Red-hot Mustangs invade for UCI’s Big West opener

The No. 10-ranked UC Irvine baseball team will open Big West Conference play tonight at 6 with the first of a three-game weekend series against No. 19-ranked Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at Anteater Ballpark.

Junior left-hander Danny Bibona (3-1 with a 2.92 earned-run average) will start tonight’s opener.

Junior Christian Bergman (2-1, 3.44) and sophomore Crosby Slaught (2-0, 2.92) are the scheduled UCI starters Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both of those games begin at 1 p.m.

The UCI offense is being led by sophomore left fielder Ryan Fisher, who is hitting .373 with two home runs and 17 runs batted in. Senior shortstop Ben Orloff (.342 with a team-best 21 runs) is another catalyst.

Senior Brock Bardeen has six home runs and 16 RBIs in just 28 at-bats and he is also 3-0 on the mound in seven relief appearances.

The Anteaters are 13-7.

Cal Poly (17-4) is off to its best start since 1997 when it opened 18-2, and comes in on an eight-game winning streak.

The Mustangs are led by junior catcher Wes Dorrell (.410 with three homers and 24 RBIs), freshman infielder Matt Jensen (.395 with six dingers and 29 RBIs) and junior right-handed pitcher DJ Mauldin (3-1, 2.70), who is tonight’s scheduled starter.

— Barry Faulkner