DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis baseball program on Tuesday officially announced its schedule for the 2024 season. The 54-game slate for the regular season features 26 games within the friendly confines of Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium.
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets and
Flexbooks are now available for purchase. Fans can head over to
ucdavisaggies.com/tickets, email aggietickets@ucdavis.edu, or call (530) 752-2471 for more information.
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The Aggies open up the 2024 campaign with a three-game home series against Seattle University from Feb. 16-18.
UC Davis will in fact, begin the 2024 season with eight-straight home games, with the highlight of non-conference play taking place the following weekend when the Aggies host Big 12 member, BYU from Feb. 22-24.
The first of the Aggies three tough away series in the non-conference segment of the season is a four-game clash with CBU in Riverside, spanning Mar. 1 to Mar. 3. A double-header awaits them on Saturday against the Lancers.
The following weekend the Aggies head down to Santa Clara to take on the Broncos from Mar. 8-10.
The final non-conference series for the Aggies is from Apr. 12-14 when UC Davis takes a trip down to Texas for a three-game series against Abilene Christian University.
Sprinkled in the non-conference slate is a bevy of midweek games. Midweek action this year will see the Aggies take on: Nevada, Pacific, Sacramento State, Utah Valley, San Francisco, and Saint Mary's.
CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
Over the course of the 11-week slate, UC Davis will play three series in March, three series in April, and round out the back half of the season with four series in May.
The upcoming season marks the last year of the current schedule format before the Big West will adopt a Post-Season Championship in 2025.
This year's Big West schedule begins with a three-game series against UC Irvine at Cicerone Field from Mar. 15-17. The Aggies also find themselves on the road during Big West play against CSUN, Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, and UC Riverside.
The first home series of the Big West schedule for UC Davis will run from Mar. 23-25 when the Aggies host last season's regular season champions, UC San Diego. The Aggies will also play host this season to Hawai'i, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, and Cal State Bakersfield.
TEAM INSIGHTS
The Aggies are ready to make some noise in the upcoming season, with a mix of experienced hitters and promising growth on the mound. The Aggies feature a deep and versatile lineup, highlighted by six returning players who have proven themselves at the D1 level. Among the crop of players who will be on everyone's radar for the Aggies is
Mark Wolbert.
A promising prospect who entered last season tabbed as the top MLB Draft prospect in the Big West for the 2024 season, Wolbert is a do-it-all outfielder with a knack for collecting hits. Possessing above average speed and arm strength, Wolbert should hold down the center field position again for the Aggies in
Tommy Nicholson's third year at the helm.
Alongside him in the outfield will be
Damian Stone, a great runner who can steal bases and score runs. With a good approach at the plate and known for for his ability to get on base, he also flashed some power out of the lead-off spot last season. Partially limited by a hamstring injury last season, he is fully healthy now and ready to showcase his talents yet again during his senior campaign.
A potential immediate impact freshman also apart of the outfield group is
Tyler Howard. The freshman outfielder is a spectacular athlete and has made strides a lot quicker than expected. A toolsy player with maybe the most pure speed on the entire Aggies team, Howard will get plenty of at bats this spring and could be a huge proponent of Nicholson's lineup.
ON THE MOUND
On the mound, the Aggies are led by left-handed pitcher
Bryan Green. Up to 94 mph with his fastball during the fall, he has improved his velocity every year. A true workhorse on the mound with the ability to go deep into ballgames he will be the ace of the staff and a leader for the young pitchers.
Among the group of young pitchers behind Green who should make an immediate impact,
Sal Batres,
Mason Lerma,
Carter Speights and newcomer
Noel Valdez all standout out as potential guys who should all see opportunities to eat up innings this season.
Batres figures to be a key bullpen piece with the chance to start games with a 90+ fastball and a deceiving slider. Although only a freshman, Batres is noted to be one of the most polished pitchers among the entire Aggie staff.
Valdez is a junior college transfer who also will be in line to get a lot of innings this spring. A proven strike thrower, Valdez relies on being able to keep hitters off balance with a three pitch mix. He will be a reliable starter for the Aggies who could pitch his way into many important situations this season.
Lerma and Speights while both young and inexperienced, could also be big pieces to the 2024 season and Aggies future. Speights has some of the most electric stuff on the team and could pitch himself into some high-leverage situations as the season progresses. Lerma on the other hand is an unassuming left-hander who has some of the best pitch ability on the team. Using command and deception, Lerma will be called on a lot during the Spring to get outs.
THE INFIELDERS
On the infield, the Aggies will be led by a combination of
Alex Gouveia,
Joey Wright and
Nick Leehey.
An all-league performer last season, Gouveia is the focal point of the Aggies infield on both sides of the ball. He will yet again, slot right into the heart of the Aggie lineup with his ability to spray linedrives to all parts of the field. Primarily playing second base last season, Gouveia is also capable of moving around, with the ability to play shortstop, and third base at a high level. He has very good ball security and makes few errors. Gouveia is a true team leader and high energy player who makes everyone around him better. Slashing .313 last season with 20 doubles, he will look to repeat that performance yet again.
Alongside Gouveia, the Aggies will lean on the production of
Nick Leehey in the batter's box and the tempo-setting of
Joey Wright.
Leehey may very well see time all over the field this season. With the ability to play anywhere on the infield and both corner outfield positions, He is one of the best pure hitters in the Aggie lineup who has showcased since his freshman days the ability to the ball to both gaps and hit for pull power. With his positional versatility and competitiveness at the plate, he is a valuable asset for the team, as he can fill any role and provide depth.
Wright is one of the most exciting players in the country to watch. A slick-fielding shortstop, he is what scouts call, "a plus plus defender." Possessing great instincts and baseball IQ all over the field, he uses this on both offense and defense. At the plate, Wright is a true tempo-setter with a very good eye at the plate. After setting and set a school record for walks as a freshman, Wright will look to pair this with some newfound power to be a consistent threat atop the Aggie order.
UC DAVIS BASEBALL 2024 SCHEDULE
Feb. 16-18: Seattle University
Feb. 20: Nevada
Feb. 22-24: BYU
Feb. 27: Pacific
Mar. 1-3: CBU
Mar. 5: Sacramento State
Mar. 8-10: Santa Clara
Mar. 11: Utah Valley
Mar. 15-17: UC Irvine
Mar. 23-25: UC San Diego
Mar. 26: Sacramento State
Mar. 28-30: CSUN
Apr. 5-7: Hawai'i
Apr. 9: San Francisco
Apr. 12-14: Abilene Christian University
Apr. 16: Pacific
Apr. 19-21: UC Santa Barbara
Apr. 23: Saint' Mary's
Apr. 26-28: Cal Poly
Apr. 30: Sacramento State
May 3-5: Long Beach State
May 10-12: Cal State Fullerton
May 14: San Francisco
May 17-19: UC Riverside
May 23-25: Cal State Bakersfield
To view the entire 2024 schedule, click
HERE
