Riverside—Big West Conference play begins this weekend for the UC Riverside Baseball Team as the Highlanders travel to UC Davis for a three-game series with the Aggies.
UCR is 10-15 heading into the weekend following a pair of losses to #22 Oregon. The Highlanders nearly beat the Ducks on Tuesday, falling 10-7 in 13 innings (
box score/
recap), but dropped Wednesday's game by a 12-3 score (
box score/
recap)
Angel Landazuri, who is coming off of a Big West Pitcher of the Week award-winning performance last Friday (
story), will get the starting nod for UCR this Friday. In his last outing, the right-hander pitched eight innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out 13. Landazuri didn't figure in the decision, however, as the Highlanders needed 13 innings to beat the Green Wave, 2-1.
Despite a 2.47 ERA, he is just 1-3 on the season, with losses in his last three decisions. The Highlanders' offense has managed just four runs in Landazuri's last four starts.
Lefty Kevin Sprague (2-3, 3.52) takes to the hill Saturday afternoon. He has allowed just two earned runs in his last three starts, striking out 13 in 19.1 innings of work.
Keaton Leach (2-2, 2.87) rounds out UC Riverside's weekend rotation with the start on Sunday. He has allowed just six earned runs in his last 21.0 innings spread out over three starts. He also has 14 Ks during that time.
The Highlanders have five regulars hitting better than .300 on the season led by Austin Colvin's .333. Joe Chavez's .406 on base percentage is tops on the team, and Vince Fernandez boasts the best slugging percentage on the roster at .525.
UC Davis enters the week with wins in six of the team's last seven games, improving to 14-7-1 on the season in the process. Nick Lynch is taking a run at the .400 mark for the Aggies with a .395 batting average. He also paces the squad in on base percentage (.495) and slugging percentage (.679).
Spencer Koopmans (1-2, 4.50) gets the starting nod on Friday. Opponents are hitting just .240 off of Koopmans, but 10 of the 24 hits he has allowed in his 28.0 innings of work, have gone for extra bases.
Orlando Razo (4-1, 1.85) takes the mound on Saturday, with Raul Jacobson (2-0, 2.65) throwing on Sunday.
The Highlanders are 38-26 all-time against UC Davis (
view results) and swept the Aggies last season by scores of 12-9 (
box score/
recap), 7-6 (
box score/
recap) and 4-2 (
box score/
recap).
