Dirtbags Open Big West Play With Black & Blue Rivalry on ESPN3

Friday, April 5
Long Beach State at No. 19 UC Irvine
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Irvine, Calif. (Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark)
Watch: ESPN3 | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Saturday, April 6
Long Beach State at No. 19 UC Irvine
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Irvine, Calif. (Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark)
Watch: ESPN3 | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Sunday, April 7
Long Beach State at No. 19 UC Irvine
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Irvine, Calif. (Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark)
Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
•   The Dirtbags earned their first road victory of the season on Tuesday night, handing No. 5 Arizona State its first home loss of the season (22-1) and just second loss overall. LBSU scored nine times in the first two innings and matched its season-high in runs in the 14-9 win.
•   Freshman infielder Tyler Porter was playing in his home state of Arizona and had the best game of his Dirtbags career, collecting a person best 4 RBIs along with a pair of hits in the win. He was also one of four Dirtbags to draw multiple walks in the game, as the Dirtbags walked 12 times as a team against the Sun Devils.
•   Speaking of walks, Jake Vander Wal walked four times to become the first Dirtbag to draw four walks in a game since TJ Mittelstaedt in 2007. Vander Wal scored three times to tie Brooks Stotler for the team high on Tuesday. Chase Luttrell, Dominic Campeau and Jacob Hughey each scored twice in the win.
•   LBSU was able to score in bunches on Tuesday, scoring four or more runs in three separate innings. The Dirtbags are averaging 10.5 runs in their 10 wins this season and
just 2.57 in their losses. The team has scored 42 runs in its four wins and 59 runs in its 23 losses.

SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
•   UC Irvine has won 10 of its last 11 games, including a series win at Hawai'i to begin conference play. The Anteaters also have not lost a series this year, winning all six including three-game sets against Washington and at Rice. UCI was picked to finish second in the Big West this season and had the most first-place votes of any team with four. Irvine is also 8-2 on its home field this year.
•   The UC Irvine offense is led by junior 3B Brandon Lewis, who is batting .344 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles, and 33 RBIs. Sophomore RF Mike Peabody is hitting .397 with a team-best .507 OBP, and junior SS Christian Koss is the team's best speed threat with seven stolen bases to go with his .271 average and four homers.
•   UCI's strength is its pitching staff, which has an ERA nearly three runs lower (3.16) than its opponents (6.12) this season. Junior Andre Pallante is the staff ace, but doesn't even have the best numbers in the rotation this year. His 4-2 record, 2.66 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 40.2 innings are all solid, but Trenton Denholm (5-0, 1.89 ERA) has been lights out with 41 K's in just 38 innings.
•   Senior RHP Taylor Rashi leads the Anteaters bullpen. The closer has not allowed a run in 12 relief appearances, recording seven saves and striking out 19 in 12.1 innings.
•   UCI won two of the three meetings last season in Long Beach, with the Dirtbags earning a sweep on their last visit to Anteater Ballpark. Since 1989, LBSU leads the series 37-29, but UCI leads the all-time series 69-60-1.

FACING THE BEST
•   Long Beach State has certainly been challenged so far this season, with nine of its 13 opponents (including UC Irvine) appearing the national rankings at some point in the season, and seven of those opponents holding a ranking when they played the Dirtbags.
•   The Dirtbags had a stretch of eight straight games against nationally-ranked teams earlier in the year, going 2-6 in those contests. Three of Long Beach State's four wins have been against ranked teams.

SPREADING THE LOVE
•   A total of 21 position players have appeared in multiple games for the Dirtbags this season, with 18 making five or more starts and getting 16 or more at-bats.
•   Only freshman infielder Tyler Porter has played in all 27 games this season for the Dirtbags, making 26 starts.
•   With a group of pitchers returning from injury, the pitching staff has had its fair share of fluidity as well. Eight different pitchers have picked up a start for Long Beach State this season with six of them earning three or more starts.

LB IN MLB
•   Long Beach State had more former players in the big leagues than any other college or university from 2010-17, with 13 MLB representatives in 2018, again placing the Dirtbags among the nation's leaders.
•   Three Dirtbags made their MLB debuts last season, all in the span of two weeks. RHP Drew Gagnon debuted for the Mets on July 10, followed by infielder Garrett Hampson's debut on July 21 for the Rockies and INF Jeff McNeil on July 24 for the Mets.
•   The 2019 MLB season got underway with 10 former Dirtbags featured on Opening Day rosters to start the year: Troy Tulowitzki (Yankees), Evan Longoria (Giants), Jason Vargas (Mets), Bryan Shaw (Rockies), Nick Vincent (Giants), Marco Estrada (A's), Jared Hughes (Reds), Matt Duffy (Rays), Shane Carle (Braves), Garrett Hampson (Rockies), and Jeff McNeil (Mets).
•   Long Beach State also has representation among the coaching ranks as former players Brandon Hyde and Jeremy Reed are in their first years serving key roles in their respective dugouts. Hyde is the manager of the Baltimore Orioles and Reed is the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

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Dirtbags Open Big West Play With Black & Blue Rivalry on ESPN3

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Players Mentioned

Dominic Campeau

Jacob Hughey

Chase Luttrell

Tyler Porter

Brooks Stotler

Jake Vander Wal

Long Beach State University Athletics