BUIES CREEK, N.C. — The wait for baseball season is over for UC Santa Barbara, as the 17th-ranked Gauchos will open their 2024 campaign on the road this weekend. Santa Barbara makes the cross-country trek to Buies Creek, North Carolina for a three-game series against 2022 and 2023 NCAA Regional participants Campbell, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Camels will be playing their first games as members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) this weekend, after winning consecutive Big South Championships in their final two years in that conference.
 
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
First pitch times from Campbell's Jim Perry Stadium are set for 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday and 12 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Friday and Saturday's games will be broadcast on FloSports, which requires a paid subscription to watch. An audio stream and live stats for all three games will be available for free through ucsbgauchos.com.
 
2023 RECAP
The final weekend of UC Santa Barbara's 2023 season left a bad taste in the Gauchos' mouths, as they suffered a three-game sweep in Hawaii and missed the postseason, finishing 35-20 overall. Santa Barbara's 18-12 conference record landed them sixth place in The Big West.
 
The 2023 Gaucho offense was all about power and speed, with the team's 86 home runs leading the conference by a wide margin and setting a new program single-season record. Santa Barbara's 68 stolen bases were second-most in the conference, and no team attempted steals more often than the Gauchos. Santa Barbara's pitching staff, anchored by Matt Ager and Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Hudson Barrett, led The Big West in ERA (4.20), opponent batting average (.243), and strikeouts (569).
 
SERIES HISTORY
UC Santa Barbara and Campbell have never met before in their histories. The last time the Gauchos faced a team for the first time was last March, when they hosted Seton Hall. Santa Barbara won that matchup, 2-1, and Head Coach Andrew Checketts is 17-3 in his career when facing an opponent for the first time.
 
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
The 2024 UC Santa Barbara team looks pretty similar to the squad they fielded in 2023, with six starting position players and every starting pitcher from last year's squad returning. The Gauchos' entire first-choice infield returns, headlined by Preseason All-Big West third baseman Zander Darby and 2023 All-Big West Honorable Mention catcher Aaron Parker. The versatile Jonah Sebring, who also earned All-Big West Honorable Mention last season, returns as well and will likely split time between the infield and outfield. Newcomer Reiss Calvin, who transferred in from Ventura College after earning All-America honors as a Pirate in 2023, also has the versatility to play in either the infield or outfield. Ivan Brethowr is the lone returning outfielder for the Gauchos in 2024, as they will be without last year's top slugger, Jared Sundstrom, who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners, as well as graduates Christian Kirtley and Broc Mortensen, the latter of whom tied the program's career home run record in 2023.
 
When it comes to the pitching staff, the Gauchos have a rotation that has been hailed as one of the best in the country this offseason. Not only do they return their All-American ace, Matt Ager, but Santa Barbara also gets back veteran lefty and 2023 Golden Spikes Award candidate Mike Gutierrez and 2022 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Ryan Gallagher, who missed the 2023 campaign due to injury. Add to that mix sophomores Tyler Bremner and Reed Moring, both of whom saw significant innings as freshmen and have only improved during the fall and winter. Santa Barbara also brought in a strong class of newcomers, including Jackson Flora, who D1Baseball tabbed as their preseason Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year. In the bullpen, the Gauchos have their dominant lefty Hudson Barrett, the reigning Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year and a unanimous Freshman All-American in 2023. Barrett and Ager both received three Preseason All-America nods and spots on the All-Big West Preseason Team ahead of the 2024 season.
 
SCOUTING THE CAMELS
Campbell is beginning a new era in 2024, as the back-to-back Big South Champions have joined the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) ahead of this season and were picked to finish third in the conference, behind favorites Northeastern and UNC Wilmington. The Camels are coming off a season in which they posted a 46-15 record, scoring more runs than any other team in Division-I baseball. Thirteen Camels and Head Coach Justin Haire earned All-Big South honors as Campbell claimed both the regular season and tournament titles in their final year in the conference.
 
Three players earned All-America honors in 2023, but only one of them, redshirt senior outfielder Lawson Harrill return for 2024. Harrill led the potent Campbell offense in slugging percentage (.761), home runs (22) and RBI (69) in 2023, and their veteran leader has earned acclaim ahead of his 2024 campaign. Harrill was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watchlist last week (as was the Gauchos' Ager) and was selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's All-America Second Team earlier this offseason. He was also one of three Camels named to the Preseason All-CAA Team.
 
Grant Knipp, the Camels' starting catcher, was the second name on the preseason all-conference squad, as was his battery-mate Chance Daquila. Knipp was the Big South Tournament MVP in 2023, wrapping up a season in which he started 53 of his 55 games behind the plate, hitting .278/.414/.572. In four games at the Columbia Regional, Knipp hit .500 to earn a spot on the All-Regional team. Knipp's battery partner, Daquila, projects to be Campbell's top pitcher in 2024, coming off a season in which he posted a team-best 9-1 record and a 4.85 ERA. Like Knipp, Daquila was named to the Columbia All-Regional team.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return to California for their first mid-week matchup of the season, paying a visit to Pepperdine on Tuesday, Feb. 20. First pitch from Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu is set for 1:30 p.m.