UC Davis men’s baseball currently holds a respectable 20-13-1 regular season record and are in the middle of the pack in the Big West with a 4-5 conference record.  A steady and successful offensive strategy has been critical to the team’s early success.  With a confident overall team batting average of .287, it is clear that UC Davis has found an answer against their opponents.  Hard hitters are scattered all over the Aggie lineup, but one player in particular has been a shining example of what UC Davis offense is all about.

Senior catcher Izaak Silva has been hitting hard and making plays this season.  Contributing a .364 batting average to the team, his play is an undeniably major part of the current winning record.

A communications major from California town Soquel, Silva started his baseball career at a very young age.

“One day my Dad came home and he told my mom he signed me up from little league and from there on I fell in love with it.  It’s a very complex game compared to other sports and that’s what I love about it.  You tend to fail more than you succeed but the times you succeed feel that much better,” Silva said.

After playing more and honing his abilities, it was clear to Silva and those around him that he had a talent to be a catcher. Catcher, one of the most demanding position in baseball, requires quick reflexes, a smart mind and good instincts.  The man behind the plate is the foundation of the defense and generally a big contributor to the offense.  A catcher’s success is critical to the entire team and Silva’s contributions during his time at UC Davis cannot be understated.

“In little league, there weren’t a lot of kids that wanted to do it,” said Silva about his introduction to the position. “I could do it well and my Dad, who was my coach at the time, put me back there.”

Playing as catcher for the Soquel High Knights, Silva batted averages higher than .400 in both his junior and senior year and was selected as a four-year All Santa Cruz County Athletic League Honoree.

In his first three years as an Aggie, Silva batted a steady .250 average.  He has continued his dominance into his senior year by being selected as the Big West Hitter of the Week for the first time.  Recently, in a loss to Cal State Fullerton, Silva blasted his first career home run, adding to his already strong baseball resume.

“It means the world to me,” said Silva about being an Aggie.  “This organization offered me a place to go to school and get a great education.  We have a rich history here with a lot of great players that have come before me and a lot of players that still care about this organization.  Every time you put on that jersey you really want represent this school well.  It’s not just playing for yourself and I think this team does a good job embodying this school and what it means to be an Aggie.”

After two straight losses to Cal State Fullerton, the Aggies hope to break their skid with an upcoming home game against the University of San Francisco.  They will then take a 3 game conference road trip to UC Irvine where they hope to improve their current Big West record.

Designed by Jennifer Wu.

Men’s sports action from April 7 to 12

Baseball (19-10-1):
UC Davis vs. Saint Mary’s (W, 11-2)

UC Davis @ Hawai’i (L, L, L, W)

Baseball (20-13-1):

UC Davis vs. Sacramento State (L, 4-2)

UC Davis vs. CSU Fullerton (W, L, L)

UC Davis baseball started off Big West play with a sweep of UC Riverside, a part of a seven game winning streak that included four straight at home. Since then, the Aggies have gone a lowly 2-6, including three straight losses to Hawai’i. UC Davis was visited by Sac State for one game, losing 2-4 after allowing two runs in the last two innings. Ten hits, including three by senior catcher Izaak Silva, wasn’t enough to get the offense up and running.

With CSU Fullerton, currently second in Big West standings, in town, the Aggies were able to steal the series opener before falling in two straight. The first game was a low scoring affair, with UC Davis holding their opponent to two runs. The next two matchups, however, saw the Titans score 10 and 13 points while the Aggies were able to muster only 4.5 runs per game.

The Aggies will have one more game at home, against University of San Francisco, before heading to UC Irvine for a three game stretch.

Golf:

El Macero Classic (1 of 9)

Back on their home turf, the Aggies looked comfortable as they held first place for the entirety of the El Macero Classic. Junior Luke Vivolo was the driving force behind the UC Davis victory, finishing No. 1 individually. On the first day, Vivolo shot a 5-under 67 for the lead, four strokes ahead of two teammates who finished tied for No. 8.

The junior continued to play well in his second round, carding a 6-under 66 while no other teammate shot under a 73. Vivolo struggled on Sunday, finding himself as high as 5-over before finishing strong with a 1-over 73. Junior Patrick Soli added a No. 8 finish after shooting a 1-over 73 on the final day. The Aggies won the event by 10 strokes, setting themselves up nicely for the Big West Championships on April 26 – 28.

Tennis (15-4):

UC Davis vs. Cal Poly (W, 5-2)

UC Davis vs. UC Santa Barbara (W, 4-3)

UC Davis men’s tennis is on a roll this season, finishing undefeated at home after beating Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. The Aggies, currently ranked No. 68 in the nation, upset the visiting No. 49 Mustangs after scoring the doubles point and winning all but two of the singles matches. Sophomores James Wade and Bryce McKelvie were each able to score two victories after winning both their singles and doubles play.

With the No. 65 Gauchos in town, the Aggies were able defeat another higher ranked opponent. UC Davis swept doubles play and won the top two singles matches, but needed a three set win by freshman Everett Maltby to take home the win. The Aggies have now played their final home matches of the season and will face two opponents on the road before heading to Indian Wells, Calif., for the Big West Tournament.

Track and Field:

Arizona State Sun Angel Classic (No team scores)

After a busy week that included three separate invitational meets, the Aggies headed to Arizona to soak up the sun and compete in the Arizona State Sun Angle Classic. Several UC Davis athletes had notable finishes during the weekend against the high level competition present. Senior Nathan Strum finished in fourth in the 800-meter premiere race while junior Jason Chandler added a No. 9 individual finish in the 400-meter hurdles.

Junior Matthew Bender finished within the top-10 in the discus and hammer throw, placing No. 9 and 4 respectively. Senior Brandon Greenberg added a ninth place finish in the premier shot put.

The Aggies will once again split up, taking on the Azusa Pacific Brian Clay Invitational and the Mt. SAC Relays on April 16-18.

Graphic by Andrew Li.

Women’s sports action from April 7 to 12

Golf:

DAC/SMU Invitational (3 of 16)

After an outstanding showing in Hawai’i at the Avenue Spring Break Classic, the Aggies hoped to recapture some of the magic in Dallas, Texas. The first day of the Invitational was more of the same, with UC Davis finishing in second among a talented field. Sophomore Paige Lee was outstanding, shooting a 4-under 68 for her second round to finish 1-under on the first day.

The Aggies slipped slightly on the second day after Lee shot a 6-over 78 to finish No. 6 individually. Junior Andrea Wong, who finished first in Hawai’i, crept up the leaderboard to finish No. 7 after to a 2-over 74 final round. The Aggies finished the tournament tied for third place, five strokes behind second place Purdue. The next tournament up is the Big West Tournament that will take place at the El Macero Country Club from April 19-21.

Lacrosse (3-10):

UC Davis @ Fresno State (W, 11-6)

UC Davis @ California (W, 13-8)

UC Davis vs. Oregon (L, 10-7)

After one win in their first 10 games, something finally clicked as the Aggies won two out of three games including a victory in Berkeley over California. Against Fresno State, UC Davis was able to jump out to a 4-2 lead at halftime and went on a 7-4 run to win by five. Senior Elizabeth Landry led the way with four goals.

Junior Courtney Neff was the star of the show for the Aggies against Cal, scoring five goals, including three in overtime. The two teams played a tight match through regulation, with Cal able to force overtime. UC Davis then shut down their host for the final period, outscoring the Golden Bears 5-0 in overtime for their second straight win.

Riding high after beginning their first winning streak of the season, the Aggies were felled by the visiting Oregon Ducks 10-7. Landry finished with three goals, but no other UC Davis athlete was able to score more than one goal. The Ducks finished with a 24-12 shooting advantage.

Softball (14-22):

UC Davis @ Sacramento State (L, 5-4)

UC Davis vs. Cal Poly (L, W, L)

Big West play has not been kind to the Aggies thus far as they have fallen to 2-7, tied for the worst record in the Conference. In a non-conference matchup dispersed between Big West games, UC Davis faced off with Sacramento State and fell 4-5. The Aggies scored three runs in the first inning, but allowed three in the final two innings to give their opponent the final edge.

With three straight games at home against middling Cal Poly, the Aggies hoped to grab a few conference wins, but were only able to come away with one. The first two games were played in a double header, with the Mustangs taking the first after holding UC Davis scoreless. The Aggies brought early offense to the second game, bringing in four runs in the first two innings. Their offense once again abandoned them for the final game of the series, as UC Davis was able to score just one run despite getting six hits.

Tennis (10-11):

UC Davis vs. Cal State Stanislaus (W, 7-0)

With a week break before and after their Saturday matchup against CSU Stanislaus, the Aggies had plenty of time to prepare for the second-to-last opponent of their season. The time off seems to have done the team well as they swept their visitors, only allowing CSUS to win two sets.

The Aggies dominated in doubles, winning all but three games. The only real competition was in the first and second singles spots, with each going to three sets. UC Santa Cruz will visit the Marya Welch Tennis Center for the final match of the season. If the Aggies are able to capture a victory, they will finish their season with a .500 record.

Track and Field:

Arizona State Sun Angel Classic (No team scores)

Mesa Track and Field Classic (No team scores)

Leaving the comforts of California, the Aggies travelled to Tempe, Ariz., to take part in two meets. Several UC Davis athletes made their way to the top of their events. Senior Cekarri Nixon finished No. 9 and 6 in the 200 and 400-meter premiere events respectively while senior Raquel Lambdin added a No. 4 finish in the 1500-meter premiere. Senior Veronica Smart also grabbed two top-10 finishes, nabbing third place in the shot put and sixth in the hammer throw.

At the Mesa Track and Field Classic, Smart continued to see her name at the top of her event as she finished in fourth in both the shot put and the hammer throw. Sophomore Michaela Mundt ended the day in fifth in the hammer throw, one spot behind Smart. The Aggies have a number of meets left, including hosting the Woody Wilson Classic, before competing in the Big West Championships between May 8 and 16.

Water Polo (16-12):

UC Davis @ No. 12 Long Beach State (L, 7-6)

UC Davis @ No. 5 UC Irvine (W, 6-5)

With a week of rest under their belts, the Aggies travelled to Southern California for a two game road-trip, returning with a victory and a loss. Against Long Beach State, UC Davis seemed to have the win in the palm of their hand as they led 4-2 at halftime and 6-3 in the fourth quarter. The 49ers had a comeback in the works, however, and roared back with four straight goals to take a 6-7 win.

With the sting of a comeback defeat fresh on their minds, the Aggies came into their contest against UC Irvine thinking upset. The game did not look promising as the Anteaters scored the first three goals of the game.  UC Davis, however, worked its way back into the game and the two teams found themselves tied at five apiece entering the final quarter. Senior Elsie Fullerton scored the lone goal of the fourth on an outside shot, winning the game.

The Aggies have now played their final Big West game and sit in fourth in the Conference. They have two warm-up games at home against non-conference opponents before the Big West Tournament in Hawai’i between April 24 and 26.

Graphic by Andrew Li.

UC Davis football returns to the field for spring football

The UC Davis football team has kicked off spring training and is preparing for the 2015-16 season. UC Davis will be entering the third year of the Ron Gould era, who assumed the head coaching duties in 2012. Gould has a 7-16 record as the UC Davis head coach, including last season’s horrendous 2-9 campaign that was marred by injuries, but was highlighted by the rise of junior quarterback Ben Scott and senior wide receiver Ramon Vargas. Fourteen new recruits were welcomed in the off-season, along with three new coaches. However, the Aggies also lose 15 graduating seniors and have several voids to fill, especially in the backfield. As Gould enters his third year, he hopes to compete at a consistent, high level after inconsistent play cost them many games in 2014.

UC Davis will return five starters on offense, including Scott, who threw for 1,734 yards and 19 touchdowns in six games and Vargas who recorded 665 receiving yards along with eight touchdowns in seven games. Scott and Vargas gave the team a much needed mid-season spark in an overall disconcerting season.

“We are doing well,” commented Scott. “The offense is looking pretty good, and the defense looks good, too.”

Things should be going well for Scott, especially after the season he just had. After being named the starting quarterback, Scott threw for at least two touchdowns in every game while averaging 289 yards per game. In his first game as a starter, Scott earned 379 yards and threw for four touchdowns against No. 11 Montana State in a Homecoming loss. With Scott at the helm, the Aggies’ total offense yards increased from 300 to almost 500 yards per game. UC Davis’ scoring increased from 19.2 points per game to just under 30.

Vargas was the main beneficiary of the quarterback change. In the homecoming loss, Vargas gained 141 yards in eight receptions and brought one in for a touchdown. Vargas ended the season as the Aggies’ leader in receiving.

“Those guys had a little magic going on….” Gould said after closing the last practice of the week for the Aggies.

The Scott-Vargas connection is exciting and something to look out for this coming season for the Aggies. Vargas’ rise as the star wideout has also stirred the competitive spirits of his teammates.

“We have other receivers that are playing really well,” continued Gould.  “That’s exciting for us, because those other guys are starting to step up, so Ben will have other weapons that he can throw the ball to.”

UC Davis, however, lost two key players on the offensive side of the ball in left tackle Ian Joseph and running back Gabe Manzanarez. Joseph was the Aggies starting left tackle for the last four years and was a consistent anchor for the Aggies offensive line. But UC Davis has deep offensive line, and only lost two graduating seniors.

“We have a lot of guys that can step up. We played with six offensive linemen all year last year. Parker [junior center Parker Smith] is going to play left tackle,” Scott said. “He’s played a lot of games for us, he does really well. I don’t think we are going to skip a beat in the o-line. We are going to be very strong.

Smith’s transition to the left tackle position will be important for the Aggies. The young, but experienced, offensive line will look to bring consistency to the Aggies’ offensive attack.

The bigger question mark lies in the backfield and who will replace Manzanares as  the principal ball carrier. Manzanares was a dual-threat running back for the Aggies during his two year career at UC Davis. Last season he led the Aggies with 833 rushing yards and 227 receiving yards, second on the team behind Vargas. The running back led UC Davis in all-purpose yards with 1,102 yards, despite missing the first four games of the season due to injury. The second leading rusher, Colton Silveria, 280 total yards, also graduated.

“We have to find someone to replace Gabe that we can give the ball to,” said Gould. “I feel really good with the running back situation.”

Sophomore wide receiver Jermale Jefferson was the third leading rusher for the Aggies with 219 yards in 17 attempts, averaging 11.9 yards per carry, and rushing for two touchdowns. Junior running back Manusamoa Luuga also rushed for 137 yards for the Aggies.  Manzanares will be tough to replace, but Gould has experience working with young running backs. During his tenure as the running backs coach at Cal from 1997-2012, he coached the likes of Super Bowl champions Marshawn Lynch and Shane Vereen, as well as Justin Forsett and CJ Anderson.  Gould’s experience and the addition of running back coach Jim Chapin will help the Aggies find their ball carrier.

Chapin was named the running back coach in January 2015, after previously coaching for the Indiana University (Pa.) Crimson in the same capacity.

“Coach Chapin understands the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary,” Gould said. “Having him in a defensive room has been phenomenal because he looks at it from a coordinator’s perspective.

Along with Chapin, UC Davis also welcomed David Braun in February 2015 to serve as the offensive linemen coach, Braun previously served as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at his alma mater, Winona State. Braun’s background as a coordinator will bring lots of knowledge to the Aggie defense. UC Davis will present a strong and experience defensive group, returning nine starters and their top three tacklers.

The third addition the coaching staff was Wes Nurse who returns to UC Davis after coaching at the University of North Dakota for the past two seasons. Nurse will coach the defensive backs.

Gould is hopeful that the addition of these coaches will help him turn the UC Davis football program around. “Discipline and leadership is what I’ve seen from all theses coaches,” Gould said.

The Aggies will also benefit from an easier schedule after playing the most difficult schedule in school history that included matches against Stanford, and two FCS ranked teams. UC Davis will open the 2015 campaign on the road in the Silver State as they take on the Nevada Wolf Pack in Reno, Nev on Sept. 3, 2015. The Aggies will host the South Dakota Coyotes for the home season opener on Sept. 12, 2015 at Aggie Stadium.

UC Davis will conclude spring camp on Sat., April 25 in a scrimmage that will be open to the public.

Graphic by Jennifer Wu.