UC Irvine Anteaters
Overall Rank: #12
Conference Rank: #2 Big West
UC Irvine Team Page
UC Irvine earned their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2011, reached their second Super Regional in four years and achieved 40 plus wins for the fourth time in five seasons. American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Gillispie will start his 41st year as a college baseball coach and his fifth as the Anteater skipper. Gillispie returns 16 letter winners for the 2012 season, including five position starters and the majority of the pitching staff.
2011: 54-12, 25-11
2011 Postseason: NCAA Eliminated in Charlottesville Super Regional (two losses to Virginia)
Coach: Mike Gillispie, 5th Season
Field Players:
Senior D.J. Crumlich was All-Conference in 2011, hitting .300 with 15 doubles, scoring 51 runs, the best in the Big West. The shortstop was clutch in the post season, hitting .476. Catcher, Ronnie Shaeffer was stellar behind the plate in 2011 throwing out six of every ten would-be base stealers. A Rawlings Gold Glove winner, the senior drove in 31 runs with 55 hits. He raised his game when it counted, hitting .368 in the postseason. Senior second baseman Tommy Reyes was also big in the tournament, hitting .476 after a regular season where he averaged .289.
Pitchers:
Junior Matt Whitehouse made 12 starts in 2011, going 4-0 with a 2.12 ERA. The lefty fanned 63 batters in 72 innings. Right handed hurler Crosby Slaught started for the Anteaters 14 times winning seven. The red-shirt senior posted a 3.93 ERA and struck out 47. Sophomores Jimmy Litchfield and Andrew Thurman come back after solid rookie seasons. Litchfield, a lefty, made 34 relief appearances last year. He struck out 34 in 43 innings. Thurman struck out 64 in 75 innings, pitching in 23 games, starting eight.
Who to Watch:
Junior Jordan Fox hit .323 and could be counted on for productive at bats, striking out just six times in 186 at bats last season. The first baseman was honored as an All-Conference selectee and was fourth in the country in “Toughest to Strikeout”.
Final Projection:
The UC Irvine Anteaters bring back a very veteran club for the 2012 campaign. A seasoned crew, experienced coach and last year’s visit to a Super Regional give UC Irvine a solid base from which to build. A lack of proven home run power could be an issue on offense. But four seniors and a junior returning in the field and a tested pitching staff should set the Anteaters up to challenge for the Big West Championship and their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: D.J. Crumlich, SS, 233
Hits: D.J. Crumlich, SS, 70
Home Runs: D.J. Crumlich, SS, 1; Ronnie Shaeffer, C, 1
RBIs: Christian Ramirez, OF, 32
Runs: D.J. Crumlich, SS, 51
Stolen Bases: Jordan Fox, 1B, 9
Wins: Crosby Slaught, P, 7
Innings Pitched: Andrew Thurman, P, 75.1
Strikeouts: Andrew Thurman, P, 64
Saves: Jimmy Litchfield, P, 3
