UC Irvine Baseball Preview

Coach--Mike Gerakos, 12th year.

1991 Records--24-32, 6-15 in the Big West Conference (Eighth).

Top returning regulars--Bill Bardens, 3B, Sr., had only seven strikeouts in 128 at-bats.; David Bladow, RHP, Sr., No. 1 starter after going 5-7 in 1991 with a 5.62 ERA; Chris Facione, OF, Jr., led team with three triples; Matt Filson, OF, Sr., his .316 average and 37 RBIs were best on team; Joe Furukawa, 2B, Sr., stole a team-high nine bases in 18 attempts; Steve Ott, OF, Sr., hit in 14 of 15 games in a one-month span.

Top newcomers--Vinnie Orlando, 2B, Fr., tied a Southern Section record with six hits in one game during junior year at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High School; Mike Ryan, SS, Fr., hit .511 with eight home runs as a junior at Miraleste High; Corey Parker, 1B, Jr., led Orange Coast College with .565 slugging percentage; Jon Vanzandt, RHP, Jr., former Bakersfield College pitcher will be a long reliever and probably get some starts; Aaron Weiss, INF, Fr., Stole 20 bases his senior year at West Hills Chaminade High School.

Outlook--Irvine has a strong corps of position players back. But with an unproven young pitching staff and a lineup that has lost the players who hit 23 of last season’s 34 home runs, the Anteaters have been picked to finish eighth in the Big West Conference by a poll of coaches. After facing the possibility that the program would be dropped because of a budget crisis during the off-season, the team is eager to get back on the field. “I told them we don’t get any handicap,” Gerakos said. “That battle is in the past. Everybody starts even.”