UC Davis men’s athletics from Feb. 29 to March 6
Men’s Baseball (4-7)
UC Davis vs. San Francisco (L, 2-1)
UC Davis vs. Michigan (W, 4-3)
UC Davis vs. Michigan (Postponed)
UC Davis vs. Michigan (Cancelled)
Freshman pitcher Chris Brown got the start for the Aggies and gave up two runs in the first two innings of the game. The Aggies threatened the Dons’ lead in the top of the fourth as they were able to put a run across the plate off a single from junior left fielder Mark Cardinalli. Cardinalli totaled three hits in the game. The team was unable to add any more runs, which cost them the contest. Brown only allowed two runs through five innings on four hits in a tough loss. Redshirt freshman pitcher Robert Brown performed well in three innings of relief with a career high seven strikeouts, while keeping the Ags hopes alive in the game.
The Aggies hosted Michigan two days later, a team ranked 20th in the nation in Division I collegiate baseball. Both teams added a run in the first inning. The Aggies’ first run came off a homer down the left field line by redshirt sophomore Alex Aguiar, who was the designated hitter in the game and has been on a tear this season. The Wolverines added another run in the second for a 2-1 lead through two innings. The Ags tied it up at two in the bottom of the fourth off a throwing error by the pitcher. Unfortunately, Michigan answered right back in the top of the fifth to regain the lead, 3-2. The bottom of the sixth saw the Ags put two runs on the board for the lead. Redshirt junior first baseman Mason Novak had an RBI single, and the other run came off another error by the Wolverines. Sophomore pitcher Matt Blais picked up the win, only allowing three runs through six innings.
The Aggies played Michigan last Friday and were able to get through two and one third innings before rain postponed the game. Senior pitcher Nat Hamby was on the mound and pitched well before the game was stopped.
The games against the Wolverines were cancelled due to rain. Be sure to stay tuned for any news regarding the rest of this series.
The team will take on South Dakota State at Dobbins Stadium on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
Men’s Basketball (11-18, 6-10 conf.)
UC Davis vs. Hawai’i (L, 67-65)
UC Davis vs. Cal State Northridge (W, 87-83)
Facing off at home versus Hawai’i, the Aggies lost in a battle that came down to the final seconds of the game. The Aggies had a four point deficit to overcome with 16 seconds left in the game. Freshman guard Siler Schneider stepped up yet again with a three-pointer to bring the score within one. Hawai’i was fouled and made one out of the two free throws, giving the Aggies hope of making the final shot. Junior guard Darius Graham quickly raced down the court to put up a 35 foot three, which rimmed out and led to the loss. Senior forward Josh Fox totaled 19 points and eight boards, both team highs. Junior guard Brynton Lemar added 15 points to tie a career high with four field goals from beyond the arc.
Veronica Vargo covered the game for The Aggie, check out a recap here.
Saturday’s game for the Aggies was yet again another thriller as the team headed down to Southern California. In fact, the game went into triple overtime, which saw the Aggies pick up a win. The Aggies were down by 11 early in the second half, but were able to hang around and had a 56-51 lead heading into the final minute. Through regulation, both teams were tied at 56. The Matadors had the lead late in the first overtime but Graham kept the Aggies in the game and eventually helped the team get into a second overtime, tied at 69. The Aggies had the final shot of the second overtime, but they were unable to convert and both teams were knotted at 77. Fox and Graham were big in the third extra period and eventually the Ags pulled out the victory, 87-83.
Junior center Neal Monson notched a double double with a career high 21 points and tied a career high of 15 boards. Fox scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Graham totaled 18. The seniors were pivotal in the extra periods and helped them get their sixth straight victory against CSU Northridge.
The Aggies are the fifth seed in the Big West Tournament and will face off against fourth seeded UC Santa Barbara on March 10 in Anaheim to kick off the tournament.
Men’s Golf
National Invitational Tournament at Arizona
The Aggies opened up the tournament on Feb. 28 and it went on through March 1. The Aggies were able to finish ninth out of 14 with a good first day and a little bit of a fall back on the second. Freshman Ryan Knop had a great weekend, shooting three under in the tournament. Knop’s scored tied him for 14 overall. Senior Luke Vivolo shot on par for the weekend.
On March 24 the Aggies will head to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinals.
Men’s Tennis (10-3, 1-0 conf.)
Pacific Coast Men’s Double Championship
The men’s tennis team headed to La Jolla to compete in a doubles tournament after a long layoff. Junior Alec Adamson and senior Adam Levie made it the furthest in the tournament at the round of 32. The two were defeated by the number one seed, who would go on to win the tournament.
The Ags will head home to take on Fresno State at 2 p.m. on March 9.
Men’s Track and Field
Cal Opener at UC Berkeley (Third place finish)
The men’s team grabbed third place with a score of 96 points, taking on Cal and Long Beach State. Senior Jason Chandler placed first in the 400 hurdles; junior Marco Toney took first place in the pole vault. The Aggies also took first in the 4×400. Cal won the meet with 144 points.
On March 11 and 12, UC Davis will host the Aggie Open.
Written by Michael Martinez – sports@theaggie.org