UCI trio in the running for Brooks Wallace Award

UC Irvine senior shortstop Ben Orloff, as well as junior pitchers Eric Pettis and Christian Bergman have been selected to the 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award preseason watch list.

The Wallace Award, given to the top college player by the College Baseball Hall of Fame, will be announced July 2 at Texas Tech University.

Pettis, a second-team All-American in 2008, also earned first-team All-Big Conference honors after finishing second in the nation with a school-record-tying 17 saves. As a sophomore, Pettis was 4-3 with a 2.62 earned-run average. He struck out 50 and allowed just 37 hits in 44 2/3 innings.

Orloff earned first-team all-conference recognition last season, when he hit .344 average with a team-best 17 doubles. He was named to the Lincoln Regional All-Tournament team and ranked 12th in the nation in sacrifice bunts.

Orloff, who was second-team all-conference as a sophmore, led the nation in sacrifice hits his first two seasons at UCI. He has started 155 consecutive games heading into the 2009 campaign.

Bergman was a first-team All-Big West performer last season as a starter and reliever. The right-hander was 5-2 and ranked No. 10 in the nation with a team-best 1.94 ERA. He made 24 appearances, including seven starts. He allowed 59 hits, walked just 16 and struck out 37 in 60 1/3 innings.

Bergman posted an 0.64 ERA against conference teams.

UCI begins the season Feb. 20 at Hawaii.

— From staff reports