Davis, Calif. — A 5-8 start to start the season, the UC Davis Baseball Team is gearing up for the gauntlet of the Big West.
Starting Friday, Mar. 17 at 2 P.M. PT, the Aggies are set to host CSUN with hopes of snapping their four-game skid. The three game series will span from Mar. 17-18. To deal with the predicted inclement weather heading towards Davis on Sunday, the Aggies will transition to a double-header on Saturday to ensure the entire series can be played out.
SERIES INFORMATION
UC DAVIS BASEBALL | GAMES 14-16
MARCH 17-18 | DOBBINS STADIUM | DAVIS, CALIF.
FRIDAY, 2 P.M. (ESPN + | LIVE STATS)
SATURDAY 11 A.M. (LIVE STATS)
SATURDAY 2:30 P.M. / 30 MINUTES AFTER PRIOR GAME (LIVE STATS)
**LIVE STREAMING LINK FOR SATURDAY STILL TBD
PROBABLE STARTERS
FRIDAY: UC DAVIS RHP ALEJANDRO HUEZO VS. CSUN RHP LUCAS BRAUN
SATURDAY: UC DAVIS LHP BRYAN GREEN VS. CSUN RHP THOMAS BAINTON
SUNDAY: UC DAVIS RHP ROWEN BARNES VS. CSUN RHP KENJI PALLARES
ABOUT THE AGGIES
Looking to turn things around, the Aggies enter league with a four game losing streak and will try to pick up a series win against the CSUN Matadors. Leading the Big West in fielding percentage, the Aggies new look team is still experiencing growing pains that come with a roster who for the most part is experiencing Division 1 baseball for the first time. Offensively and pitching wise, the Aggies have shown flashes of brilliance with a 20 run game on their resume, and a combined shutout from the staff. Still the Aggies need to combine these two elements together for 27 innings and maintain consistency for a whole series.
Coach Nicholson has continuously mentioned how proud he is that his young players have been able to perform so early into their careers with confidence. On the flip side, the Aggies as a whole could probably take some notes from the younger guys and play more freely during conference play. The Big West Freshman of the Year last season, Mark Wolbert started off 2023 scorching but has since found himself in a mini-rut. Possibly adding more pressure onto himself when facing a team of Arizona States stature, Wolbert is still recording an on base percentage of .426 and is undoubtedly the main cog in the Aggie offense who will be responsible turning things around in league. One of the most skilled players UC Davis has ever seen comparing right up their with recent draft pick Tanner Murray, Wolbert and the rest of the Aggies will take on the challenge of stringing together quality at bats and raise their 252nd nationally ranked batting average.
ABOUT CSUN
Led by first year head coach Eddie Cornejo, CSUN is off to a 9-3 start. Named the successor to legendary coach Dave Serrano, CSUN is a team that competes in all aspects of the game. A team fundamentally sound and reliant on being able to pitch and play defense, CSUN has also been scoring runs in bunches this season. Led by Graysen Tarlow who picked up a Big West Player of the Week earlier in the year, the Matadors are leading the conference in on base percentage and second in batting average.
Supplementing this offensive output, the Matadors have limited their opponents thanks in part to a shored up defense, and a pitching staff that allows the 23rd fewest hits per nine innings in the country. The Matadors enter the weekend winning their last two games.
NICKY STICKS
The sophomore from Newbury Park, Nick Leehey has fueled the Aggie offense till this point. Leading UC Davis in batting average, slugging percentage, and on base percentage, Leehey has started off 2023 slashing .333/.556/.444 while also accounting for the most runs on the team with 11.
The everyday shortstop from a season ago, Leehey has transitioned between third base and first base and as a result, has welcomed the challenge of being recognized as the prototype middle of the order "corner guy."
YOUNG BUCKS
Entering the season with development on the mind of the staff, the Aggies have had to accelerate that process and utilize some freshman early in the season to play big innings. While Joey Wright was slated to be the everyday shortstop from the jump, the play of Braydon Wooldridge and Ethan Kang has found the Aggies shuffling the lineup more than intended to mix and match depending on pitching matchups.
Kang like Wright, is as elite as they come defensively and has the makings of being one of the best outfielders UC Davis has seen in recent years. Slowly working towards playing time, Kang has taken that to the next level and already has been moved to center field due to his impact and ability to track down balls.
Wooldridge has shown in his time to be one of the toughest outs in the Aggie lineup. Receiving high remarks, the staff is excited for Braydon's future. Coach Nicholson has said, "He's someone that man, I can't wait to see what he looks like a year from now… He takes really good at bats." A complete competitor on the field, Wooldridge has even pitched an inning this year and looks to be a building block of the Aggies moving forward.
NEW FACES
The talk of the freshman doesn't diminish or overshadow the impact of some other new faces. At the head of those new faces is Alex Gouveia and Damian Stone who figure to be staples of the Aggie lineup during conference. Stone the speedy leadoff hitter who made his way to Davis after time at UC Santa Barbara and Ohlone, has shown when healthy, he is the engine of the offense.
Along with Stone, Gouveia has been as good as advertised. An All-Big 8 infielder a season ago at Modesto College, Gouveia is hitting .321 on the season and leads UC Davis with 17 hits. His offensive production paired with his defense up the middle with Wright has been "awesome" by coach Nicholson's standards.
GREEN MEANS GO
Saturday's have been the most successful days of the year for UC Davis. A lot of that can be contributed to Bryan Green and his ability to mow down hitters. Posting the lowest ERA among qualified pitchers for the Aggies, Green's 2.35 ERA and .83 WHIP have been a welcoming sight to see out of a staff that is still adjusting in the early season period. Posting a career high 11 strikeouts against Santa Clara, outside of his most recent outing against Arizona State, Green had only allowed one run in three appearances that all were six innings long.
Green has been the most consistent Aggie this season at holding the lead and giving his offense a chance to stack together scoring innings. He will continue this weekend as the Saturday starter.
KEEP CALM AND CARRION
An electric reliever and team leader, Danny Carrion is building in his first season as a full-time pitcher. Coach Tommy Nicholson ushered that "what we want to be able to do is get the ball in Daniel Carrion's hands with the lead." Running the radar gun up to the mid-90's and sitting consistently in the low-90's, Carrion has proven he can be the stopper UC Davis envisioned him to be when presented the opportunity. UC Davis will rely on him in high leverage situations and look to utilize him more with the Big West schedule.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Under the leadership of Tommy Nicholson the Aggies have already transformed their defense from a season ago. Currently leading the Big West in fielding percentage (.980), (albeit the Aggies have the fewest chances based on a shear numbers and games standpoint) UC Davis has seen practically a whole new lineup come together and improve a defense that finished in the bottom half of the league a season ago.
