For you baseball folk, what are thoughts on UC Irvine?

[RougeDawg]

They have a complete team. Not sure how but they do. They have contact and power in the perfect spots 1-6 in lineup to win entire thing. They have pitching also. They play situationally better than any team I've seen. Their hitters can bat the ball where they want, and can bunt as good as anyone. Gonna be a tough team to beat. I think they take 2014 CWS.

[Dawg61]

They have Uncle Mo on their side I'm just not sure if they have the depth in pitching after Morales and they're about to face Vandy and 1st round SF Giant Tyler Beede. If they don't beat Beede it'll be a tall mountain to climb to beat Texas/L'Ville and then Vandy twice. I think Vandy is coming out of that side. But I do like the Anteaters. They've been scrappy as hell.

[EdDawg]

How did Beede finish out conference schedule? Seems like I remember hearing him having several bad games after ours.

[chainedup_Dawg]

They have Uncle Mo on their side I'm just not sure if they have the depth in pitching after Morales and they're about to face Vandy and 1st round SF Giant Tyler Beede. If they don't beat Beede it'll be a tall mountain to climb to beat Texas/L'Ville and then Vandy twice. I think Vandy is coming out of that side. But I do like the Anteaters. They've been scrappy as hell.

I love the way the Eaters play, those guys get after it. I do agree with Dawg61 though, their pitching will more than likely be their downfall. Their pitcher struggled in several spots yesterday. I'll be rooting for them to win it all, just don't think it'll happen

[msstate7]

They have Uncle Mo on their side I'm just not sure if they have the depth in pitching after Morales and they're about to face Vandy and 1st round SF Giant Tyler Beede. If they don't beat Beede it'll be a tall mountain to climb to beat Texas/L'Ville and then Vandy twice. I think Vandy is coming out of that side. But I do like the Anteaters. They've been scrappy as hell.

Do you remember what we did that bothered beede so much? Bunting. UCI leads the NCAA in sac bunting if I remember correctly. Not saying they'll win, but I'm pulling for them. I usually pull for the sec team, but I hate OM and vandy

[KB21]

They are a good team, but they don't have the pitching depth to win this thing.

[Goat Holder]

If you don't lose, you don't need but two starting pitchers.

[messageboardsuperhero]

If you don't lose, you don't need but two starting pitchers.

Yep. Pitching depth really isn't all that important in the CWS if you stay in the winner's bracket.

[ScottH]

So far they have beaten @Oregon State-2, @Okie State-2, and Texas. Thats' pretty impressive.

The Vandy game will be interesting.

They don't have a lot of pitching but they may have enough.

I love Mike Gillespie their coach. He is 74. Fired at USC and eventually landed at UCI. He is a fun kind of unorthodox. He used 4 outfielders against Conforto, two suicide squeezes in one inning, brought Morales in on effectively less than 2 days rest against OSU, used their number 3 guy in relief yesterday.

When someone asked him about pitching Morales twice - " I can only use the players I have dressed out. I'm trying to get to Omaha. Let's see, I have my Number 1 guy who says he has no problem throwing a few innings or a freshman with a double digit era. Which would you choose?"

Says they don't play small ball they just "take care of the details" to score runs.

[Bothrops]

UC Irvine plays in a tough league that has many good teams. California produces the baseball talent.

[godlluB]

Their shortened mascot "Eaters" is the greatest thing ever. They have the coolest logo of any team still playing. I think their coach may have been a high school classmate of Abner Doubleday.

I picked them and Vandy as the two teams I would root for this CWS. It sucks that they are playing each other tomorrow.

[Todd4State]

So far they have beaten @Oregon State-2, @Okie State-2, and Texas. Thats' pretty impressive.

The Vandy game will be interesting.

They don't have a lot of pitching but they may have enough.

I love Mike Gillespie their coach. He is 74. Fired at USC and eventually landed at UCI. He is a fun kind of unorthodox. He used 4 outfielders against Conforto, two suicide squeezes in one inning, brought Morales in on effectively less than 2 days rest against OSU, used their number 3 guy in relief yesterday.

When someone asked him about pitching Morales twice - " I can only use the players I have dressed out. I'm trying to get to Omaha. Let's see, I have my Number 1 guy who says he has no problem throwing a few innings or a freshman with a double digit era. Which would you choose?"

Says they don't play small ball they just "take care of the details" to score runs.

Not a lot to not like. California is full of players that maybe aren't world beaters but they're well trained at the youth levels- and that helps the Cal-Irvine's, the Fullerton's, Long Beach State's, and Pepperdine's.

That's why I like and want us to continue recruiting out there- see Gavin Collins and Alex Detz.