COLLEGE BASEBALL / NCAA REGIONAL PLAYOFFS : Fullerton Wins, Will Play USC

It was after Kevin Costner had finished his hot dog and second baseman Jeremy Carr had stolen three bases, after Cal State Fullerton had executed two perfect squeeze bunts and turned the Maine Black Bears inside out, when Coach Augie Garrido held up his hand.

“I want to make an announcement,” he said. “We’ve just traded for (Brooks) Kieschnick. He’s coming over to pitch the third game for us.”

Garrido grinned the grin of a man who had spent the afternoon signaling for plays his opponent didn’t have a prayer of stopping.

A trade? For Brooks Kieschnick, the Texas Longhorn ace, Collegiate Baseball’s 1993 player of the year?

So the Titans didn’t accomplish everything Friday but, considering their 11-5 victory over Maine in an opening-round NCAA Central II Regional game, they weren’t concerned enough to skip that Texas barbecue later in the evening, either.

Playing a game for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks, the Titans (34-17) laced up their spikes, loosened up their arms and then lit up Maine (33-26) to advance to tonight’s game against USC, a 7-1 winner over Kentucky.

It was the Titans’ 13th consecutive regional victory, and they are 17-3 in regional play since 1984. And, they are 2-0 this season playing in front of Costner, the school’s most famous alum, who is in town filming a movie with Clint Eastwood. He spent the afternoon watching baseball from a front-row seat near the Fullerton dugout.

He saw the Titans score on a safety squeeze and a suicide squeeze, two on wild pitches, two more on errors and another on a sacrifice fly.

They tied a season high with seven stolen bases and used the hit-and-run on several occasions.

Mark Ballard (8-3) started for Maine, faced eight batters and left trailing, 3-0. He threw only 30 pitches before complaining of numbness in his fingers and shoulder.

In USC’s victory, Tony Nieto gave up a run and six hits in 7 2/3 innings to beat Kentucky.

USC scored three runs during the first inning and three during the third.

“We’re not deep on the mound, so to get this many innings out of Nieto is very, very important,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said.

Nieto (8-4) has won five of his last six starts and has given up eight earned runs in his last 40 1/3 innings.

Kurt Bierek and Aaron Boone each drove in two runs for USC.

EAST

Pinch-hitter Brian Smith drew a bases-loaded walk from Jay Powell with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning as Long Beach eliminated Mississippi State with a 2-1 victory at Tallahassee, Fla.

Long Beach will play Florida State, a 7-3 winner in 10 innings over Notre Dame Friday, in game between two unbeaten teams.

John Swanson, who hit a solo homer for Long Beach during the first inning, singled to start the ninth, but was thrown out at second on a sacrifice attempt by Kevin Curtis. One out later, Curtis advanced to third on bloop single by Rudy Rodriguez. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, and Brian Whatley was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Smith worked the count to 3-2 before Powell forced in the winning run with a pitch that was low and outside.

“I’m not allowed to say anything bad about NCAA umpires,” Mississippi State Coach Ron Polk said. “It was a good pitch. You’ve got to ring him up.”

David Goldstein (2-2) pitched three innings in relief of Mike Fontana for the victory.

CENTRAL I

John Myrow had a two-run triple and a two-run homer to lead UCLA to a 9-4 victory over Hawaii at College Station, Tex.

UCLA will play Texas A&M;, a 10-5 winner Friday over Lamar, today in a game between 2-0 teams.

Hawaii took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on two hits and two errors.

Mike Mitchell homered for UCLA in the second and Myrow added a two-run triple as the Bruins took a 6-3 lead.

* CSUN WINS C1