The Easter holiday makes for a light week for the Big West Conference with seven teams playing four contests and two schools just playing their three-conference series that runs Thursday-Saturday this week.
UC Irvine enters the week in fine company as it makes its first appearance in the top five this season after a 2-1 series win over then-No. 1 Cal State Fullerton. The fifth-ranked Anteaters, who sit atop the Big West leaderboard with a 5-1 conference mark, battle UCLA and Long Beach State this week. Following a Tuesday-night meeting at Jackie Robbins Stadium, UC Irvine welcomes the 49ers to Anteater Ballpark for a three-game series beginning Thursday, April 9. Thursday and Friday's first pitches are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and the Saturday matinee begins at 1:00 p.m. While owning a 55-43-1 record versus Long Beach State, the Anteaters trail the Bruins series 40-23-1.
Long Beach State, winning seven of its last eight, entertains San Diego State Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. for a nonconference showdown. The Aztecs hold a 75-44-1 advantage in the all-time series.
After losing their first home conference series since May 25-27, 2007, the No. 6 Cal State Fullerton Titans look to rebound this week with a three-game stint at Cal State Northridge. The Titans have won 17 of the last 18 outings against the Matadors to improve their record to 41-15 against the Matadors. Cal State Fullerton's lone defeat during that span was 4-2 loss on April 12, 2008. Game times are slated for 3:00, 3:00 and 1:00 p.m.
Along with the Cal State Northridge series, the Titans host Loyola Marymount at Goodwin Field Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. The Titans and Lions have battled 84 times and Cal State Fullerton has come out on top with a 63-21 record.
Like Cal State Fullerton, the Cal State Northridge Matadors also head to Los Angeles for a nonconference matchup. The Matadors, who are winless on the road this season, visit the USC Trojans Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
The 16th-ranked Cal Poly Mustangs evened their conference record to 3-3 after a sweep of Cal State Northridge last week. Looking to build on its four-game win streak, Cal Poly hosts Saint Mary's in a midweek contest and visits Pacific for a three-game series. Following a season-opening loss, Cal Poly has won 13 straight in the familiar confines of Baggett Stadium. The Mustangs put their impressive home streak on the line Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. when they battle Saint Mary's.
Two days later they head to northern California to take on the Pacific Tigers, who are second in the league with a 4-2 mark. Klein Family Field plays host to the Mustangs-Tigers showdown Thursday-Saturday with 5:30, 5:30 and 1:00 p.m. starts. Cal Poly has a 24-15 edge over the Tigers. Pacific welcomes San Francisco to its home field for a Tuesday evening game.
The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara open the week with a Tuesday-night contest versus Pepperdine at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. They follow that up with a trip to UC Davis for a three-game series beginning Thursday afternoon. The Gauchos-Aggies battle kicks off Thursday, April 9 at 2:30 p.m. and is followed with a 2:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. start time on Friday and Saturday.
UC Riverside takes a break from conference play with a three-game series at Cal State Bakersfield. The Highlanders have lost their first two Big West series (2-1) to nationally-ranked Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, tying them for seventh in the league with a 2-4 mark.