Fresno State Beats Titans, Clinches PCAA Title

Fresno State defeated Cal State Fullerton, 5-3, to clinch the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. baseball title Saturday in a fight-marred game in front of 1,431 spectators at Fullerton.

The fight, which started after a play at the plate in the top of the sixth inning, resulted in the ejection of Fullerton Coach Larry Cochell. It was the first time in 22 years of coaching that Cochell has been thrown out of a game.

The fight overshadowed much of the game, including Brent Mayne’s fifth-inning single to extend his PCAA- and school-record hitting streak to 30 games.

Also lost in the scuffle was a six-hitter by Fresno State freshman Erik Schullstrom (11-1). It was the eighth consecutive victory for Schullstrom and the 31st in a row for Fresno State (48-6 overall, 17-0 in the PCAA and ranked second in the nation in the Baseball America poll). Fullerton (35-13, 11-6 and ranked 5th) is hoping for an at-large berth to the NCAA playoffs.

The fight started after Fresno’s Lance Shebelut, trying to score on a double by Brandon Mitchell, ran into catcher Mayne in the sixth. Shebelut had walked to open the inning.

Shebelut was blocked off the plate by Mayne, but the relay throw by shortstop Mark Razook was wild. Shebelut appeared to be returning to the plate to touch it, but instead advanced toward Mayne and the pair wrestled to the ground. Soon after, the teams rushed to join in at home plate.

It took nearly five minutes before the teams returned to their dugouts.

Cochell was at the plate, protesting that Shebelut never touched home plate. It was ruled otherwise, and the Titan coach was ejected as he walked toward his dugout.

“I was just out there trying to appeal and was ejected,” Cochell said. “What can you do?”

Shebelut also was ejected for starting the fight.

Fresno took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Eddie Zosky hit into a fielder’s choice to score Jeff Mott. Mott had walked, reached second on a passed ball and advanced to third when Fullerton left fielder Greg Mannion dropped a fly ball hit by Tom Goodwin.

Fresno scored twice in the sixth and twice again in the seventh for a 5-0 lead.

With one out in the eighth, Mark Razook walked and Bobby Jones singled for Fullerton. Both advanced on a groundout by Jason Rolish and scored on a two-run single by Rex Peters.

Fullerton added a run in the ninth on a solo home run by Keith Kaub, his team-leading 15th of the season. But Jim Osborn took a called third strike for the final out. Mark Beck (8-5) pitched 6 innings to take the loss.

“We just need to regroup and come back,” Cochell said. “We are in good shape for the playoffs as long as we don’t go down the tubes, and we have too good a team to let that happen.”

The teams conclude the three-game series today with a 1 p.m. game at Fullerton.