UCSB’s Joey Epperson leads the country with a .462 batting average in 104 at bats. (Presidio Sports Photo)
The UCSB baseball team hosts Cal State Fullerton in Santa Barbara this weekend for a three-game Big West Conference series.
Typically a one-sided affair, this season could be different as its the first time that UCSB holds a higher national ranking than Fullerton when the two teams have met. The Gauchos will be looking for their first series win against the Titans since the 2007 season and the first series win at home against the Titans since 1985. Fullerton – a four-time national champion – leads the all-time series 101-37.
Heading into the weekend, UCSB is ranked No. 14 in the Collegiate Baseball poll while Fullerton (17-11, 2-1) is No. 15.
UCSB is 12-3 at home this season, its best home start since the 1984 season, when the Al Ferrer-led Gauchos were 14-1.
The key Big West matchup will pit the conference’s top offense against the conference’s top pitching staff. The Gauchos are scoring at a rate of 6.63 runs per game with a batting average of .307 and a slugging percentage of .417. Individually, UCSB boasts the nation’s top batter in Joey Epperson, who has a .462 batting average, and has the conference’s top home-run hitter in Tyler Kuresa, who has 10.
Meanwhile, Cal State Fullerton entered the week with a league-best 2.05 team ERA (sixth best nationwide) and 0.98 WHIP (third best nationwide) to go along with NCAA-leading strikeout-to-walk (5.62) and walks-per-game (1.48) ratios.
UCSB vs. Cal State Fullerton Schedule with Probable Starters
Friday, Apr. 11 at 3:00 p.m. — RHP Austin Pettibone (2-0, 5.11 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Eshelman (5-1, 1.43 ERA)
Saturday, Apr. 12 at 2:00 p.m. — RHP Shane Bieber (1-1, 3.12 ERA) vs. RHP Grahamm Wiest (2-3, 1.81 ERA)
Sunday, Apr. 13 at 1:00 p.m. — TBA vs. RHP Phil Bickford (3-1, 2.02 ERA)All games played at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium on the UCSB campus
Each game is being broadcast online HERE
