Your gift to the UC Irvine baseball program will directly impact our student-athletes and we are grateful for your continued support! Our team this year will yet again, compete on the national stage and strive for excellence. Our aspirations are to once again compete for the Big West Championship and the ultimate goal of a National Championship in Omaha, Nebraska.
We appreciate your support and hope to see you out at a game this spring. We are grateful for your incredible support!
Baseball History of Success
UC Irvine went 45-14 in 2024 setting a Division I program record for regular season winning percentage that included wins over two nationally ranked teams.
The Anteaters reached the NCAA Regional for a 15th time in their history, 10th as a Division I program earning an at-large bid. They finished the season ranked in the top-25 in all major polls and as high as 20th.
Last season, the Anteaters were the only team in the nation to win 20 home games and 20 games on the road finishing with the second-best win percentage in road games. UC Irvine set an NCAA record with 175 hit by pitches at the plate. It also set numerous program records in hit by pitch, runs scored, home runs, and walks drawn.
UC Irvine individuals set records as well with Woody Hadeen breaking the record for most runs in a season with 82 and breaking the 36-year record for walks in a season with 62.
Anthony Martinez broke a record that had stood since 1972 driving in 74 RBIs for the team. He represented over the summer playing for the U.S. Collegiate National Team as they played series against teams from Chinese Taipei.
Myles Smith took home the program’s second consecutive Big West Field Player of the Year award while finishing the season as the fourth Anteater all-time to hit over .400 finishing at .401 and was named an All-American. Smith was joined by Hadeen and Jo Oyama named to the ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region Team.
Nick Pinto overtook his pitching coach in the all-time strikeout list for Anteaters at 334. He also reached a program record with 62 career starts.
A program-record 11 Anteaters were named to the All-Big West team including five on the first team of Myles Smith, Ricky Ojeda, Woody Hadeen, Anthony Martinez, and Caden Kendle. Other honorees were Nick Pinto, Will Bermudez, Jo Oyama, Dub Gleed, Thomas McCaffrey, and Ricky Tibbett. Ojeda was also honored as a Freshman All-American.
23 program alums played in every level of professional baseball during the 2024 season with five added from the 2024 Draft. UC Irvine was 1 of 15 programs and 1 of 2 non-power conference programs to have 4 players drafted within the first 9 rounds. Caden Kendle was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round, Woody Hadeen was selected in the 6th round by the Detroit Tigers, Myles Smith was a 7th-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds, and Dub Gleed was chosen by the Miami Marlins in the 9th round. In addition, Nick Pinto was taken in the 19th round by the Chicago White Sox. Jo Oyama also joined a Western League Club in the minor league system in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. 11 Anteater pros have reached the Major Leagues all-time including four that are currently active and one that earned the call in 2024 in Seattle Mariner Troy Taylor.
Anteater pitching coach Daniel Bibona was inducted into the 2025 UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame on January 31, 2025.
Two College World Series appearances in 2007 and 2014
2 Big West regular season champions, including 2021
10 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2002, 2 under head coach Ben Orloff
108 players have been drafted or signed to free agent deals since 2002 including 29 under coach Orloff
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CA | 4 |
| 2 | AA | 0 |
| 2 | AE | 0 |
