket office. UCSB has moved to a completely mobile/digital ticketing platform. For more information, click here.
Gaucho Gameday App
Install the new UCSB Gaucho Gameday app on your smartphone for exclusive UCSB coverage all season long. Our new app gives you a one stop shop where you can secure tickets and parking as well. Now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Gauchos on the Air
All four games will be aired live on WCC Network. Additionally, an audio-only broadcast will be brought to you by Kevin Cannon and Spencer Stewart and live stats can be found on UCSBGauchos.com.
The City by the Bay
USCB hosted the USF Dons at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in early March last year. After rain showers suspended Friday's game, the Gauchos went on to win the rescheduled Saturday doubleheader and Sunday rubbermatch by a +17 run differential. The Dons series marked a pivotal turnaround on an early season slump punctuated by a home sweep against the Oregon Ducks, and propelled the team to a five-game winning streak as they embarked on conference play.
Scouting the Dons
- Darius Foster (returning) and Jack Winkler (drafted in 10th round 2021) paced the conference with 23 stolen bases a piece, a significant gap
- Dons' sophomore infielder Luke Keaschall has been picked as the No. 31 overall MLB Draft prospect for the 2023 class, according to D1Baseball.
- Keaschall was the lone WCC player to be picked and was ranked as the fourth best shortstop prospect overall. It was a tremendous debut in the spring for the Watsonville, Calif. native as he led the Dons with a .320 batting average, .406 on-base percentage and 64 hits and was second with an outstanding .881 OPS.
- On Friday's starter Owen Stevenson, (per USF Athletics – SF Examiner)
"Stevenson has an 86-88 mph fastball with angle to the glove side, a 71-72 mph curve, a sweeping 74-75 mph slider and a 77-78 mph changeup with arm-side run. He has an easy arm action and a rangy frame with a lot of room to project, physically."
- The Dons' staff allowed 42 HRS in conference, third-worst mark in the WCC last season.
- Last year the Dons proved they could run be also be run on stealing 89 bases, but allowing 72 in return
Probable Starters
Friday: RHP Cory Lewis (2021: 7-4, 3.38 ERA, 80 IP) vs RHP Owen Stevenson (2021: 0-3, 7.36 ERA, 25.2 IP)
Saturday: RHP Ryan Harvey (2021: 0-0, 5.84 ERA, 12.1 IP) vs LHP Weston Lombard
Sunday: RHP Ryan Gallagher vs RHP Sam Beck
The Lions
The Gauchos and the Lions of Loyola Marymount did not face off in the 2021 season but UCSB won two of its last three games against LMU and hold the all-time series at 75-65-2. The Lions held a 20-29 overall record and took 6th in the WCC with a 13-14 conference mark last year.
On the Stat Sheet
- Jordan Sprinkle collected at least one hit in 12 out of the last 13 games to finish the 2021 campaign
- Jason Willow enters the season on a seven-game hit streak dating back to last year
Coming in at No. 17
The Gauchos enter the 2022 season ranked as the No. 17 team in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, a poll that the publication released back in mid-December. No. 14 UC Irvine was the only Big West school listed over the Gauchos in the preseason poll.
Big West Preseason Coaches Poll
The Big West Conference announced the results of its annual Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll tabbing No. 17 UCSB to finish 3rd in the conference standings this season. The Gauchos, who enjoyed a 41-20 overall record with a 29-11 conference mark last year to take second place and earn an at-large bid into the NCAA postseason, racked up 81 points and first place vote. They trailed only first-place Long Beach State which led the way with 97 points and seven first-place votes and UC Irvine which placed second with 92 points and three first-place votes.
Sprinkle Named to Golden Spikes Watch List
USA Baseball announced its preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list today, naming sophomore shortstop Jordan Sprinkle to its ranks. The award is given annually to the top amateur baseball in the country for the 2022 season.
All the shortstop did last year was lead the conference all season long and rank Top-20 in the country with 26 stolen bases on the season. The starting job became his 10 games into the season, and he immediately became a reliable source at the plate collecting at least one hit in 44 of the last 52 games. He ranked second in the conference with 83 hits, the 9th most by any Big West freshman all-time, as well as ranking third in runs (55), fourth in doubles (18), and fifth in batting average (.353). He has also turned into an incredible fielder flashing his speed and strength on balls headed his way.
The 2022 preseason watch list features 55 of the nation's top amateur players from high school and college baseball. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain a rolling list of players, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season
Preseason All-Americans
Three different Gauchos were given preseason All-America nods coming into the 2022 season as Collegiate Baseball named Jordan Sprinkle, Cory Lewis, and Carter Benbrook as Third Team All-Americans. Additionally, Sprinkle was named a Second Team All-American by Baseball America.
Home Sweet Home
The Gauchos will play 29 of their 56 games at Caesar Uyesaka where they enjoyed a 22-12 record in the 2021 season. UCSB opens its gates to face Nevada on Friday, Feb. 25 for a three-game series and will also host Yale, Cal State Fullerton, Hawai'i, UC San Diego, Long Beach State, Dixie State, and UC Riverside. They will also welcome LMU, UCLA, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's, and USC for Tuesday night games over the course of the season.
2021 Recap
UCSB enjoyed a fantastic 2021 campaign with an overall record of 41-20, eclipsing the 40-win mark for fourth time in the last six seasons. The Gauchos posted a 39-18 record during the regular season which earned them an at-large bid to the 2021 Tucson Regional. They have now reached the postseason two years in a row, four in the last six, and five total in the Andrew Checketts era (2012-2021). UCSB is just one of two Big West schools to be invited to an NCAA Regional four times in the past six full seasons.
The Gauchos broke many records and once again sent off several to the MLB Draft. View the full 2021 recap here.
