COLLEGE WORLD SERIES : Fullerton Is Feeling Fine Now : Baseball: Freshman Parisi overcomes strep throat and mononucleosis to beat Florida State, 6-0. Titans in rematch with top-seeded Miami today.

Neither wild horses nor a case of mononucleosis was going to keep Cal State Fullerton freshman Mike Parisi from pitching in Tuesday’s College World Series game against Florida State.

Parisi has been ill since the Titans arrived in Omaha and thought all he had was strep throat. An Omaha doctor added mononucleosis to the diagnosis Monday but told Titan coaches that Parisi’s condition would get no worse if he pitched.

And Fullerton was all the better for it.

Parisi, a right-hander from Arcadia High School, allowed only two hits in six innings to lead Fullerton to a 6-0 victory over Florida State before 8,500 in Rosenblatt Stadium.

Paco Chavez pitched three innings for the save. And the Titans (44-16) doused two Seminole threats by turning two double plays to eliminate Florida State (49-21) and advance to today’s 2 p.m. (PDT) game against top-ranked and top-seeded Miami. Senior right-hander Dan Naulty will start for the Titans.

Fullerton lost to Miami, 4-3, Sunday and must defeat the Hurricanes (55-8) today and Friday to gain a berth in Saturday’s national championship game.

If the Titans get that far, Parisi would likely pitch. Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido would not think twice about starting a freshman--well, this freshman--in a game of such magnitude.

“I’ve sensed in him a star-like quality--this guy wants to be something, and he wants the ball in this situation,” Garrido said. “He likes the challenge and excitement of a big game.”

Parisi, a midweek starter for most of the season but one of the Titans’ best pitchers in the postseason, thrived on that excitement Tuesday, striking out three and not allowing a runner past second base.

He walked three but kept the Seminoles off-balance, changing speeds on his slider and gaining command of a changeup to go with his fastball.

“I feel pretty tired now, but nothing was going to keep me from pitching in the College World Series,” Parisi said. “I could have pitched more, but there was no need to.”

Not with Chavez, who also teamed with Parisi to shut out Louisiana State, 11-0, in the South I Region playoffs, ready in the bullpen. Chavez allowed three game-winning homers during the regular season but has been untouchable in the postseason, allowing no runs in seven innings.

The senior right-hander hopes to become a firefighter some day, and he got some more experience Tuesday, but not before committing a bit of arson himself.

With the Titans ahead, 3-0, Chavez replaced Parisi to start the seventh inning and, two pitches later, Florida State had runners on first and second after Ty Mueller’s bunt single and Chris Brock’s single to left.

“I was wondering, ‘Oh, no, what could happen next?’ ” said Chavez, who has five saves. “After those two got on, I felt I had to get a grounder, throw strikes and let the defense pick me up again.”

That turned out to be a fine strategy. Left-handed hitting Kevin McCray grounded toward the second-base hole, but Fullerton first baseman D.C. Olsen made a back-handed grab, fired to shortstop Nate Rodriquez for the force, and Rodriquez threw to Chavez at first to double up McCray.

Tony Liebsack grounded out to Steve Sisco at second to end the inning, and Chavez retired the Seminoles in order in the eighth and ninth. Fullerton added three runs in the ninth, one on Sisco’s second RBI hit of the game.

“If D.C. Olsen doesn’t make a great play, we’re back in the ballgame,” Florida State Coach Mike Martin said. “Cal State Fullerton plays as hard as any team we’ve faced, they’re well-schooled and it’s fun to watch them execute.”

Florida State played an errorless game and turned two important double plays of its own, but the Seminoles were hurt by the 11 walks issued by five pitchers--five by starter Chris Roberts. Five Titans who reached base on walks scored.

Jeremy Carr walked to open the game, was sacrificed to second and scored on Phil Nevin’s single to center. Chris Powell walked to open the third and later scored on Sisco’s double-play ball.

Nevin walked with one out in the fifth, advanced to second on Jason Moler’s groundout and scored on Sisco’s bloop double to left, which bounced out of a diving Kenny Felder’s glove.

That gave the Titans a 3-0 lead, which they protected with excellent defense. Rodriquez, who made a crucial error in Sunday’s loss to Miami, redeemed himself by making a leaping grab of McCray’s chopper and throwing him out in the fifth, going into the hole to field Nandy Serrano’s grounder and turn it into a double play in the sixth, and turning the important 3-6-1 double play in the seventh.

Rodriquez also ranged deep into the shortstop hole to field Roberts’ grounder in the sixth and turn it into an inning-ending forceout.

Moler, the Fullerton catcher, made a strong throw to get Felder at third in the fourth inning after Felder tried to advance when a pitch bounced away from Moler. And Olsen made a nice catch of Liebsack’s one-hop smash in the third inning.

With that kind of defense and solid pitching--Fullerton has allowed nine runs in seven postseason games--the Titans remain in the hunt for their third national championship.