UCSB Baseball completed a sweep of UC Riverside with a 5-3 win on Saturday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, clinching the Big West regular season title and the top seed in next week’s Big West Championship Tournament in Irvine.
The Gauchos earned a first-round bye in the Big West Tournament, so their first game will come on Thursday, May 21 at 1 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark. They will face the winner of a matchup between No. 4 Hawai’i and No. 5 CSU Fullerton.
“[Heading into the Big West Tournament] feels awesome,” UCSB graduate outfielder Karliner said. “You know, it’s funny, I’m the oldest guy on the team, but I’m on the same boat, first year, also my last year, so it’s awesome being a part of this.
“First time being part of a winning program like this, it’s just nice to get the job done, and just looking forward to that tournament now.”
Riverside struck first in the top of the second inning with a three-run home run to left field, giving the Highlanders a 3-0 lead over the Gauchos.
UCSB kept fighting, however, as senior right-handed pitcher Kellan Montgomery, a Dos Pueblos alum, struck out nine batters across 5 ⅔ innings pitched and allowed just five hits to keep the Riverside offense at bay.
“[We] had a lot of belief, a lot of hard-fought battles, today was another one of those,” UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts said. “We were down, we hung the slider, and we’re down 3-0, and we’re like, ‘oh crap,’ but we just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”
The Gauchos finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning when junior designated hitter Jonathan Mendez led off with a home run down left field, closing the gap to 3-1.
Later in the inning, senior catcher Nate Vargas followed suit by blasting a two-run home run to right field, scoring sophomore left-fielder Liam Barrett, who had reached first on a bunt, and evening the game at 3-3.
The Gauchos kept their momentum in the fifth, as senior second baseman William Vasseur doubled and sophomore center-fielder Rowan Kelly followed with an RBI single to give UCSB its first lead of the afternoon at 4-3.
UCSB kept at it in the sixth inning, as senior right-fielder Noah Karliner deposited a solo homer over the left-field wall to extend the lead to 5-3 heading into the seventh.
“I think I was due for one, and I finally got one for the boys,” said Karliner. “It was a big time moment too, needed a couple of insurance runs, and we got one… The home run was awesome, it was a great weekend and we just can’t wait for next weekend.”
Redshirt junior left-handed pitcher and San Marcos alum Chase Hoover took over for Montgomery in the fifth inning and delivered 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out three Highlanders along the way.
Hoover got the first out of the ninth inning before handing the ball to freshman righty Josh Janicelli, who inherited two baserunners and responded by striking out two straight batters to secure the win and let the Big West championship celebration ensue.
“Obviously, it’s awesome, it’s my first year here and first year I’m part of the team,” Jannicelli said. “I think we have a great team structure, good team chemistry, so makes it all better, winning a game like this. It’s been a crazy first season. Obviously, we’re not done, but this is a nice point in the road.
“[Checketts] and I have both established confidence in each other, I trust the pitches that he calls, and he trusts what I’m able to do.”
This last game of the season was also UCSB Baseball’s Senior Day, and the program honored the graduating class of Nick Husovsky, Nate Vargas, Corey Nunez, Kellan Montgomery, Cole Kosciusko, William Vasseur, Mitch Namie, Noah Karliner and Donovann Jackson.