COLLEGE WORLD SERIES NOTEBOOK : His Pitches Are Beautiful When He’s Angry

No one has compared Cal State Fullerton pitcher Dan Naulty with Al Hrabosky, the former major league reliever known as “The Mad Hungarian,” but Naulty can storm around mounds with the best of the bad boys.

Naulty, who tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve, face, arms, shoulders, legs--you get the picture--was furious at times during Wednesday’s game against Miami. Seems he and home plate umpire Al Davis had a different opinion of where the strike zone was.

“When you pitch against the No. 1 team in the nation and throw a strike, you expect to get the call,” Naulty said. “When you don’t, it makes things doubly tough.”

Titan coaches have chastised Naulty for being too emotional, but Naulty believes he pitches better when he’s mad, and it’s hard to argue with his results.

Naulty (13-3) allowed only two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings in Wednesday’s 7-5 victory over Miami, his second series victory.

“It gets my adrenaline going,” Naulty said of his outbursts. “Even my dad says it makes me pitch better. It’s just too bad I’ve got to wait until a guy hits a homer or something to get mad.”

Add Naulty: The senior right-hander had some bad luck and good luck all on one play Wednesday.

The good: Juan Llanes lined a ball off the inside of Naulty’s left knee that ricocheted right to third baseman Phil Nevin, who threw to first for the out.

The bad: Naulty’s knee was swollen after the game, and he had trouble bending it. Still, he said he’d be able to pitch in Saturday’s championship game if Fullerton beats Miami Friday.

“It hurts,” Naulty said. “But I’m sure the adrenaline would take over Saturday.”

The Young And the Hitless: The offensive struggles of freshmen D.C. Olsen (0 for 13) and Dante Powell (0 for 12) continued Wednesday, and Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido didn’t seem surprised.

“This is above their experience level,” Garrido said. “They’re going against high Class-A or Class-AA pitching. This is the best in the country. The people who are not distracted by that are the people who have been here before.”

Olsen has been outstanding defensively, but Powell had trouble Wednesday, diving for a ball he had little chance of catching (Frank Mora’s fourth-inning double) and then dropping the ball as he went to make a throw on Mora’s hit. He also let Donald Robinson’s hit bound away from him for a double in the eighth.

Garrido pulled Dante Powell in the ninth, moved Chris Powell from center to left and inserted Frank Herman to center field, a move that could be repeated Friday.

Pitching lines: Miami Coach Ron Fraser said he will start left-hander Jeff Alkire against the Titans Friday. Alkire allowed only three hits in seven innings Sunday to lead the Hurricanes to a 4-3 victory over Fullerton.

Garrido said he will likely counter with James Popoff, who pitched the ninth inning Wednesday.

Starting time of the game hinges on tonight’s Texas-Pepperdine game. If the Waves eliminate the Longhorns, Fullerton-Miami would begin at 4:30 p.m. (PDT). If Texas wins to force another game against Pepperdine, Fullerton would play Miami at 1 p.m., followed by Texas-Pepperdine at 4:30.

Who’s Counting? A question is launched from the back of the interview room for Nevin.

“Phil, you’re hitting almost .700 for the Series. Can you talk a little bit about your batting stroke?”

Cue Garrido, who rolls his eyes and leans into the microphone first:

“What a way to put him into the tank. Thanks a lot.”

Garrido’s superstitions were showing, and why not? Nevin has all but owned Omaha this week, leading all World Series players in average (.636), RBIs (9), walks (7) and grand slams (1), and tying three others with two home runs.

“He certainly has that aura, that air about him, that he’s liable to take it deep any time,” Fraser said. “Pitch him outside, he’ll go deep the other way. For a guy who’s been pitched around so much, he shows great discipline at the plate.”

Times staff writer Mike Penner contributed to this story.