TIMING IS EVERYTHING : Trachsel’s Development Helps Fullerton Reach American Legion World Series

All Steve Trachsel needed, his coaches kept saying, was time to mature as a pitcher. After all, he was only 17 as a senior at Troy High School and was still 17 when he started at Fullerton College.

“When he first got here he needed to grow up,” Fullerton Coach Nick Fuscardo said. “He was just a pup. He had a lot to learn and was still young to be on this level.”

Trachsel seems to be coming of age just in time.

Trachsel and his Fullerton Angel teammates will begin play tonight in the American Legion World Series in Millington, Tenn. Trachsel will be the starting pitcher when the Angels play Gonzales, La., at 6 (PST) in the first round of the double-elimination tournament.

“I’m really looking forward to the start,” he said in a phone interview from Millington. “It’s the chance of a lifetime. It’s hard to believe we’re here, considering there are about 4,000 American Legion teams and we are in the final eight.”

One of the main reasons the Fullerton Angels are in the final eight at all is Trachsel, a 6-foot-3 right-hander. He was 12-1 this summer with six saves for the Angels.

“He just thrives on work,” said Dan Robinson, who coached Trachsel at Troy. “He’s kind of like the old-time pitchers. ‘Just give me the ball and let’s get this over with.’ ”

Trachsel has had some success as a pitcher the last couple of years, even as he was growing into the role.

He was 7-5 as a senior at Troy in 1988. He then moved on last season to Fullerton College, where he was a starter.

Trachsel has had a good running fastball and a breaking pitch working for him, but he had a bad attitude working against him up until recently.

In the past, an error by a teammate or a bad call by an umpire would leave him angry and hard to deal with.

“I didn’t realize I had that rap,” Trachsel said. “But I’ve come to find out I had a pretty bad attitude. . . . I always figured I was just more competitive than the others.”

Robinson and Fuscardo agreed that the main reason for Trachsel’s poor attitude was his lack of maturity.

Trachsel matured during his first season in college and has continued to improve this summer as he pitched for the Fullerton Angels, coached by Robinson and Butch Smith. American Legion baseball is for players 18 and under.

Trachsel got two victories and two saves last weekend as Fullerton won the Western Regional in Union City. He pitched a six-hitter as Fullerton defeated Las Vegas, 4-3, in the championship game Sunday. He was voted the most valuable player of the regional.

“Finally, he’s pitching like we expected him to,” Robinson said. “I’ve seen this kind of success in him since he was at Troy. He can do a lot of things out there as long as he’s under control and has the confidence. He’s always had a lot of talent but not much composure. Now, he has both.”

Trachsel started to grow up in his first day at a Fullerton College baseball practice. College baseball made an immediate impression on him.

“The older players wouldn’t let me get away with anything,” he said. “Right away, they were on me if I tried to pop off or anything else. It helped keep me in line.”

Trachsel and Will Barber were the only consistent starters for Fullerton, which went 12-27. Trachsel was 4-8 overall in 14 starts. He pitched in 82 1/3 innings and had a 4.81 earned-run average.

“There were times when I had to go to the mound and slap him around a little if he got out of hand,” Fuscardo said, joking. “But he was learning how to pitch and growing up the whole time. We’re excited he’s coming back for another season.”

At the end of the spring, Fuscardo and Robinson both decided it would be better for Trachsel to pitch in American Legion ball, where he would get more chances to pitch.

The Fullerton College summer team had as many as 16 pitchers. They were going no longer than one or two innings each, and only four or five could work in a game.

“I didn’t look at it as a slap in the face,” Trachsel said. “I got a lot of work and my split-finger (fastball) has really improved. I like seeing how long I can last in a game. This was best for me. I’ve got a chance to do a lot of things this summer.”