COLLEGE WORLD SERIES : Fullerton Loses Gonzales, Then Just Loses

If there is a tiny bright spot--well, bright speck--in Cal State Fullerton’s 14-4 loss to Oklahoma State Saturday night, it is that the Titans lost their first College World Series game in 1979 and came back to win the national championship.

But Fullerton lost a lot more than a game Saturday night. It lost its most consistent hitter, its senior leader and its best defensive outfielder.

When an ambulance carried Rich Gonzales off the field after the left fielder’s head-on collision with the outfield wall in the second inning, it wheeled away the heart of Fullerton’s offense and, perhaps, the Titans’ chances of winning their third NCAA title.

After the incident, Gonzales, who leads the team with a .386 average, was placed in a neck brace and transported to the University of Nebraska-Omaha Hospital, where he was listed in good condition and then released later Saturday night. Gonzales was resting comfortably and was able to move all limbs.

But it’s doubtful he will return Monday for Fullerton’s losers’ bracket game against The Citadel.

“He’s got a pretty big lump on his head and his neck is really hurting,” Fullerton third baseman Phil Nevin said. “I don’t think he’ll be back.”

And that, Nevin said, is bad news for the Titans.

“It took the heart out of us when he got hurt,” Nevin said. “He’s the guy who leads us with his actions and presence in the dugout. There’s a big difference when he’s not there, and it’s going to be tough not having him.”

It wasn’t easy with him and without him Saturday night. The Titans suffered one of their worst defeats this season at the hands of Oklahoma State, which advanced to Monday night’s winners’ bracket game against Louisiana State.

A crowd of 15,051 in Rosenblatt Stadium saw Oklahoma State (54-16) get to five Fullerton pitchers for 18 hits, the most the Titans (36-22) have allowed in a game this season. The Cowboys have scored 55 runs in their last four playoff games, 27 of them in two games against Arizona State.

After batting around in the second inning off Titan starter James Popoff, the Cowboys sent nine men to the plate in the third, scoring five runs to take a 12-1 lead.

Oklahoma State catcher Michael Daniel had four hits, including his 21st home run of the season, and four runs batted in, and shortstop Brad Beanblossom had four hits and three RBIs for the Cowboys.

Junior right-hander Dennis Burbank, a former Valencia High School (Placentia) star who played at Pepperdine and Cypress College, allowed seven hits in seven innings to earn the victory.

A Fullerton defense that made one error in four regional games committed three Saturday.

But few Titans were dwelling on the loss afterward. They were more concerned with Gonzales.

“I tell you what, the ballgame became awfully insignificant after he got hurt,” Fullerton Coach Larry Cochell said. “I was just glad to see he was OK.”

For a while, though, the injury appeared more serious.

With two men on and Oklahoma State leading, 4-1, Daniel launched a fly ball to left-center field. Gonzales raced back and appeared to make an over-the-shoulder, lunging catch at the warning track.

Gonzales’ momentum took him to the ground, and his forehead smashed into the fence, just below the 370-foot mark. Television replays showed that when Gonzales rolled from his stomach to his back, the ball fell out of his glove.

Third-base umpire Dick Runchey ruled there was no catch, and Daniel circled the bases for a three-run home run and a 7-1 lead.

“In the umpire’s judgment, the fielder had not demonstrated that he had complete control of the ball,” said Bill Thurston, NCAA Division I baseball committee secretary-rules editor. “It is the umpire’s judgement as to whether the collision or fall caused the ball to come loose. When the umpire ran out to check to see if the outfielder had possession, he saw the ball on the ground and ruled no catch.”

Gonzales remained on the ground for about 15 minutes, conscious throughout the ordeal. “We were almost in tears,” catcher Matt Hattabaugh said. “I picked up his arm and it was like Jell-O. I was scared and got this sick feeling in my stomach.”

Despite improbable odds, Hattabaugh says Gonzales, a former star quarterback at Diamond Bar High, will be back Monday.

“No one on the field plays harder than Rich,” Hattabaugh said. “He’s a tough competitor. I think he can play.”

Louisiana State 8, The Citadel 2--Lyle Mouton had three hits, including two doubles, Tookie Johnson had two doubles and three RBIs and Tim Clark hit a two-run home run for the Tigers (53-17).

The Citadel (45-13) had 12 hits but could manage only single runs in the first and third innings.