Davis, Calif. — A win Tuesday night on the road at Pacific, the Aggies enter the weekend with an opportunity to climb up a spot in the Big West rankings on their home field. Tommy Nicholson's squad finds themselves ranked ninth among the competitive Big West and after being swept on the road this past weekend by UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis can climb to eighth if they are able to return the favor to Cal Poly and sweep them at Dobbins Stadium.
UC Davis (15-25, 5-13 Big West) vs. Cal Poly (14-28, 8-13 Big West)
DATES AND TIMES
- Friday, May 5 @ 2:30 P.M. PT
- Saturday, May 6 @ 1:00 P.M. PT
- Sunday, May 7 @ 1:00 P.M. PT
STADIUM
- Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium, Davis, Calif.
TV/ONLINE
- All three games will be streamed on ESPN+
- Live Stats provided by UC Davis Athletics
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game 1
UC Davis - LHP Bryan Green (4-1, 4.21 ERA, 57.2 IP, 24 BB, 41 SO)
Game 2
UC Davis - RHP Carter Delaney (0-3, 5.05 ERA, 35.2 IP, 17 BB, 28 SO)
Game 3
UC Davis - TBD
ABOUT THE AGGIES
UC Davis' record reflects a competitive team that is capable of playing well against tough competition. With room for improvement as the Aggies take part in the latter half of their schedule, growth and stacking of wins in the coming weeks will pay dividends down the line for a team that is on an upward trajectory with hopes of competing in the upper echelon of the Big West. With games against some strong opponents, including teams from the Pac-12 conference and other highly ranked programs, making their season a challenging one, the Aggies have never gave in. The team instead has been able to hold their own, with many closely contested games decided by only one or two runs. While their record is a mix of wins and losses, the team has shown an ability to beat top-level competition, particularly at their home field, Dobbins Stadium. A competitive and resilient group that is constantly striving to improve and challenge themselves, some guys spearheading that as of late include Nick Leehey, Jack Gallagher, Danny Carrion, and Alex Gouveia.
Leehey and Gallagher have been swinging the bats well lately and are poised to finish 2023 among tops in multiple Aggie hitting categories. Gallagher who leads the team in RBIs, has a six game hitting streak and is maybe the most feared Aggie in the lineup with his double digit home run count. Leehey on the other hand is also carrying a standout hitting streak, he has recorded five straight games with two hits, giving him 10 hits over his last five games, raising his average to .295 which ranks second among teammates.
The other core components of this team include Danny Carrion and Alex Gouveia who have been spectacular all season long. Gouveia leads all Aggies in multi-hit games with 19 and has been the doubles leader in the Big West for the entirety of the season. Carrion has been the consistent presence on the pitching side of the ball with a team low 1.93 ERA and his ability to enter games late and be a stopper.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Led by Larry Lee, the Mustangs are fueled by a quartet of hitters hitting .300 or better with Ryan Fenn and his team-high .352 batting average pacing the Big West's second ranked team in total hits. Reeling as of late, the Aggies are looking to pounce on the Mustangs recent week's struggles, which included losing all three games in a series against UC San Diego with scores of 5-1, 8-6, and 7-6, followed by a narrow 4-3 loss at Pepperdine on Tuesday. As a team, the Mustangs are not to be slept on, as they still possess a veteran led squad full of talent. The team is hitting .281 on the year, limit their strikeouts, and limit their mistakes defensively. Pitching wise, the Mustangs have a team ERA of 5.98 and strikeout opposing hitters at a high clip.
UP NEXT
While attention is all on this weekend's series, the Aggies will turn around next Tuesday and wrap up their Causeway series with Sacramento State on the road for a 6:00 P.M. contest.
