Riverside—Big West Conference play gets underway this weekend for UC Riverside, as the Highlanders open with a three-game home stand against #10 Cal state Fullerton.
UCR is coming off of a 10-2 road loss at #23 San Diego (
box score/
recap), and seven of the team's next eight games are also against nationally-ranked competition.
The loss to the Toreros was the Highlanders' fourth in five games. During that stretch, UCR's pitching staff has allowed 44 runs, and the team ERA has increased from 3.63 to 4.71.
Alex Fagalde (4-0, 1.80) makes his fourth start of the season on Friday. The senior right-hander is holding opponents to a .187 batting average, while striking out 28 in 30.0 innings of work. He also has allowed just four walks on the season.
Righty Ryan Lillie (0-2, 4.32) gets the starting nod on Saturday evening. He has been used primarily out of the bullpen this season, and leads the team with four saves. Lillie has one start on his résumé this year, in game two of the season-opening twin bill against Nebraska. He allowed five hits and three runs through five innings, and was saddled with the loss in the 5-4 decision. In 16.2 innings of work this season, Lillie has struck out 21 batters and issued just three walks.
Ricky Delgado (0-0, 4.88) takes to the mound on Sunday for his first start in nearly a month. After picking up three starts over the season's first three weeks, where he posted a 5.87 ERA in 19.2 innings of work, the right-hander has worked exclusively out of the pen. In five relief appearances, he has an ERA of 3.12.
The Highlanders have continued to hit the ball well over the last four weeks of the season. The team batting average was below .200 after the first six games of the year, but since that time, UC Riverside is hitting .298. The Highlanders lead the Big West in scoring, averaging 6.05 runs per game, and their 15 home runs are the second most in the league.
UC Riverside's offensive resurgence has occurred without the team's leading hitter in the lineup. Mark Contreras was hitting .433 through the team's first seven games, before being sidelined with an injury. After missing a months worth of games, the senior was used as a pinch hitter in the Highlanders Tuesday game at San Diego, where he promptly singled to up his slash line on the year to .452/.541/.677.
In his absence, a trio of Highlanders have increased their batting averages to .300 or above—Catcher Casey Worden is hitting .326/.356/.419; outfielder Cade Peters is at .318/.418/.439; and outfielder AJ Sawyer is batting .300/.368/.340.
Freshman Connor Cannon continues to be the team's top long-ball threat, leading the squad with four home runs and 18 RBIs. Those totals are tied for fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Big West this season.
Cal State Fullerton began the 2017 campaign with 15 wins in its first 20 games, rising to as high as fifth in the nation in the various collegiate baseball polls. They have dropped four straight since, though, getting swept by Long Beach State last weekend in a three-game series which did not count toward the conference standings, and dropping a 9-7 decision at UCLA on Tuesday evening.
The Titans lead the Big West with a 2.74 ERA, and also allow the fewest hits per nine innings (0.86) of any team in the league, and walk the fewest batters per game (2.00). The pitching staff has also allowed just five home runs all season—tief with the Highlanders for the second lowest total in the conference.
Junior righty Connor Seabold (2-3, 3.00) gets the start on Friday for Fullerton. He has 36 Ks and just eight walks in 42.0 innings of work this season. His ERA is the ninth lowest in the Big West among players who qualify for the ERA title.
Sophomore Gavin Velasquez (2-0, 2.87) makes his fifth start of the year on Saturday. He has 17 strikeouts in 31.1 innings, and has walked just six batters all season. Velasquez has also allowed just seven extra base hits on the year, and boasts the eighth lowest ERA in the conference.
Junior John Gavin (3-0, 1.31) rounds out the Titans' weekend rotation. He ranks second in the league in ERA, and fifth in strikeouts-per-nine-innings (9.17). The left-hander also owns a 5-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and is holding opponents to a .210 batting average.
Offensively, Cal State Fullerton has the lowest batting average, the lowest on base percentage and the second lowest slugging percentage among Big West schools. Their 4.58 runs scored per game on the season is the second lowest in the conference. The Titans are a Big West-best 20 for 23 (.870) in the stolen base department this season
Taylor Bryant is the top offensive threat on Cal State Fullerton's roster with a slash line of .342/.458/.544. All three of those marks are tops on the team, and rank 11th, fifth, and and sixth in the Big West respectively. He also tops the team in runs scored with 16, and RBIs with 17.
Sahid Valenzuela (.319/.365/.391) is the only other member of the team hitting above .300, and six members of the squad with at least 40 at bats are hitting .250 or below.
The Highlanders are 22-44 all-time against Cal State Fullerton (
view results), and have lost six straight to the Titans.
