The UC Riverside baseball team is the varsity
intercollegiate baseball team of the
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...
, located in
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
, United States. The program has been a member of the
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
since the start of the
2002 season. The program's home venue is the
Riverside Sports Complex
The Riverside Sports Complex, in Riverside, California, is the home field of the University of California, Riverside baseball team. The stadium seats 2,500 and features a home team locker room built personally by Troy Percival, a UC Riverside a ...
, located on the university's campus.
Justin Johnson serves as the team's interim head coach starting with the 2021 season. The program has won two
Division II national championships. It has appeared in four Division II
College World Series
The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
and 12
NCAA tournaments (two in Division I). It has won eight
California Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. All of its current m ...
championships and one
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
championship. As of the start of the
2013 Major League Baseball season
The 2013 Major League Baseball season started on March 31 with a Sunday night game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. , 16 former Highlanders have appeared in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
.
History
Although the school traces its history to the early 20th century, the University of California, Riverside opened for classes in February 1954.
It adopted the Highlanders nickname in a student election held later that year.
The varsity baseball program was founded shortly thereafter, beginning play in 1958.
Division II
Little record exists of the program's early years, though it competed as an Independent in the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
College Division (made up of small-school athletic programs) through the end of the 1970 season.
Don Edwards, who had assisted in the development of the program prior to its first season, became the program's second head coach prior to the 1960 season.
From 1965 to 1968, future
UC Irvine
UC may refer to:
Education
In the United States
* University of California system
* University of Charleston, West Virginia
* University of Chicago, Illinois
* University of Cincinnati, Ohio
* Upsala College, East Orange, New Jersey (''defunct ...
and
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
head coach
Gary Adams was an assistant coach under Edwards.
On September 2, 1970,
John Lowenstein
John Lee Lowenstein (born January 27, 1947) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles.
Playing career ...
became the first program alumnus to appear in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
, as he debuted for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. Lowenstein went on to have a 16-year major league career.
While at UC Riverside, Lowenstein had become the first athlete in school history to be awarded an athletic scholarship.
Prior to the start of the 1971 season, the program joined the College Division's
California Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. All of its current m ...
(CCAA). It finished well below .500 in its first three seasons in the league.
In August 1973, the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
reorganized its divisions. Prior to then, the NCAA had competed in two divisions, a large-school University Division and a small-school College Division. Following the reorganization, the University Division became
Division I, while the College Division split into
Division II and
Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Third ...
. UC Riverside became a
Division II Independent.
Also following the 1973 season,
Emporia State
Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. E ...
coach Jack Smitheran was hired as the program's third head coach. The team's play improved soon after his hiring. In 1975, the Highlanders appeared in their first Division II NCAA tournament. In the West Regional, the team defeated
Chapman, 9–8, before being eliminated by
Cal State Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge, Los Angeles, Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as o ...
, 8–1.
In 1977, the program returned to the NCAA tournament and won the Division II National Championship. After winning the CCAA with a 15–9 conference record, the team earned a berth in the West Regional. After advancing through the West Regional with wins over Cal State Northridge and
Cal State Hayward
California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay, or CSUEB) is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post-baccala ...
, the program played in the Division II College World Series. There, it went 5–1, defeating
Eckerd 4–1 in the championship game.
Future major leaguers
Steve Lubratich and
Eric Show
Eric Vaughn Show (; May 19, 1956 – March 16, 1994) was an American professional baseball player who was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres and holds the team record for most career ...
played on the championship team.
The Highlanders' home venue, the
Riverside Sports Complex
The Riverside Sports Complex, in Riverside, California, is the home field of the University of California, Riverside baseball team. The stadium seats 2,500 and features a home team locker room built personally by Troy Percival, a UC Riverside a ...
, hosted the Division II College World Series from 1980 to 1984.
The team qualified for two World Series played on its home field. In 1981, the team won the West Regional, but was eliminated after losing consecutive World Series games to
Florida Southern
Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. It offers undergraduate, gradua ...
and Cal State Northridge.
In 1982, the team again qualified for the NCAA tournament and won the West Regional. In the World Series, the Highlanders won their second Division II National Championship with victories over
Longwood,
New Haven
New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
, and Florida Southern twice.
Future major leaguer
Calvin Jones played on the 1982 team.
For the seven straight seasons from 1983 to 1989, the program failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament, despite finishing with an above-.500 CCAA record in six of the seven years. In the 1990s, however, the team qualified for seven NCAA tournaments (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999). On one occasion, in 1991, it advanced to the Division II College World Series, the program's fourth appearance. After losing to
SIU Edwardsville in its first game, the team won consecutive games over
Shippensburg
Shippensburg is a borough in Cumberland and Franklin counties in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the Cumberland Valley, southwest of Harrisburg, and is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area. The p ...
, SIU Edwardsville, and
Jacksonville State. In the championship game, however, the team lost to Jacksonville State 5–2.
In 1995, the Highlanders entered the West Regional finals with a 43–15 record, but were upset by
UC Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...
, which had entered the game at 29–30.
Division I
In February 2000, UC Riverside announced that it would move to
Division I in the 2000–2001 academic year and join the
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
in the 2001–2002 academic year.
After spending the 2001 season as an
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
, the baseball program played its first Big West season in 2002.
Compared to many of the school's other athletic programs, the baseball program transitioned successfully to Division I.
Beginning in 2002, it had an above-.500 overall record in six consecutive Division I seasons. In 2003, the Highlanders finished third in the Big West and received an at-large bid to the
NCAA tournament. As the #3 seed in the Palo Alto Regional, the team beat
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
10–8 in its opening game. It was then eliminated after losing consecutive games to regional host
Stanford
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
and Richmond.
Following the
2004 season, Jack Smitheran retired as the program's head coach.
In 31 seasons, Smitheran had a record of 974–729–3 and won two Division II National Championships.
Following his retirement, Smitheran worked for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
as a scouting advisor.
He had been inducted into the
American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002, the UC Riverside Hall of Fame in 2004, and had his number #2 retired by the program in 2006.
He was replaced by
Doug Smith, who had been an assistant coach with the program since the 1983 season.
Prior to the 2007 season, an unused storage building near the
Riverside Sports Complex
The Riverside Sports Complex, in Riverside, California, is the home field of the University of California, Riverside baseball team. The stadium seats 2,500 and features a home team locker room built personally by Troy Percival, a UC Riverside a ...
was renovated and converted into the team's home clubhouse. Program alumnus
Troy Percival
Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. He is currently the manager of the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League. During a 14-year basebal ...
both paid for the improvements and renovated the building himself.
In the
2007 season, the team went 38–21 and won the Big West title, thus receiving an automatic bid to the
NCAA tournament as a #2 seed in the Tempe Regional. As in 2003, the team won its opening game, 10–5, against
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
. It then lost consecutive games to
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is one of the largest ...
and Nebraska and was eliminated.
Smith coached the team through the end of the
2014 season, when he retired. In that seven-year stretch, the program had three winning seasons and finished as high as third in the Big West; it did not qualify for the postseason. In his ten years as head coach, Smith had a record of 282–264. Percival replaced him.
Conference affiliations
* Independent (College Division) (1958–1970)
*
California Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. All of its current m ...
(College Division/
Division II) (1971–2000)
*
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
(2001)
*
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
(2002–present)
UC Riverside in the NCAA Tournament
Venues
Riverside Sports Complex
The program's home venue is the Riverside Sports Complex, located on the university's campus. The facility was renovated in 2007 and has a capacity of 2,500 spectators. In addition to hosting the Highlanders, it hosted the Division II College World Series from 1980 to 1984. It has also been the home venue of
minor league baseball
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
teams, hosting the
Riverside Red Wave (1988–1990) and the
Riverside Pilots
The Riverside Pilots were a Minor League Baseball team in Riverside, California. They were a Class A-Advanced team that played in the California League, and were a farm team of the Seattle Mariners. In spite of making the playoffs each year of i ...
(1993–1995).
Head coaches
Jack Smitheran, who coached for 31 seasons and won 974 games, is the program's longest-tenured and most successful coach.
Yearly records
Below is a table of the program's yearly records.
Notable former players
The following is a list of notable former Highlanders and the seasons in which they played for the program.

*
Kim Allen (1973–1975)
*
Stephen Bishop (1991–1992)
*
Rob Brantly
Robert Jacob Brantly (born July 14, 1989) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, ...
(2009–2010)
*
Anthony Claggett
Anthony Paul Claggett (born July 15, 1984) is an American college baseball coach and former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the pitching coach at Washington State University. He played college baseball at University of California, Riverside. ...
(2003–2005)
*
Bobby Clark (1974)
*
Andrew Garcia
Andrew Adrian Garcia (born October 18, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter who was the ninth place finalist on the ninth season of ''American Idol''. Garcia has released two EPs and numerous standalone singles. He has also collaborated with ...
(2005–2008)
*
Calvin Jones (1982–1983)
*
Joe Kelly (2007–2009)
*
John Lowenstein
John Lee Lowenstein (born January 27, 1947) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles.
Playing career ...
(1966–1968)
*
Steve Lubratich (1976–1977)
*
Troy Percival
Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. He is currently the manager of the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League. During a 14-year basebal ...
(1987–1990)
*
Adam Reifer
Adam is the name given in Book of Genesis, Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam).
According to Chris ...
(2005–2007)
*
Rick Rodriguez
Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez (born September 21, 1960) is an American professional baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in parts of four seasons in the major leagues between and . He was the bullpen coach for the Oakl ...
(1981)
*
Dan Runzler
Daniel Joseph Runzler (born March 30, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who is the pitching coach for the Low-A San Jose Giants of the San Francisco Giants organization. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
(2005–2007)
*
Marc Rzepczynski
Marc Walter Rzepczynski ( ; born August 29, 1985), nicknamed "Scrabble", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Pa ...
(2004–2007)
*
Eric Show
Eric Vaughn Show (; May 19, 1956 – March 16, 1994) was an American professional baseball player who was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres and holds the team record for most career ...
(1975–1978)
*
Chris Smith (2000–2002)
*
Joe Strong (1984)
*
Curt Wardle (1981)
*
Matt Andriese
Matthew Lee Andriese (; born August 28, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red S ...
(2008-2011)
2012 MLB Draft
One Highlander was selected in the
2012 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2012 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto Rico Baseball Ac ...
.
P Eddie Orozco, selected in the 22nd round by the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
, chose to sign a professional contract.
2013 MLB Draft
Two Highlanders were selected in the
2013 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of ...
. The
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
selected P Trevor Frank in the 8th round, and the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
selected P Jacob Smigelski in the 39th round. Frank signed with Cleveland, while Smigelski chose to return to Riverside for his senior season.
References
{{Big West Conference baseball navbox