Big West Baseball Schedule Cut to 18 Games

The Big West Conference will move from a 30-game conference baseball schedule to 18 games for next season after the departure of Nevada and New Mexico State.

Cal State Northridge will begin competing for the championship in the coming season, joining Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Pacific and Sacramento State. Each team will play a three-game series against each of the other teams, three series at home and three on the road.

UC Irvine, which will field a team in 2002, will join the baseball alignment that season, along with UC Riverside, a new conference member.

Fullerton will play two series with Long Beach State and Cal Poly this season, but only the last one will count in the conference championship race.

Titan Coach George Horton said that won’t detract from the first series with those teams. “All your games are important in terms of your RPI [Ratings Percentage Index] ranking and your overall record,” he said.

HONORS

Eric Monterastelli became the third UC Irvine athlete this week to receive conference player of the week honors. He was cited by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for leading the Anteater men’s soccer team (4-0) to three victories.

A senior forward, Monterastelli totaled four goals and added an assist in victories over St. Mary’s, Buffalo and Missouri Kansas City.

Junior Natalie Franklin of the women’s soccer team and sophomore Jamie Pilbeam of the women’s volleyball team received similar honors Monday by the Big West Conference.