USC Finally Beats Fullerton, 5-2, to Advance to Winners’ Bracket

Cal State Fullerton defeated USC twice during the regular season, a statistic that apparently meant little when the two teams met Saturday night in the Central II Regional of the NCAA baseball tournament.

USC beat Fullerton, 5-2, at Disch-Falk Field and now will play host Texas today at 10:30 a.m. in this double-elimination regional.

Each team is 2-0.

“We had (Fullerton) right where we wanted them,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie joked. “We set them up with those other two losses.

“If we were going to only get one of the three, I guess this was the one to get.”

It was a season-high sixth consecutive victory for the Trojans (34-27), during which USC has outscored its opponents 60-8. Left fielder J.P. Roberge had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. Dan Hubbs pitched the final two innings, striking out five to earn his nation-leading and school-record 18th save.

Second-seeded Fullerton (34-18) will play sixth-seeded McNeese State (38-22) today after the USC-Texas game. If Fullerton wins, the Titans will play a second game against the USC-Texas loser.