COLLEGES:Eater Nation a hot spot

Rescued from extinction just six seasons ago, the 2007 UC Irvine baseball team not only put the program on the map, it gained sovereignty for the Anteaters in the college baseball world.

Eater Nation, a term first coined to describe a gathering place for UCI fans across from Rosenblatt Stadium, site of the College World Series, became a catch phrase — sold on hundreds, if not thousands of T-shirts — that helped capture how this tenacious team, these gifted and gritty players, showed a nationwide audience that dreams could, in fact, come true.

A season of firsts that did not include a Big West Conference title — the Anteaters tied for second after falling to UC Riverside on the penultimate day of the regular season — led third-year coach Dave Serrano’s squad into its third Division I postseason.

Irvine had not won a game in its previous two trips to a regional, prompting Serrano to question whether the Anteaters could, as he put it, find the map to Omaha.

But it became more of a checklist than a map as UCI twice defeated Texas (32 CWS appearances and five national titles) to win the regional in Round Rock, Texas, the heart of burnt orange country.

Next up was a visit to Wichita State (seven CWS trips and one national title), where two hard-fought, one-run wins — the second clinched by a Bryan Petersen walk-off double in the ninth — made UCI the only team to win a best-of-three Super Regional on the road.

The Wichita games, via ESPN, also helped expose the Anteaters’ characters off the field, as well as the team’s character on the field.

The ‘Eaters first appearance in Omaha began with a 5-4 loss to Arizona State (20 CWS trips and five titles).

What followed was a pair of Omaha classics that spanned not only a combined 9 1/2 hours on the field, but a generation of viewers and fans for whom the letters “UCI” are just as ubiquitous as “ICU.”

First, Serrano’s squad took a CWS-record five hours and 40 minutes to defeat marquee Big West rival Cal State Fullerton (15 World Series visits and four NCAA crowns), 5-4, when Petersen singled for the game-winning blow. Petersen’s 13th-inning base hit put the Anteaters over the top after they had erased Titan leads three times to extend the Bracket Two elimination game.

Next was an 8-7 triumph that eliminated No. 3-ranked ASU, as a good portion of the 29,034 remaining Rosenblatt rooters stood and chanted “Ol-lie, Ol-lie,” only to break into a roar when junior center fielder Ollie Linton singled with the bases loaded to claim a game the Sun Devils once led, 7-3.

Serrano later chose this victory, from a season of achievement, as the event that most exemplified what his team was all about.

Wednesday’s game between UCI and defending national champion Oregon State, last year’s underdog darling, drew 29,921 fans, a number that’s only been topped only once in CWS history.

Most of those spectators came away disappointed as the Beavers advanced to the best-of-three championship series with a 7-1 triumph.

But regardless of who carts the national championship trophy through the now-iconic archway leading in and out of Rosenblatt, it would be hard to argue any team took more from this College World Series than the Anteaters.

“Before I was talking about the dream,” Serrano said of his countless Omaha references since arriving from Cal State Fullerton, where he helped the Titans win the 2004 national crown. “I’d say, OK guys, I’ve been to Omaha, the 29,000 people, the emotion, the TV cameras, all the interviews.

“Now all that is a reality for [the players]. Now, they know what to prepare for. When I tell my pitchers to go to the bullpen and prepare to throw in front of 29,000 people, they can see it now.”

Many also foresee a bright future for the latest West Coast diamond force, especially if Serrano can withstand the riches many expect to be offered by envious, deep-pocketed programs such as Tennessee, where he was an assistant.

But, much like senior Cody Cipriano and junior Taylor Holiday — two players who figure to be remembered more fondly in Anteaters’ lore than UCI product Brady Anderson — Serrano sounded after Wednesday’s loss as if leaving this program would not be an act of volition.

“Eater Nation is awesome,” said Serrano, still smiling despite his players’ tears in the postgame clubhouse. “I’ve heard the buzz at home has been unbelievable. I can’t wait to get home to hear what people are saying about our program and our university.”

That discussion, generated by this special season, may never end.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

A quick inventory of UCI baseball accomplishments this season ends with the final four finish in its inaugural visit to Omaha.

Others worth mentioning include 47 wins, tops in the school’s 21 Division I seasons and topped only by the 1974 NCAA Division II national champion (48-8).

UCI won an unprecedented 13 of its 15 three-game series in the regular season.

Senior closer Blair Erickson became the NCAA all-time saves leader with 53.

Cody Cipriano set a school single-season mark with 14 homers, allowing him to tie his 2006 teammate Jaime Martinez for the school career mark (21).

Sophomore shortstop Ben Orloff holds season (34) and career (61) records for sacrifice hits.

Holiday, who joined Cipriano sophomore third-team All-American Scott Gorgen as first-team all-conference performers, set school single-season marks for runs (69) and doubles (24).

Orloff and Morris played in a school single-season-record 65 games and Orloff started each one.

Petersen, Cipriano, Erickson, Wes Etheridge, Holiday, Tyler Vaughn, Matt Morris and Dylan Axelrod were all drafted by Major League teams, topping the previous program high of six draftees in 2005, 1988 and 1983.

UCI set team records for hits (697), stolen bases (140), sacrifice hits (118), batters hit by a pitch (118, including a CWS-record 12) and sacrifice flies (30).

Etheridge, who joined Gorgen as a potent one-two pitching punch, was a second-team All-Big West selection, as were Vaughn, Orloff and Linton.

PEEKING INTO 2008

Serrano said all the players drafted, except Vaughn, are likely to begin their professional careers, which will create lineup openings in left field, right field, first base and second base, as well as one spot in the starting rotation.

But the returners include regulars Orloff , Linton (center field), catcher Aaron Lowenstein, most likely Vaughn (third base), and the freshmen designated hitter platoon of Sean Madigan and Jeff Cusick.

Gorgen returns to anchor a pitching rotation that should include Pepperdine transfer Bryce Stowell (forced to sit out this season), and one or more of a collection of 2008 sophomores including Eric Pettis, Christian Bergman, Cory Hamilton and Reid Suitor.

All this, in addition to the incoming recruiting class, the last to have required a hard sell.

“[This season] is going to make it a lot easier when [assistant coaches] Sergio Brown and Greg Bergeron and I go into homes and talk to recruits,” Serrano said. “For three years we’ve been talking about a vision and a dream and, now, we’re talking about a reality. [Going to Omaha] is something we have done and not what we’re hoping to do.

“We were young on the mound this year, and I think we’ll be pretty good on the mound [in 2008]. Hopefully, we can find enough offense and play defense like we have been. I think we have a chance to be a pretty good baseball team next year.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].