#24 UC Irvine 2025 College Top 25 Review – Baseball America

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Anthony Martinez (Photo courtesy of UC Irvine)

• Last season: 45-14 (22-8 Big West); eliminated at Corvallis Regional
• Final ranking for 2024: No. 25
• Coach (school record): Ben Orloff (203-97, 7th season)

You can find our full Top 25 rankings for the 2025 pre-season. here.

The good news

After being viewed as one of the biggest overlooks from the 2023 NCAA Tournament field, UC Irvine has clawed its way back into the national conversation in 2024, posting a 45-14 overall record, a 22-8 mark in Big West and returns to the postseason for the second time in five opportunities under head coach Ben Orloff. The Anteaters are largely built on a foundation of returning talent, including a first baseman Anthony Martinezpotential early round second baseman prospect Will Bermudezoutside player Chase Call and pitchers Danny Suarez, Trevor Hansen, Ricky Ojeda, Ryder Brooks and Riley Kellyby the way. Ohio State transfer shortstop Zach FelstadSan Diego State outfielder Jacob McCombs and College of the Canyons infielder Colin Yeoman are also expected to help the Anteaters offense. Irvine led Big West schools with over 100 scores in 2024, a performance it may not repeat this year, but should still be among the more offensively productive groups in the conference. The Anteaters’ pitching is similarly promising a year after an average performance last year when they made the tournament.

The bad news

While the Anteaters’ expected contributors are largely back, many of those players enter the year with limited prior experience. Martinez and Bermudez are the only position players on Irvine’s roster to get more than 100 Division I at-bats last season. The Anteaters are more experienced on the mound, but even there, lightly used players will need to step into bigger roles. Projected personal ace Danny Suarez appeared in just 10 games over the last two seasons thanks to Tommy John and the sophomore Ricky Ojedawho thrived in the Irvine bullpen last season, has never been a Division I starter.

A player you should know

A first-team all-Big West selection after starting all 59 games at first base for Irvine in 2024. Anthony Martinez returns to the Anteaters’ roster as one of the best offensive players in his conference, a projection he will need to make a reality for Irvine to achieve his goals this season. The lefty hit .316/.422/.492 with nine home runs, 18 doubles, more walks (36) than strikeouts (29) and a conference-leading 74 RBIs in the heart of Irvine’s lineup and parlayed that success into a stint with the varsity national team USA. Martinez enters his junior season as a top five round talent.

The road to Omaha

The Anteaters’ road to Omaha begins by navigating the Big West Conference, which has only received multiple tournament bids twice since 2018. so far and this year includes two teams (Irvine and Santa Barbara) that received preseason rankings. Irvine has several resume-building opportunities in a tough schedule, including the first week of April when it hosts San Diego in a midweek game before traveling to Corvallis to take on Oregon State. Pending the emergence of several contributors, Irvine should once again have the talent to compete late in the season.

Expected line-up for 2025