Nevin’s Slam Is Grand in 7-2 Victory for Titans

Phil Nevin’s rib cage hurt so much Thursday he probably had trouble holding up the huge college player of the year trophy from Baseball America Magazine.

But Friday night, the Cal State Fullerton third baseman showed why he won the award, lining a grand slam to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead the Titans to a 7-2 victory over Florida State in the first round of the College World Series before 13,189 in Rosenblatt Stadium.

Nevin, whose homer broke a 2-2 tie, also knocked in a run with a single in the fifth inning and another with a single in the eighth, giving him six RBIs--one shy of the College World Series single-game record, held by Arizona’s Carl Thomas, against Oregon in 1954; and Arizona State’s Stan Holmes, against Oklahoma State in 1981.

Senior right-hander Dan Naulty (12-3) gave up only two hits and two runs in six innings to earn the victory, and Paco Chavez gave up one hit over the final three innings to gain a save.

The Titans (43-15) advanced to Sunday’s 4:30 p.m., PDT, winner’s-bracket game against Miami, which beat California, 4-3, in 13 innings Friday.

Fullerton maintained the offensive pace it set at last weekend’s South I Region tournament with 15 hits, including three each by Chris Powell, Steve Sisco and Nate Rodriquez. It was the most hits allowed by the Seminoles (48-29) this season.

The biggest, by far, was Nevin’s homer. The Titans had loaded the bases against Florida State starter Roger Bailey with one out on Rodriquez’s single, Jeremy Carr’s bunt single and Chris Powell’s walk. Seminole Coach Mike Martin brought in submarine-style reliever John Nedeau, who hadn’t given up a homer this season.

Nevin, who missed Friday morning’s practice to visit a hospital because of the rib injury, worked the count to 3-and-1, then got a pitch he described as “up and away.”

Up and away Nevin sent it over the right-field fence for his 21st home run and a 6-2 lead.

There was some doubt whether Nevin would play Friday. He awoke Wednesday morning with stiffness in the right side of his rib-cage, didn’t practice Thursday or Friday and didn’t take infield practice before the game.

Titan trainer Chris Mumaw said Nevin probably strained a muscle between his ribs, but doctors couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of the pain.

The injury affected Nevin more defensively--he had a throwing error and a fielding error--but he also started two of Fullerton’s three double plays that backed a solid pitching effort.

Naulty took a one-hit shutout into the sixth inning but lost it when he walked Nandy Serrano with one out and gave up a two-run home run to designated hitter Kenny Felder, whose blast went over the bleachers in left field and tied the score, 2-2.

The Titans added an insurance run in the eighth when Chris Powell doubled to left and scored on Nevin’s single to left.