Three UCI pitchers collect preseason baseball honors

UC Irvine junior pitcher Eric Pettis has been named first-team preseason All-American by CollegeBaseballInsider.com.

Fellow Anteaters juniors Danny Bibona and Christian Bergman were named to the second and third team, respectively.

Pettis, a junior who tied a school record with 17 saves last season, is also among 50 players named to the USA Baseball Preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list and is also on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assn. Stopper of the Year watch list.

Pettis, an All-American last season, ranked second nationally in saves in 2008, when the All-Big West Conference selection made a team-high 31 appearances and posted a 4-3 record with a 2.62 earned-run average. He struck out 50 in 44 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .224 batting average.

Pettis was a finalist for the Stopper of the Year award, given to the nation’s top relief pitcher, last season.

Bergman led the Anteaters in 2008 with a 1.94 ERA, 10th-best in the nation. Then a sophomore, he was effective out of the bullpen and in a spot-starter role. The right-hander made 25 appearances, including seven starts. He was 5-2.

Bibona, slated to start the season-opener at Hawaii Friday, was 9-3 as a sophomore. The left-hander posted a 3.08 ERA. He struck out 97 and allowed 97 hits in 102 1/3 innings in 2008.

He worked a career-high eight innings in a win over Nebraska at the regional hosted by the Cornhuskers last season, allowing four hits and one run while striking out seven to help the ’Eaters advance to the Super Regional.

— From staff reports