Stowell loss leaves hole

The departure of starting pitcher Bryce Stowell, who signed last week with the Cleveland Indians for a reported $725,000, was termed “a big hit” to the UC Irvine program by Anteaters Coach Mike Gillespie.

Gillespie said he was happy for Stowell, taken in the 22nd round (681st overall) by the Indians in the June draft, and he could not advise Stowell to pass on the signing bonus that is believed to be similar to that given players taken in the first three rounds.

“Good for him and congratulations,” said Gillespie, for whom Stowell went 8-3 with a 3.26 earned-run average last season as a redshirt sophomore. “But, selfishly, it’s a big loss for us. We knew from the beginning of last season, he was a front-burner guy [with professional scouts]. He told us that if he were taken in the first three rounds and treated right [financially], he would sign. Bryce did a good job for us and he is a top-notch guy. He’s smart, talented and has a great work ethic. We wish him nothing but the best.”

The loss of Stowell, who likely forced the Indians’ hand by becoming a Cape Cod League All-Star this summer (3-1 with a 2.36 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 12 walks in 45 2/3 innings for the Bourne Braves), caps a newsworthy summer for Anteaters players.

Gillespie, who guided the Anteaters within three outs of a return trip to the College World Series in his first season last spring, said he and his staff will try to fill the void left in the team’s starting rotation created by the departure of All-American Scott Gorgen (signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected the junior in the fourth round in June) and Stowell.

“It changes our plans dramatically,” Gillespie said. “Stowell and left-hander Danny Bibona [9-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 16 starts last season as a sophomore] would have, in some order, been our Friday and Saturday guys. [Christian] Bergman will now fill one of those spots and we’ll have to see who we’ll use on Sundays and the midweek games.”

Bergman, 5-2 with a 1.94 ERA for UCI last season as a sophomore, was a first-team All-Alaska League performer for the Anchorage Bucs this summer.

Eric Pettis, an All-American closer as a sophomore, when he was 4-3 with 17 saves and a 2.62 ERA, is a candidate to fortify the starting rotation, Gillespie said, though Gillespie would prefer to have him remain the closer.

Gillespie said Crosby Slaught, who started one game last season as a freshman when he was 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA, and Cory Hamilton, who will be a junior, as well as junior-to-be Kyle Necke and Noel Avison, who will be a senior, will be among those considered to fill starting roles next season.

Gillespie also said incoming recruits Dean Persinger (2-0 with 15 saves and a 2.01 ERA in 28 appearances, all relief, last year at Irvine Valley Community College) and Nick Hoover (3-2 with a 4.07 ERA in 12 starts for Riverside Community College) should also help bolster the pitching staff.

Gillespie also said Brock Bardeen, a junior designated hitter last season (six home runs and 26 RBIs in 100 at-bats), who was an All-CIF pitcher at Fallbrook High, has been working on the mound and could become a two-way player next season.

“He’s our grand experiment,” Gillespie said of Bardeen, who has been throwing in the upper 80-mph range.

Pettis and center fielder Cory Olson, an incoming junior transfer from Orange Coast College, joined Stowell on the Cape Cod League All-Star team this summer, while infielder Brian Hernandez (Northwoods League) and Francis Larson (Alaska League) both made their respective league all-star squads.

Hernandez played last season at College of the Canyons, after playing for UC Irvine associate head coach Pat Shine at Cal State Los Angeles in 2006.

Larson, who led UCI with seven homers and 40 RBIs and hit .314 as a sophomore in 2007, impressed with his defense in Alaska, Gillespie said. Larson is expected to become the Anteaters’ full-time catcher, replacing Aaron Lowenstein, who is now playing in the San Francisco Giants organization.

Gillespie said returners Jeff Cusick and Sean Madigan both sustained back injuries that cut short their time in the Cape Cod League.

Cusick and Madigan are expected to be healthy for the 2009 season, Gillespie said.

Gillespie said Erick Hamren, who had reportedly planned to transfer to UCI from Pacific, signed with the Chicago Cubs after competing in the Northwoods League this summer.

Stowell has reported to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Single A short-season New York-Penn League.

Ironically, the Scrappers, after a three-day all-star break, next play Thursday in the first of a two-game series at Batavia, where, through Sunday, Gorgen was 2-2 with a 3.31 ERA. Gorgen had appeared in 10 games, four starts, and had allowed just 23 hits in 35 1/3 innings.

UCI’s all-time strikeouts leader had also fanned 40 and walked 14.

The Mahoning Valley team is based in Niles, Ohio.

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