Gritty Falsken Gets 2nd Chance in College World Series

Two years ago this week, Tim Falsken stretched out on a sofa at a friend’s house and watched Cal State Long Beach play in the College World Series on television.

It was a bittersweet feeling for Falsken, who had seen his freshman season at Long Beach end a few months earlier because of shoulder surgery.

“It was not a good feeling, because I always wanted to go to Omaha for the World Series,” Falsken said. “As I was watching, I thought maybe I missed my only chance.”

Falsken was wrong. The redshirt sophomore from Westlake High is the starting third baseman for a Long Beach team that is playing in the World Series for the third time in five years.

Fourth-seeded Long Beach lost its opener to fifth-seeded LSU, 7-1, on Friday and will play an elimination game today against eighth-seeded Kansas, a 5-1 first-round loser to top-seeded Texas A&M.;

Falsken, 5-feet-9, 165 pounds, entered the World Series batting .274 with one homer and 26 runs batted in. He was hitless in three at-bats against LSU, but his sacrifice bunt attempt led to Long Beach’s only run when pitcher Mike Sirotka made a throwing error.

“If you look at his offensive numbers, they’re average,” Long Beach Coach Dave Snow said of Falsken. “But he’s done a lot of clutch things for us and gotten some key hits.

“He’s an overachiever with a mental toughness that his teammates respect.”

Falsken’s injury-plagued road to Omaha began after he graduated from Westlake High, where he batted .360 during three years on the varsity.

In 1991, Falsken missed Long Beach’s season because of a shoulder injury. Last season, he played in only six games before he broke his right leg in a collision with a teammate.

He opened this season as the starting second baseman, but was sidelined for a few games with a thigh injury. By the time Falsken returned six games later, Eric Martins had established himself as the starter.

Long Beach, however, was in the midst of an inconsistent start. Third base, especially, was a wide-open position waiting for a player to establish himself.

“I had always been a shortstop and second baseman--I had never played third base in my life,” Falsken said. “But I went to Snow and asked him if I could have a chance.”

Long Beach was 12-12 at the time Falsken asked for the opportunity. The 49ers are 31-6 since he got it.

“It’s been a big change from second because the ball is on you so much quicker,” Falsken said. “I’m still learning a lot about the position.”

Falsken would like a few more opportunities to continue his educational process in Omaha. A victory over Kansas would provide that, although no team has lost its first game and gone on to win the national title under the current two-bracket format that was instituted in 1988.

“This team never thinks that it can’t win,” Falsken said. “It’s been the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball.”