It was a strong overall year for UC Irvine in 2025. The Anteaters won 43 games last season, a year that saw UC Irvine make it back to the NCAA Tournament. And, UC Irvine came up just shy of making it to the Super Regionals after the school notched two wins in the Los Angeles Regional. Heading into 2026, many players from last year’s core are back.
The Returnees
The Anteaters’ pitching staff was a major reason why UC Irvine had a strong season in 2025. The good news for UC Irvine is that the core is back for 2026.
Ricky Ojeda turned an exceptional sophomore season into a spot on the USA national collegiate team. Ojeda was the lone player from the Big West to make it on the roster. The 20-year-old left-hander earned it after he struck out 83 over 66 innings as a reliever, then struck out 11 over 6.1 IP in his lone start in the Cape Cod League.
Ojeda is not the only notable pitcher to return to campus in 2026. Trevor Hansen, the ace of the Anteaters last season, struck out a team-high 95 over 95.1 IP.
Both Ojeda and Hansen will be re-joined by Ryder Brooks, Danny Suarez, David Butler, Jack Ross, and Finnegan Wall, all of whom were key pieces of the UC Irvine pitching staff.
As for the offense, it will look very different, as many of the top hitters from UC Irvine’s 2025 team either graduated or went pro.
There still will be familiar faces. Frankie Carney, who hit .331 in 2025 after barely hitting above .200 a year earlier, is back for 2026. The same can be said for redshirt junior infielder James Castagnola, who hit .269 with 13 extra-base hits last season.
Former Ohio State infielder Zach Fjelstad batted .240 in his first season with the Anteaters. Fjelstad picked up five home runs and 14 extra-base hits.
Sophomores Theo Kim and Davis D’Errico, who didn’t play much as freshmen last year, return for 2026.
The Newcomers
The baseball program lost a lot of pieces last season.
Colin Yeaman (Orioles) and Riley Kelly (Rockies) were both taken in the fourth round last year. Yeaman amassed a team-best 83 hits and finished tied for first in home runs (13) in 2025. Jacob McCombs, who was tied with Yeaman for the most homers, was picked in the seventh round by the Twins.
Kelly, meanwhile, struck out 70 over 66.2 IP and filled out the UC Irvine nicely last year.
Additionally, Anthony Martinez was picked in the eighth round by the Guardians. Martinez had a dominant freshman season in 2023, when he batted .394 with 11 home runs and 30 extra-base hits. The former UC Irvine first baseman never duplicated those numbers in his following two seasons. However, he batted .316 in his junior season.
Will Bermudez and Chase Call, two 2025 seniors who were also key pieces from last year’s squad, are back.
To replace those players, the Anteaters have a plethora of freshmen, plus transfers from power schools.
One of those transfers is Tommy Farmer, the former Texas outfielder. Farmer batted .249 for the Longhorns last season over 58 games. He saw plenty of action last season after he received only 26 plate appearances two years ago.
Alex Umland, a redshirt freshman from the Oregon Ducks, struck out 18 over 20 innings and allowed only one run in the California Collegiate League this past summer. Umland did not pitch last year.
New UC Irvine catcher Efran Ortega batted .244 over 16 games in 2025 with the Long Beach State Dirtbags. Ortega walked 12 times as a freshman.
The university will also welcome six true freshmen to its roster. Among them are infielder Cole Clark, who showcased a strong arm and ability to barrel up balls in the high school showcase circuit, and pitcher Caden Castles. Castles was hitting the low-90s in 2024 as a rising high school senior.
Summary
Even though the Anteaters are not in one of the “big” conferences, the UC Irvine group traditionally does well on an annual basis. The Anteaters recruit well and develop talent, part of the reason why the school has produced so much talent over the years.
This will be an arduous schedule this season, as the Anteaters will have non-conference games against Vanderbilt, Oregon, Oregon State, and USC. Plus, an in-conference series against powerhouse UC Santa Barbara.
UC Irvine may have to get it done differently, at least offensively. However, the pitching staff remains strong on paper.
Check out more of our college baseball coverage, including a look at Big West rival UC Santa Barbara.