2026 UC Irvine Anteaters baseball team

2026 UC Irvine Anteaters baseball
ConferenceBig West Conference
Record9–11 (1–5 Big West)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Ryan Johnston (4th season)
  • Erich Pfohl (3rd season)
  • CJ Yogi (3rd season)
Hitting coachJ.T. Bloodworth (8th season)
Pitching coachDaniel Bibona (14th season)
Home stadiumCicerone Field
2026 Big West Conference baseball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
UC Santa Barbara  ‍‍‍ 3 – 0   1.000 12 – 2   .857
Cal Poly  ‍‍‍ 3 – 0   1.000 8 – 7   .533
Cal State Northridge  ‍‍‍ 2 – 1   .667 9 – 6   .600
UC Davis  ‍‍‍ 2 – 1   .667 7 – 8   .467
Cal State Fullerton  ‍‍‍ 2 – 1   .667 6 – 9   .400
UC Irvine  ‍‍‍ 1 – 2   .333 9 – 7   .563
Cal State Bakersfield  ‍‍‍ 1 – 2   .333 6 – 10   .375
UC Riverside  ‍‍‍ 1 – 2   .333 4 – 12   .250
UC San Diego  ‍‍‍ 0 – 0   – 4 – 10   .286
Hawai'i  ‍‍‍ 0 – 3   .000 8 – 7   .533
Long Beach State  ‍‍‍ 0 – 3   .000 4 – 11   .267
† – Conference champion
‡ – Tournament champion
y – Invited to the NCAA tournament
As of March 9, 2026[1]
Rankings from D1Baseball


The 2026 UC Irvine Anteaters baseball team represent the University of California, Irvine during the 2026 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Anteaters will play their home games at Cicerone Field as a member of the Big West Conference. They are led by head coach Ben Orloff in his eighth season as manager. The top five teams in the Big West Conference will play in the conference's postseason tournament, with the winner receiving the automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA tournament. It was announced on January 9, 2026, that head coach Ben Orloff signed a 5-year contract extension, keeping him with the team until the end of the 2030 season.[2]

Previous season

See also: 2025 UC Irvine Anteaters baseball team

Last season, UC Irvine finished with a 43–17 record, going 24–6 in the Big West, and finishing first in the conference. They fell in the conference championship in back-to-back games against Cal Poly.[3] They received an at-large bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, along with conference tournament champion Cal Poly. The Anteaters went 2–2 in NCAA tournament play, falling to UCLA in the regional finals 5–8.[4] UC Irvine finished the season ranked 25th in the nation by D1Baseball.com and 23rd by the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Preseason

Big West Preseason Poll & Team

The Big West Coaches' Poll and Team was released on February 6, 2026. UC Irvine was predicted to finish third in the conference, and had two players make the preseason team.[5]

Coaches' Poll
Pos. Team Points
1 UC Santa Barbara 95 (5)
2 Cal Poly 89 (5)
3 UC Irvine 86 (1)
T-4 Cal State Fullerton 67
Hawai'i
6 UC San Diego 60
7 Long Beach State 41
8 UC Davis 40
9 CSUN 25
10 Cal State Bakersfield 22
11 UC Riverside 13
Preseason Coaches' Team
Player No. Position Class
Trevor Hansen 28 RHP Junior
Ricky Ojeda 13 LHP Junior

Personnel

Starters

Lineup
Pos. No. Player. Year
C 50 Efren Ortega Sophomore
1B 25 Alonso Reyes RS Junior
2B 26 Noah Alvarez Senior
3B 5 James Castagnola RS Junior
SS 36 Zach Fjelstad Junior
LF 9 Rowan Felsch Senior
CF 2 Tommy Farmer Junior
RF 23 Frankie Carney RS Junior
DH 21 Landon Gaz Junior
Weekend pitching rotation
Day No. Player. Year
Friday 28 Trevor Hansen Junior
Saturday 13 Ricky Ojeda Junior
Sunday 41 Cade Castles Freshman

Roster

Source:[6]

2026 UC Irvine Anteaters baseball team
Players Coaches
# Pos. Name B/T Height Weight Year Home town
1 INF Theo Kim S/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) So Rancho Bernardo, CA
2 OF Tommy Farmer R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jr Santa Monica, CA
4 OF Davis D'Errico R/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS So Los Alamitos, CA
5 INF James Castagnola R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Jr San Diego, CA
8 INF Dylan Hillman R/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) So Danville, CA
9 OF Rowan Felsch L/L 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Palo Alto, CA
10 OF Zach Doyle L/L 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) RS Fr Ladera Ranch, CA
11 RHP Jack Ross R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Huntington Beach, CA
12 OF Kai Smith R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Danville, CA
13 LHP Ricky Ojeda L/L 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jr Valencia, CA
14 RHP Danny Suarez R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Sr Trabuco Canyon, CA
15 RHP Finnegan Wall R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Sr Hesperia, CA
16 C Michael Podstreleny L/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Fr San Diego, CA
17 LHP Dane Grant L/L 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS So San Juan Capistrano, CA
18 C Zach Crandall R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 200 lb (91 kg) RS Sr Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
20 RHP Tim Grack R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS So Fountain Valley, CA
21 UTL Landon Gaz R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Jr Moorpark, CA
22 RHP David Butler R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Riverside, CA
23 INF Frankie Carney L/R 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) RS Jr San Diego, CA
24 INF Auggie Gutierrez R/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Jr Yorba Linda, CA
25 UTL Alonso Reyes L/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Jr Inglewood, CA
26 INF Noah Alvarez L/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Chino, CA
27 LHP Brandon Luu L/L 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS So Irvine, CA
28 RHP Trevor Hansen R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr Simi Valley, CA
30 RHP Peyton Rodgers R/R 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) So Solana Beach, CA
31 INF Lucas Schermer R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 198 lb (90 kg) Fr Hermosa Beach, CA
32 LHP Zane Nordquist L/L 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Oceanside, CA
33 RHP Tyler Foster R/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Carlsbad, CA
34 INF Cole Clark L/R 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Huntington Beach, CA
35 C Connor Dietsch R/R 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 198 lb (90 kg) RS Jr Mission Viejo, CA
36 INF Zach Fjelstad L/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Coto de Caza, CA
37 RHP Julian Custer R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS So San Diego, CA
38 OF Daniel Polasek L/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Martinez, CA
40 RHP Hunter Manning L/R 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Fr Valencia, CA
41 RHP Cade Castles R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Davis, CA
42 LHP Ryder Brooks L/L 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) RS Jr Fountain Valley, CA
44 UTL Alex Schmidt R/R 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Sherman Oaks, CA
45 LHP Jaxton Andeel L/L 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Placentia, CA
50 C Efren Ortega R/R 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Sylmar, CA
55 RHP Alex Umland R/R 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Fr Los Angeles, CA
Head coach

Ben Orloff

Assistant coach(es)

Daniel Bibona
J.T. Bloodworth
Ryan Johnston

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: January 19, 2026

Schedule

Source:[7]

Legend
  Anteaters win
  Anteaters loss
  Postponement
Bold Anteaters team member
2026 UC Irvine Anteaters baseball game log (9–11)
Regular Season (9–11)
March (1–7)
Date Time
(PST) 		TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall BWC
Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic
March 1 3:00 p.m. D1Baseball vs. Arizona* — Las Vegas Ballpark
Las Vegas, Nevada		 1–7 Fladda (1–0) Castles (0–2) None 5,304 8–4 —
March 3 6:00 p.m. B1G+ at USC* — Dedeaux Field
Los Angeles, California		 4–6 Fausset (2–0) Brooks (0–1) Matson (1) 598 8–5 —
March 6 6:00 p.m. ESPN+ Cal State Northridge — Cicerone Field
Irvine, California		 4–5 Voorhies (1–0) Manning (0–1) None 675 8–6 0–1
March 7 1:00 p.m. ESPN+ Cal State Northridge — Cicerone Field 4–2 Grack (2–0) Johnson (2–2) None 627 9–6 1–1
March 8 1:00 p.m. ESPN+ Cal State Northridge — Cicerone Field 2–9 Turner (1–0) Brooks (0–2) None 697 9–7 1–2
March 10 6:00 p.m. B1G+ at No. 1 UCLA* — Jackie Robinson Field
Pasadena, California		 1–11 (7) Cervantes (1–0) Castles (0–3) None 544 9–8 —
March 13 6:30 p.m. ESPN+ at Cal State Fullerton — Goodwin Field
Fullerton, California		 3–8 Negrete (3–1) Grack (2–1) None 1,008 9–9 1–3
March 14 5:00 p.m. ESPN+ at Cal State Fullerton — Goodwin Field 5–9 Smith (1–2) Ojeda (1–2) None 1,125 9–10 1–4
March 15 1:00 p.m. ESPN+ at Cal State Fullerton — Goodwin Field 6–8 Wright (2–1) Brooks (0–3) None 821 9–11 1–5
March 20 6:00 p.m. ESPN+ No. 17 Oregon State* — Cicerone Field — — — — — — —
March 21 1:00 p.m. ESPN+ No. 17 Oregon State* — Cicerone Field — — — — — — —
March 22 1:00 p.m. ESPN+ No. 17 Oregon State* — Cicerone Field — — — — — — —
March 24 6:00 p.m. Mountain West Network at San Diego State* — Tony Gwynn Stadium
San Diego, California		 — — — — — — —
March 27 6:05 p.m. ESPN+ at Long Beach State — Blair Field
Long Beach, California		 — — — — — — —
March 28 6:05 p.m. — at Long Beach State — Blair Field — — — — — — —
March 29 1:05 p.m. ESPN+ at Long Beach State — Blair Field — — — — — — —
March 31 6:00 p.m. ESPN+ UCLA* — Cicerone Field — — — — — — —
Postseason (0–0)
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from D1Baseball. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific.
Notes
  1. ^ While initially scheduled for February 15 at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN+, the game was moved to February 14 on WAC International as a doubleheader due to impending weather.
  2. ^ While initially scheduled for February 17 at 6:00 p.m., the game was moved to February 18 at 6:00 p.m. due to impending weather.

Awards

Preseason

National team

Preseason Perfect Game All-American First Team[9]
Player No. Position Class
Ricky Ojeda 13 LHP Junior
Preseason NCBWA All-American First Team[10]
Player No. Position Class
Ricky Ojeda 13 LHP Junior
Preseason D1Baseball All-American Third Team[11]
Player No. Position Class
Ricky Ojeda 13 LHP Junior
Golden Spikes Award Watchlist[12]
Player No. Position Class
Ricky Ojeda 13 LHP Junior

Conference

D1Baseball Big West Preseason Awards[13]
Honor Player No. Position Class
Freshman of the Year Cade Castles 41 RHP Freshman
Pitcher of the Year Ricky Ojeda 13 LHP Junior

Rankings

Main article: 2026 NCAA Division I baseball rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
Coaches'[14]RVRV*—RV—
Baseball America[15]—————
NCBWA†[16]RVRVRVRV—
D1Baseball[17]—————
Perfect Game[18]—————

† NCBWA ranks 30 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 25 teams weekly during the season.
* A new poll was not released for this week, so for comparison purposes, the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.

References

  1. ^ "Big West Conference". D1Baseball.com. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
  2. ^ Roberts-Croteau, Alex. "Ben Orloff Signs Contact Extension with UC Irvine Baseball". UCI Athletics. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  3. ^ Marburg, Oliver (May 30, 2025). "How Cal Poly Baseball finally overcame Big West regular season champion UC Irvine". Mustang News. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  4. ^ "UCLA baseball defeats UC Irvine, makes 1st super regional in 6 years". Daily Bruin. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  5. ^ "UC Santa Barbara Favored to Win The Big West in 2026 Baseball Preseason Poll". bigwest.org. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  6. ^ "2026 Baseball Roster".
  7. ^ "2026 Baseball Schedule".
  8. ^ "2026 Big West Baseball Championship". Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  9. ^ "Preseason Collegiate All-Americans". Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  10. ^ "NCBWA unveils 2026 Preseason All-America Team". Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  11. ^ "2026 D1Baseball Preseason All-Americans". Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  12. ^ "Golden Spikes Award Watch List". Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  13. ^ "2026 Big West Season Preview". Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  14. ^ "2026-27 Baseball Coaches Poll". www.sportsdata.usatoday.come. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  15. ^ "College Baseball Top 25 Rankings". www.baseballamerica.com. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  16. ^ "LSU tops 2026 NCBWA Preseason Poll". sportswriters.net. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  17. ^ "2026 D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 Rankings". d1baseball.com. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  18. ^ "2026 Preseason Top 25". perfectgame.org. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
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