Top-ranked Cal State Fullerton and No. 8 UC Irvine, both coming off Big West series wins over nationally-ranked opponents, square off this weekend in a much-anticipated matchup among the preseason favorites. The Titans enter the week having won 17 of their last 19 contests with their only losses coming against Top 25 teams. Not to be out done, the Anteaters are on a streak of their own claiming 11 of their last 14 games, including a sweep over nationally-ranked Cal Poly to open league play.
Keeping the trend over the past three seasons with the visiting team winning the series, Cal State Fullerton improved its series mark to 66-20 after a 2-1 series victory last year at Anteater Ballpark. The two teams kick off the three-game series at Goodwin Field with an ESPNU televised game Friday at 7:00 p.m. Saturday's outing is slated for 6:00 p.m. and Sunday's matinee begins at 1:00 p.m.
The UC Irvine series is not the only top 10 opponent Cal State Fullerton faces this week. Prior to the weekend showdown, the Titans visit the Grand Canyon State to battle No. 3 Arizona State in a two-game midweek series. The Titans and Sun Devils, who split a two-game series in 2008, take to the field Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The Sun Devils own a 25-21 advantage in the series.
UC Irvine also squeezes in a nonconference contest against Loyola Marymount Tuesday afternoon when it travels to Los Angeles for a 3:00 p.m. start.
Maintaining its top 25 status with an overall mark of 17-7 are the Cal Poly Mustangs, who are playing one of the toughest schedules in the country according to boydsworld.com. This week Cal Poly returns to Baggett Stadium, where they are 9-1 this season, to host USC and Cal State Northridge, a team that is winless on the road this season. The Mustangs and Trojans tangle Tuesday evening and the Matadors visit San Luis Obispo, Calif., for a three-game conference series Friday-Sunday. USC holds a 18-3 advantage over Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge edges the Mustangs with a 22-21 mark. Tuesday's contest begins at 6:00 p.m., while the weekend series start times are 6:00, 6:00 and 1:00 p.m.
Prior to its second consecutive weekend series against a ranked opponent, the Matadors went 2-1 against then-ranked No. 20 UC Santa Barbara last week, Cal State Northridge entertains the UNLV Runnin' Rebels for a pair of midweek nonconference contests. First pitch at Matador Field gets underway Tuesday and Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. UNLV enters the series with a 22-19 record over Cal State Northridge.
An upcoming weekend series against UC Riverside marks the first conference outing of the 2009 season for Long Beach State. While the other eight teams opened league play last week, the 49ers were busy registering their first series sweep of the year with a 3-0 mark against nonconference foe UNLV. Long Beach State would like to build on its three-game win streak this weekend against the Highlanders, who went 1-2 against top-ranked Cal State Fullerton last weekend. But before it tackles the Highlanders, Long Beach State travels to the Bay Area to face Santa Clara (3/31) and California (4/1).
After posting its first Big West Conference series sweep since May 2006 last week, Pacific looks to carry its momentum into this week’s lineup which features Stanford and UC Santa Barbara. The Tigers begin the week hosting the Cardinal at Klein Family Field Monday at 5:30 p.m. Three-days later they travel to the central coast to battle the Gauchos in a weekend series. While the Tigers enter the week on a three-game win streak, the Gauchos have dropped three of their last four contests. The weekend series begins Friday at 2:00 p.m., followed by 1:00 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday.
UC Santa Barbara, 2-1 against the top 25, faces No. 21 San Diego State for a pair of midweek games. The Gauchos welcome the newly-ranked Aztecs to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium Tuesday and Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
Also facing San Diego State this week are the UC Davis Aggies, who travel to southern California for a four-game weekend series. The Aggies and Aztecs open their series on Friday at PETCO Park before heading to Tony Gwynn Stadium the remainder of the series. Friday’s contest begins at 6:00 p.m. and is followed by a Saturday doubleheader and a Sunday matinee beginning at 1:00 p.m. Before visiting the Aztecs, the Aggies play a home-and-home midweek series with defending National Champion Fresno State. The Aggies and Bulldogs square off Tuesday at Dobbins Stadium and Wednesday at Fresno State’s Beiden Stadium.