The defending Big West champion UC Irvine baseball team will kick off a new season with its annual Ants vs. Eaters intrasquad series at Anteater Ballpark. The first game of the series starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, and is sponsored by El Cholo Mexican restaurant, which will be giving out free tacos to all fans after the initial pitch. Also, UCI Athletics will provide free Home Run Hankies to the first 100 people attending. The hankies are good for 10 percent off at El Cholo after all UCI baseball home games during the 2010 season. The Anteaters play additional intrasquad games Nov. 20 and 21.   More »

The UC Irvine men's basketball team kicks off its 2009-10 season Friday with a 7:30 p.m. game against the University of La Verne at the Bren Events Center. To rally support and raise Anteater spirit, UCI Athletics will host a pregame tailgate party on the basketball courts behind the center, starting at 5 p.m. While a DJ spins tunes, Associated Students of UCI will provide 300 free barbecue meals for students, and free kettle corn and cotton candy will be available for everyone. In addition, UCI Athletics staffers will distribute 2,500 free 'Eater Nation T-shirts. At 5 p.m., the UCI women's team plays San Diego State at the Bren Center.   More »

The "Clash of the Cans" food drive competition between UC Irvine and California State University, Long Beach will kick off Monday, Nov. 2. Sponsored by the parking and athletics departments at both institutions, the drive is part of the Black and Blue rivalry series, allowing UCI donors to demonstrate Anteater pride while helping the needy. All food collected through Friday, Dec. 18, will be donated to the Orange County Food Bank. Look for collection bins at parking kiosks, the main parking office, Crawford Hall and, during sports events, the Bren Events Center. Donation bags will be available at all parking kiosks during the campaign. Full bags returned with a business card or email address attached will make donors eligible for prize drawings.   More »

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the UC Irvine women’s volleyball team will dedicate its Oct. 24 home game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to the fight against the disease. As part of this "Dig for the Cure" campaign, UCI Athletics is collecting pledges for every dig made by Anteater players during the match, which starts at 7 p.m. in Crawford Court. The team also will wear pink jerseys and encourages fans to don pink to support the cause. Pledges can be made in advance at www.ucirvinesports.com/digforthecure.   More »

The defending NCAA championship men's volleyball team kicks off its 2009-10 campaign by hosting the UC Irvine World Volleyball Challenge Oct. 9 and 10 at the Bren Events Center. The tournament – the first of its kind in the U.S. – will feature some of the world's finest professional players from top-level teams in Argentina, South Korea and the Netherlands. Semifinal games will be played at 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, with bronze and championship matches taking place at the same times Saturday.   More »

Paula Weishoff (pictured) is one of the most accomplished American volleyball players ever and a rising collegiate coaching star, and in her first year at UC Irvine, she has led the women's team to its first top-25 national ranking in more than 20 years. The Anteaters have entered Big West Conference play with a strong shot at making the NCAA tournament, but Weishoff - a Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee - has bigger goals in mind. "Making the NCAA tournament will be the first step in putting UCI women's volleyball on the map," she says. "After that, it'll be going to the Sweet 16, and then to the Final Four. It's something we will be striving for."   More »

UC Irvine senior Jane Chin was named Duramed National Golf Coaches Association First Team All-American after placing 16th in the NCAA championship May 22 – the highest finish by an Anteater. Chin becomes the second Anteater to gain NGCA All-American honors and the first to earn first team distinction. Chin also was awarded NGCA All-West Region distinction. Overall, the UCI women’s golf team finished in 22nd place at the NCAA championship at Caves Valley Golf Club.   More »

UC Irvine’s women’s rowers made school history May 9 by winning the grand final at the 71st annual Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Heather Conniff (coxswain), Ashley Fee (stroke), Alex Bolt (3), Elizabeth Nguyen (2) and Allison Baker (bow) became the first UCI crew to finish first at Dad Vail, the largest collegiate regatta in the United States. More than 100 colleges and universities from the U.S. and Canada compete at the regatta. UCI beat rowers from Brock University, Drake University, Stetson University, University of Tulsa and Jacksonville University in the women’s varsity heavyweight four final with a time of 7:36.36.   More »

UC Irvine men’s volleyball fans gathered at the Bren Events Center Monday, May 4, to support the Anteaters as they headed off to Provo, Utah, to compete in the national championship semifinals. The Anteaters will play Ohio State Thursday, May 7; a victory will place them in the championship match Saturday, May 9. The send-off began a weeklong ’Eater Nation celebration as the players seek to reclaim the championship trophy they won in 2007.   More »

Anteater baseball fans are encouraged to vote for shortstop Ben Orloff for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS award, which honors senior student-athletes who excel in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition. Voting for the 10 finalists concludes May 31. Fan balloting and votes from coaches, media and sponsors will determine the award recipient. Orloff, UCI’s team captain, was chosen by Rivals.com as one of the top returning senior baseball players in the country. A criminology, law & society major, he makes an impact off the field by tutoring sixth-grade students and serving as a teacher’s aid at an Irvine elementary school.   More »

For the first time in its history, UC Irvine baseball is ranked No. 1 in the country in the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Division I polls. The Anteaters vaulted to the top spot after sweeping UC Riverside over the weekend; they are 11-1 in Big West Conference play and 26-10 overall. In addition, the men’s volleyball team remains No. 1 in the country after winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title with its victory over Pacific Saturday. This week marks the first time two UCI teams have been ranked No. 1 concurrently.   More »

UC Irvine athletics program is enjoying phenomenal success this spring with three of its teams ranked in the nation’s top 10. The men’s volleyball squad regained the top ranking after sweeping former No. 1 Pepperdine in three games April 11 before a season-high 2,587 fans at the Bren Events Center. The Anteater baseball team, following a three-game sweep of Long Beach State April 9-11, ascended to No. 3 in the Baseball America poll, tying the program’s highest ranking ever. And the women’s water polo team, which remains undefeated in Big West conference play, is ranked ninth in the nation.   More »

The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team continues its march toward a second national championship in three years with a convincing victory over No. 1 Pepperdine April 11. The No. 2 Anteaters swept aside the Waves 30-29, 30-24, 30-22 on senior night at the Bren Events Center before a season-high 2,587 fans. UCI improves to 22-4 overall and moves into a first-place tie in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation standings with Pepperdine at 17-3. With one week remaining in the regular season, UCI is guaranteed to host an MPSF tournament quarterfinal match April 25; the tournament championship wins a spot in the Final Four in Provo, Utah.   More »

The Anteaters paid a spirited visit to patients at Children's Hospital of Orange County Jan. 29, the first in a series of visits scheduled this year. "Our visit was really eye-opening and gave us all a perspective on what's really important in life," said senior Ben Orloff. "I will never forget the kids we were lucky enough to meet. It was an experience I will take with me the rest of my life." A strategic affiliation among CHOC Children's, UC Irvine Healthcare and UC Irvine School of Medicine took effect Jan. 1 to better serve children and families. The baseball team visits are one more example of the blending of Anteater and CHOCO bear cultures. (From left, Anteaters Jeff Cusick, Tyler Hoechlin and DJ Crumlich visit with CHOC patient. Photo by Erik Wirtanen)   More »

UC Irvine alumnus Nick Scandone ’90, who became a world champion sailor while battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, died in his Fountain Valley home Jan. 2 at age 42. Scandone was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, six years ago, but the paralyzing disease didn’t deter him from achieving his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal in sailing. He won the medal three months ago at the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Regatta in Quindao, China. Scandone is survived by his wife, Mary Kate; father Vincent Scandone Sr.; and brother Vincent "Rocky" Scandone.   More »

Paula Weishoff, a three-time Olympian and USA Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee, has been named head coach of the UC Irvine women's volleyball program. "I'm very excited about this opportunity as UC Irvine has great potential," said Weishoff. "The university is a strong supporter of the program and I look forward to enhancing the involvement of the students and community." Weishoff previously was head coach at Concordia University in Irvine, where her teams reached two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national finals and two semifinals during her five-year tenure.   More »

It wasn't quite the Olympics, but it was a volleyball game with medals. And the perennial powerhouse -- the Department of Environmental Health & Safety -- took the gold Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the UC Irvine Campus Recreation Department Staff Volleyball League championships. EH&S defeated the Department of Chemistry in both games (25-21 and 25-23) in front of participants at the 2008 Staff Assembly Picnic in Aldrich Park. It was chemistry’s first appearance in the finals. This year, 23 teams and more than 200 players signed up for the season, which began in July. The two other teams in the semi-finals were physics and astronomy, and mechanical aerospace engineers.

Molly Goodenbour has been named head women’s basketball coach at UC Irvine. Goodenbour, who received a four-year contract, becomes the seventh women's coach in the program's history. “Molly is a proven winner with championship experience,” said Athletic Director Mike Izzi. “She is a successful head coach and I look forward to her developing the UC Irvine program into a Big West Conference and national contender.” Goodenbour, 36, comes to UCI after two successful seasons at Chico State, where she compiled a 52-11 record.   More »

Michael Izzi, associate athletic director for sports administration and development at Stanford University, has been named intercollegiate athletics director at UC Irvine, effective Jan. 1, 2008. Izzi, 47, will be responsible for the overall management of UCI’s 23-sport intercollegiate athletics program and the Bren Events Center. Izzi received his bachelor’s in sociology from UCLA in 1984. He competed in track and field for the Bruins and ranks fifth all-time at UCLA in the javelin throw with a mark of 251-11 set in 1983. In his 16 years at Stanford, he was the primary supervisor for several sports and developed and implemented fundraising and annual giving strategies.   More »

UC Irvine senior two-meter man Tim Hutten has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, given annually to the outstanding male and female collegiate water polo players in the nation as voted by the coaches of the Division I universities. Hutten, who was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s Player of the Year, scored 75 goals this season and led the nation with an average of 3.75 goals per game. He received this year's "Vellekamp Award" scholarship at UCI. The Cutino award honors the late Peter J. Cutino, former University of California and The Olympic Club coach, who passed away in September 2004. The female finalists will be named in May.   More »

UC Irvine outside hitter Kari Pestolesi has been named the Division I West Region Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Pestolesi, the first UCI women’s volleyball player to earn the honor, also garnered AVCA All-West Region honorable mention accolades, the lone freshman among 17 juniors and seniors to be selected in the region.   More »

Mike Gillespie was formally introduced as UCI’s new head baseball coach Tuesday, Oct. 9, at a press conference in the Newkirk Pavilion at Anteater Ballpark. Gillespie, 67, served as head coach of the University of Southern California’s baseball team for 20 seasons before retiring in 2006, leading the Trojans to four College World Series and winning the 1998 national title. Gillespie replaces former head coach Dave Serrano, who resigned from UCI to coach at CSU Fullerton. Gillespie spent last season coaching a class-A team for the New York Yankees. He signed a three-year contract with UCI.   More »

Environmental Heath & Safety's Spiked Punch volleyball team captured UC Irvine's department staff volleyball championship Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the annual staff picnic in Aldrich Park. Spiked Punch defeated Physics & Astronomy (25-18, 25-19) to take home its first title since the volleyball league started in 1995. The league, open to faculty and staff, is held every summer at the Anteater Recreation Center. This summer, 23 UCI departments and more than 160 staff and faculty members competed in the league.   More »

Rivals.com has placed UC Irvine baseball No. 2 among the “Top 10 Rising Programs” in the nation. UCI made its first Division I College World Series appearance after the team posted an unblemished 5-0 record in regional and super regional action. In Omaha, the Anteaters became the first team to win back-to-back, extra-inning games, emerging victorious from the longest game played in CWS history when they defeated Cal State Fullerton in five hours and 40 minutes. The Anteaters finished the season with 47 wins, the most in UCI’s Division I history. Head coach Dave Serrano was named Baseball America’s National Coach of the Year.   More »

On the strength of an amazing spring sports season, UC Irvine has received the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association All-Sports Trophy for 2006-07. The annual award is given to the best all-around sports program in Division I-AAA (non-football schools). The Anteaters were led by their national championship in men’s volleyball (pictured) and their third place showing in baseball. UCI also scored in women’s golf (19th), men’s swimming (25th), women’s tennis and swimming (33rd) and men’s golf (58th).   More »

Dave Serrano, head coach of UC Irvine’s baseball team, has been named Baseball America’s 2007 Coach of the Year. Serrano captained the Anteaters to the program's first Division I College World Series appearance, going 2-2 in Omaha. He led the Anteaters to a school record 47-17-1 mark and a No. 4 final national ranking. During its postseason run, UCI defeated perennial powers Texas, Wichita State, Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State. Serrano is 114-66-1 overall at UCI, recording his 100th career victory against Pacific May 12.   More »

Anteaters Junior Bryan Petersen made the College World Series All-Tournament team. One of three all-tournament outfielders, Petersen batted .533 in four CWS games and led the Anteaters to a 2-2 record in the tournament with eight hits, including a double and a triple. He joins six Oregon State players, three North Carolina players and one Rice player in the honor. Petersen was UCI’s highest draft pick this season, a fourth-round selection by the Florida Marlins. He finished the season with a .323 overall average and totaled 73 hits and 38 RBI. Petersen totaled 27 stolen bases to finish second in the UCI season records. The Anteaters ended a historic season with the highest number of wins in the program’s Division I history at 47-17-1.   More »

UC Irvine men's volleyball team visited the White House June 18, where they were honored for winning the NCAA Championship and treated to a talk by President George W. Bush that ended with a phrase they know well: "Go Anteaters!" The team, accompanied by Chancellor Michael V. Drake, met the president and had a formal photo taken with him before joining 18 other national championship teams on the South Lawn for an address. President Bush told the crowd about some of the different mascots that were represented by the teams and ended his address with, "and we even have Anteaters. Go Anteaters!" Team captains Brian Thornton and Jayson Jablonsky presented the president with a team jersey as well as a stuffed Anteater.   More »

UC Irvine is represented by 25 student-athletes on the Academic All-Big West Conference Team for spring sports. To be eligible, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.2 grade point average, complete one full year at their institution and compete in 50 percent of the team contests. A total of 152 student-athletes from the eight member Big West institutions received the honor. UCI’s honorees are: men’s golf, Brian Edick; men’s tennis, Victor Lamm; women’s tennis, Ali Borowicz and Jessica Broadfoot; men’s track & field, Ricky Barnes, Aaron Corbett, Adrian Doty, Matt Grilli (pictured), Ryan Hershey, Storm Huie, Shawn Maghzi, George Morris, Nick Mosey and Eric Nyberg; women’s track & field, Lauren Collins, Samantha Costantini, Tayler Cusick, Elaine Gillespie, Amber Gordon, Erinn Kim, Candice Proctor, Corica Rodgers, Jamie Schwab, Kristen Silverman and Sharitie Williams.   More »

UC Irvine senior sailors Frank Tybor and Whitney Loufek were named Intercollegiate Sailing Association All-Americans. Tybor was named to the coed All-American team for the third time in his career. Loufek was named to the honorable mention team after finishing second in the A division at the women's nationals. Coach Mike Pinckney's UCI program finished fourth at the ICSA Coed National Championship and sixth at the women's nationals.   More »

Nine UCI baseball players were honored on the Easton Big West All-Conference teams, giving the Anteaters the most honorees in a single season since becoming a member of the Big West in 1985. Headlining the list are senior Cody Cipriano, junior Taylor Holiday and sophomore Scott Gorgen, who were tabbed all-first team selections. Juniors Tyler Vaughn and Wes Etheridge, and sophomores Ben Orloff and Ollie Linton (pictured) were all first-time honorees and voted to the second team. Junior Aaron Lowenstein and freshman Sean Madigan were named honorable mention to round out the list for the Anteaters.   More »

UC Irvine women’s tennis head coach Mike Edles has been named the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s West Region Coach of the Year following a season that included the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship. Edles, who also was named Big West Conference Coach of the Year, led the Anteaters to a 21-5 overall record, including a 7-0 mark against Big West Conference opponents during the regular season. The Anteaters were ranked nationally as high as No. 28 and entered the NCAA Championship ranked No. 34. They were defeated in the NCAA first round. The 21-win season is tied for the fourth highest in school history and the most since 1983.   More »

Freshman Jeff Cusick hit his first career grand slam Sunday, May 13, to highlight UC Irvine's dramatic eight-run comeback in the ninth inning and lead the Anteaters to an 11-8 win over Pacific at Klein Family Field in Stockton. The Anteaters, who have won 11 series this season, improved to 34-14-1 overall and 10-5 in the Big West while Pacific dropped to 13-40 overall (1-17 Big West). The Anteaters travel to Pepperdine Tuesday, May 15, for a non-conference game. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.   More »

The UC Irvine campus community celebrated the men’s volleyball national championship with a rally attended by several hundred people outside Aldrich Hall Wednesday. Chancellor Michael Drake, who donned an NCAA championship T-shirt and cap, congratulated the team as did Executive Vice Chancellor Michael Gottfredson and Athletic Director Bob Chichester. Head coach John Speraw addressed the crowd saying, “From the reception at the airport (Sunday) to this celebration, everything has been absolutely incredible. I have been a part of national championships before and this is the greatest gathering I have been to.” Team captain Brian Thornton presented Drake and Gottfredson with volleyballs signed by the team members prior to the unveiling of the NCAA-championship trophy. UCI defeated IPFW 3-1 in the NCAA final last Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. The Anteater volleyball team finished the season with a 29-5 overall record, setting a school record for single-season victories.   More »

Four UC Irvine men's volleyball players were named Wednesday to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America team, including middle blocker David Smith, who earned first-team accolades. UCI's four selections were the most by any team in the country. Smith, a senior, leads the nation in hitting percentage (.558) and is sixth in blocking (1.38). Seniors Matt Webber, Jayson Jablonsky and Brian Thornton were named to the second team. The second-ranked Anteaters, 27-5 on the season, face Penn State in a semifinal match at the NCAA Championship Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT in Columbus, Ohio. It will be carried on ESPNU.   More »