BRIEFS

ANTEATERS PICKED SEVENTH

The UC Irvine men’s water polo team is picked seventh in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation preseason coaches’ poll.

The Anteaters, under second-year coach Marc Hunt, will miss second-team All-American Dreason Barry, who led UCI with 66 goals last season as a senior. The Anteaters also are hurt by the absence of second-team All-American Tim Hutten (64 goals last season) and Cole Bitter (24 goals last years), who are redshirting.

UCI was 18-12 in 2005, including a 6-2 mark to finish second in the MPSF. The team was No. 4 in the final national poll.

Top UCI returners include junior driver Colin Mello, who sat out last year with a knee injury after scoring 26 goals in 2004.

Andrew Dunn (19 goals last year) and Curt Merlo (nine goals last year) are other top returners.

Junior goalkeeper Matt Garcia also returns after recording 99 saves in 14 starts last season.

UCI opens its season at the Triton Invitational at UC San Diego.

The coaches picked USC, the defending NCAA champion, to win the MPSF.

UCI PROMOTES CHOATE

Nathan Choate has been promoted from director of baseball operations to assistant coach by UC Irvine.

The move comes after former assistant coach Chad Baum accepted an assistant coaching position at Santa Clara.

Former UCI undergraduate assistant coach Gregg Wallis becomes the director of baseball operations.

BRACKETBUSTERS

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team will compete in the fifth annual BracketBuster Series, Feb. 16-17.

UCI is one of 102 teams competing, including all eight Big West Conference schools.

The matchups will be announced in late January and UCI will be on the road.

UCI defeated Drake, 70-67, at home in its BracketBuster game last season.

This marks the second straight season all eight Big West teams are included in the BracketBuster Series. Big West teams went 5-3 last season in BracketBuster games.

The pool of teams also includes 12 teams from the Mid American Conference and Colonial Athletic Assn. and 11 from the Ohio Valley Conference.