Tempe, AZ—The UC Riverside Baseball Team gets the 2017 season underway this weekend with a three-day, four-game series against Nebraska at the Log Angeles Angels of Anaheim Spring Training Facility in Tempe, Arizona. The Cornhuskers are coached by Darin Erstad—former Angels' teammate of Highlanders' Head Coach Troy Percival. The two were teammates for eight years with the Halos, and were both on the Angels; 2002 World Series Championship Team.
UC Riverside is coming off of a season that saw the Highlanders improve by 11 wins, and finish in a tie for fourth place in the Big West Conference—the team's highest finish in league play since 2010.
Gone from last year's squad is the team's top pitcher in Austin Sodders (7-4, 2.55), and top hitter in Vince Fernandez (.350/.431/.509). Sodders, a 2016 All-Big West Second Team selection, was chosen in the seventh round of the MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, and Fernandez, a two-time All-Conference honoree, went to the Colorado Rockies in the 10th round.
The Highlanders return two of their weekend starters from a year ago in RHP Ricky Delgado (1-8, 5.12) and RHP Angel Landazuri (5-5. 4.73). Delgado gets the start in the first game of Friday's twin bill, while sophomore lefty Hazahel Quijada (0-1, 4.63) will make the fourth start of his collegiate career on Saturday in Game Three. Starters for Games Two and Four will be determined based on the team's bullpen usage in Games One and Three.
Outfielder Mark Contreras (.333/.409/.432), who was All-Big West Second Team a year ago, is the Highlanders' top returning position player.
Nebraska went 37-22 last season including 16-8 in the BigTen. The Cornhuskers season came to an end in the NCAA Regional in Clemson where they lost to Oklahoma State, 6-0, and Western Carolina, 4-1.
Nebraska's top three starters from a year ago are all back this season. Derek Burkamper went 6-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 12 starts last year, while Matt Waldron went 7-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 11 starts, and Jake Meyers posted a 6-1 mark with a 1.42 ERA in nine starts.
Meyers is also the leading returner among position players for the Cornhuskers after recording a slash line of .326/.402/.458 as an outfielder. The team's top slugger, Scott Schreiber, is also back after pounding out 16 home runs and a .629 slugging percentage in 2016.
After the Nebraska series, the Highlanders return to Southern California for a Tuesday, February 21 road trip to UCLA. First pitch is slated for 6 pm PT.
