The UC Riverside baseball team is set to open its season with an historic opportunity, as the Big West Conference introduces its first-ever postseason baseball tournament.
Highlanders baseball opened its season with its annual alumni exhibition game featuring current Highlanders and former players on Jan. 25. The team’s first official game of the season begins on Feb. 14 with a home game against Utah Valley. Conference play kicks off on March 7 when UCR hosts Hawaii.
The team has added 27 new players this season, including Jackson Byrd, a two-way player from Sacramento State who will play as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder/first baseman, and red-shirt freshman Adrian Blanchet, a right-handed pitcher from USC.
Returning for his fourth season, senior outfielder Jayden Lopez led the team last season with 85 hits, 18 doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBIS, and a batting average of .243. Outfielder Jacob Badawi, also returning for his fourth season, has stepped into a leadership role, said Head Coach Justin Johnson.
The Highlanders placed 11th last season in the Big West Conference with a record of 6-24.
The Highlanders continue to be led by Johnson, who played college baseball at Mt. San Antonio College. He was named head coach at UCR in 2021 and has a seven-year streak of having at least one Highlander selected in the Major League Baseball draft, including Andre Granillo, who was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. He has overseen the college development of 17 eventual major-league draft picks, including Mark Contreras, a ninth-round selection by Minnesota in 2017, who made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2022.
“Development was the key focus for our pre-season training,” Johnson said. “Developing, improvement and doing everything we can to keep our guys healthy.”
The team has brought on new pitching coach Bret Latchman, who previously coached at Cal Poly and Hope International.
This season will be the first time since 1998 that baseball will feature a postseason Big West Championship. Previously, the team with the best conference record earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The introduction of the postseason championship will give teams the chance to compete for the conference title in a postseason format.
The championship will take place at CSU Fullerton, where five teams will compete to qualify for the 2025 NCAA Baseball Championship.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to get started and to see what these guys can do for the season. We have a phenomenal group; the best group I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Johnson said. “From day one, coming in wanting to learn, wanting to get better and develop. I’m excited to see them play.”
For more information: https://gohighlanders.com/sports/baseball
