Titans’ Baseball Success Depends on New Talent

Before the Cal State Fullerton baseball season was so abruptly ended last spring with two losses to USC in the NCAA Regionals, the Titans had been ranked as high as third nationally, outfielder Dante Powell was swiping bases by the dozen and Fullerton alumnus Kevin Costner was attending every Titan NCAA game.

So here comes 1994, and plenty of questions lie between the Titans and “A Perfect World.”

The infield. Is it fixable?

Two things here. Construction on Titan Field left the infield in a mess. But the work is completed, which should help in Tuesday’s home opener against UC Riverside.

As for the Titan infield, its first test will come in a season-opening three-game series at Stanford beginning this afternoon. Freshman Jack Jones will attempt to replace Nate Rodriquez (.280) at shortstop and Jeff Ferguson has moved from third to second to fill in for Jeremy Carr (.351, 41 stolen bases). Jones, from Downey High in Modesto, has impressed the Titans in workouts.

“He’s going to be an outstanding player,” associate head coach George Horton said. “He’s played very well; he’s mature beyond his years; he’s hit our pitching very effectively. He’s made the transition very well.

“He’s everything we thought he would be in the recruiting process. If he’s not an outstanding professional, he’s certainly going to be an outstanding college player.”

Ferguson (.318 in 1993) has hit well but needs work in the field at second base.

Who will drive the Titans the way Carr did?

Powell (.335, 42 stolen bases, 12 homers) will replace Carr as the leadoff man and Craig Skyberg, the new third baseman, will bat second.

Powell has been named a preseason All-American and the best outfield prospect in the nation by Baseball America. That publication also projects him to be the 11th player chosen in this June’s major league draft.

Whatever happened to cupcakes and Twinkies?

Coach Augie Garrido believes a team prepares for the NCAA playoffs by surviving a minefield of a schedule. So the Titans will play Georgia Tech (No. 1 in Baseball America’s preseason poll), Wichita State (No. 3), USC (No. 5), Pepperdine (No. 7), Texas (No. 11), Stanford (No. 12) and Long Beach State (No. 21).

What do they say? Baseball is 70% pitching? 80%? 90%?

It’s a lot, anyway, and Titan arms are strong and experienced. Mike Parisi (10-3, 4.71) and Dan Ricabal (11-3, 3.48) return to the rotation and Chad Rolish (2-0, 2.74) moves from the bullpen to the rotation. The Titans will go with Parisi, Rolish, then Ricabal. That gives them a right, left, right rotation.

What about the rankings?

The Titans are third nationally according to College Sports, fifth in Collegiate Baseball and sixth in Baseball America.

Any weaknesses?

“There is definitely still some confusion defensively,” Horton said. “That just comes from repetition and experience. Those are the mental parts of the game, and it takes awhile for new guys to step forward and feel like they can take a leadership role.”