JUNE 19, 2007
WWW.dailytitan.com
VOLUME 4, No. 7
After a long fight, Titans leave Omaha By Bram Makonda Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Dave Serrano didn’t hurt either. Serrano was a long-time assistant coach in CSUF and he, along with Coach George Horton of the Titans, led OMAHA, Neb. - Unlike past sea- the 2004 team to victory over the Texas sons, the Cal State Fullerton baseball Longhorns in the championship game. Horton and Serrano remain good team didn’t expect to find itself in the friends. Serrano has implemented TiCollege World Series at Omaha. Squeezing into the post season as the tan-style baseball in the UCI program. This was not the first time that Horfifth-ranked team, they earned this trip with outstanding pitching and timely ton would have to face someone from hitting against tough opponents in re- the Titan staff. In 2004, when the Titans won the championship, the Texas gional and super regional play. It was only fitting that this young Longhorns were led by former Titan Titan team would face the defending head coach Augie Garrido. When the Titans lost to the Beavers, champions, the Oregon State Beavers, the match up of CSUF vs. UCI seemed in the opening match of the series. In the concluding match of the destined. The catch was that both teams opening round of the series, the Titans had to travel 1,500 miles to play. Because of the double-elimination squared off against the Beavers Saturday night with ace Wes Roemer on the format, both teams entered the match mound. The Beavers countered with needing a win to stay alive. The loser Jorge Reyes, a freshmen who displayed would have to pack and go home. Coach Horton said he was grateful poise beyond his years. The game started off with a bang as for the opportunity to face off against Mike Lissman hit a homerun off Ro- his old assistant and vowed that the winemer in the first inning. The scoring ner had to represent Orange County. “This was not how we had it mapped barrage continued in the second by OSU outfielder Scott Santschi, who out. One of us is going to have to carry the Big West flag,” Horton said. “Whosingled home John Wallace. Wallace reached second on a failed ever wins will represent the Big West pickoff throw by Roemer and then third well.” The end result is the longest game in on a groundball by Jordan Lennerton. The Titans got on the board with a College World Series history. The game lasted 5 hours and 40 minutes – 40 homerun by junior Nick Mahin. Leading 2-1, the Beavers added to minutes more the previous record. The longevity of the game spoke a lot their lead when Santschi continued about the two simihis timely hitting by lar styles of baseball. bunting a homerun Horton and Serrano to right center field. have no true power Silencing the Titan Roseblatt Stadium is hitters in this year’s bats, Reyes pitched a tough park to pitch and have eminto the sixth inning in. I thought I pitched squad phasized pitching allowing three hits and defense. and only one earned a great game, I just Titan Starter Jeff run while striking out made two mistakes. Kaplan was steady as three. – Wes Roemer the Titan bats came The Titans tried to Titans Baseball Pitcher to life. In three inswing the momenstances, the Titans tum when Mahin hit took a lead only to a pop-up to left field, watch it tied by the scoring junior Clark Anteaters. Hardman. The game became a standstill at 4But that’s as far as the Titans got, scoring just two in the game. The OSU 4 heading into the 13th inning. That’s bullpen did not walk any batters while when tensions ran high. At the bottom of the inning, the holding the Titans to ground balls and home plate umpire declared Anteater refusing to give up homeruns. Shortly after the game, Titan pitcher Taylor Holliday hit by a pitch. Titan catcher John Curtis disagreed Roemer said that he had a solid outing. “Roseblatt Stadium is a tough park with the call. Holiday did get hit, but to pitch in. I thought I pitched a great it seemed that he stuck his elbow out to game, I just made two mistakes,” Ro- get hit by senior pitcher Bryan Harris. Furiously, coach Horton walked to emer said. Losing to the Beavers meant the Ti- confront the home plate umpire and tans would have to play cross-town rivals was restrained by two umpires. EventuUCI Anteaters, who lost the previous ally, Horton walked back to the dugout and was thrown out of the game. day to the Arizona State Sun Devils. “It wasn’t about him not moving,” The college baseball community did not expect UCI to make it to Omaha ei- Horton said. “He stuck his arm out.” Curtis also took his time to get back ther. With a dramatic win in the Wichita State regional, the Anteaters migrated into the game, expressing his frustration to Omaha in droves, feeling that they’re with the hit. The whole game saw eight a team of destiny. Having head coach batters get hit by a pitch.
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Because the Anteaters rely on base runners to score, this call rallied fans and ignited the hitting for UCI. After a single by Matt Morris, Holiday tried to score from second and end the game. When everyone counted out the game as done, leftfielder Josh Fellhauer was not ready to give up. Fellhauer threw a bullet to home plate and Curtis hung on to the ball, tagging out Holiday for the second out of the inning. This play silenced the crowd looking for an ending to the marathon game. Fullerton fans, on the other hand, witnessed another example of the neversay-die attitude this year’s baseball squad has been all about. The very next batter singled up the middle, scoring the runner from third, ending the game and allowing the Anteaters to advance in their very first College World Series. After the game, Horton and Serrano greeted each other affectionately. “I told him I loved him and thanks for everything,” Serrano said. “He said ‘I’m proud of you. Continue to move on and win this thing.’” For a baseball team that was never supposed to be here, the Titans played like Omaha was just another road game on the schedule. Unfazed by the pressures to perform, the Titans played competitively until the very last out. This year’s squad is young and will compete for years to come. This playoff experience will prove valuable for a program seeking its fifth national title and 16th College World Series appearance.
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By Bram makonda/Daily Titan Staff Writer
Big games - Above, several students and alumni made what seems to be an annual trip to Omaha to cheer on the Titans in their 15th appearance in the College World Series.
By bram makonda/Daily Titan Staff Writer
Left, Jeff Kaplan gets ready to start Fullerton’s second game, which was against the UCI Anteaters. The Anteaters are coached by Dave Serrano, a former assistant coach to CSUF’s head coach George Horton.
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