‘Eaters’ Gorgen honored

UC Irvine pitcher Scott Gorgen has been named to the Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-America team.

Gorgen, the Big West Conference Freshman Pitcher of the Year, was 7-5 and led the starting staff with a 2.54 ERA.

He made 19 appearances, 17 starts, and compiled 110 innings. He struck out 87, walked 33 and allowed 93 hits, limiting opponents to a .234 batting average.

He posted eight strikeouts on four occasions.

The right-hander made his first collegiate start in the opening series against then-No. 25-ranked California and yielded an unearned run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings to record the win.

Gorgen then blanked Hawaii through 8 1/3 innings in his second start, striking out six and allowing two hits in the combined shutout to earn Big West Pitcher of the Week honors.

Gorgen also combined on a 2-0 shutout against then-No. 1-ranked Cal State Fullerton, striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings.

Gorgen was the staff’s most consistent starter all season, helping the Anteaters go 36-24. They advanced to the NCAA Regionals for only the second time since the program entered the Division I ranks in 1978. The 36 wins were second only to the 1980 squad’s 37 among UCI teams that competed in Division I.

UCI, under second-year coach Dave Serrano, who is also the team’s pitching coach, was 11-10 in the Big West to finish third, its best finish in five seasons.