COLLEGE BASEBALL PREVIEW : Cal State Fullerton Will Be Daunting With Dante at Bat

Dante Powell did not waste any time making his pivotal junior season an impressive one.

The Cal State Fullerton center fielder had seven hits in 15 at-bats, drove in three runs and stole four bases last weekend as the Titans won two of three games in a season-opening series at Stanford.

Powell has been looking forward to this season since 1991, when he passed up a $425,000 offer from the Toronto Blue Jays after they chose him with a supplemental first-round draft pick out of Long Beach Millikan High. Powell, 6 feet 2 and 185 pounds, is expected to be one of the first players chosen in this year’s draft.

With Powell leading the way, Fullerton is expected to win the Big West Conference title and reach the College World Series for the second time in three years. Fullerton lost to Pepperdine in the 1992 national championship game. Last season, the Titans were eliminated by USC in the Central II Regional at Austin, Tex., and finished 35-19.

“This team compares to the one I played on as a freshman,” said Powell, who batted .335 with 12 home runs, 57 runs batted in and 42 stolen bases last season. “We have a lot of experience and leadership mixed with some talented incoming players.

“This year, I’ll probably take more of a leadership role. It’s a natural move because I’m pretty vocal.”

Fullerton has a veteran pitching staff, including senior right-hander Dan Ricabal, who was 11-3 with a 3.49 earned-run average last season, and junior right-hander Mike Parisi (10-3, 4.71). Adam Millan (.354, seven homers, 57 RBIs) moved from catcher to first base, and second baseman Jeff Ferguson (.318) and outfielder Jim Betzold (.310) also returned.

Newcomers include freshman left-hander Mark Kotsay and freshman outfielder Jeremy Giambi.

But Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido said the Titans’ success will be tied to Powell’s ability to deal with the pressure of performing during his draft year.

“It is going to have a big impact on this team,” Garrido said. “If he is distracted and intimidated by it, then his progress will be slow. You can’t play to a mythical expectation level.”

Here is a look at the other Southland Division I teams:

* USC

1993 record: 35-29

Last season, the Trojans came within a bounce of advancing to the championship game against Texas in the Central II Regional.

Coach Mike Gillespie has seven starting position players back, including sophomore shortstop Gabe Alvarez (.326), a freshman All- American last season. Sophomore outfielder Geoff Jenkins (.323) is coming off a dominant summer in the Alaska League, and junior third baseman Aaron Boone (.286) is a All-American candidate.

Like every team in the Pacific 10 Southern Division, the Trojans have an untested pitching staff. Senior right-hander Tony Nieto, who began his college career as a catcher, is the ace. Nieto was 8-5 with a 3.52 ERA last season. Ben Tucker (2-7, 5.37) and Grant Vermillion (3-2, 5.67) will also be starters. USC must find a way to offset the loss of closer Dan Hubbs, who had 18 saves in 1993. Justin Parle (3-0, 4.57) will be the No. 1 reliever.

* UCLA

1993 record: 37-23

Gary Adams, in his 20th season as coach of the Bruins, lost seven of the nine players drafted off last year’s team that advanced to the Central I Regional at College Station, Tex., including All-American first baseman Ryan McGuire.

Junior Mike Mitchell (.314, 12 homers) replaces McGuire at first base. Senior outfielder David Roberts (.296, 28 steals) and infielder Travis Boyd, a redshirt junior, have returned after rejecting pro offers.

Redshirt sophomore Brian Stephenson (5-4, 4.85 and four saves), a transfer from UC Santa Barbara, is the Bruins’ No. 1 starter. The Bruin staff also includes freshmen Seth Bean, 12-1 at Lompoc High in 1993, and John Phillips, 14-0 at Bullard High in Fresno.

* LONG BEACH STATE

1993 record: 46-19

The 49ers, who came within three outs of playing for the national championship last season, are trying to make their fourth World Series appearance in six seasons under Coach Dave Snow.

To get there, Long Beach must find a way to replace Daniel Choi, who was 17-2 as a draft-eligible sophomore last year. Choi signed a professional contract in Korea, elevating Mike Fontana (9-3, 2.94) to staff ace. The 49ers also have left-hander Gabe Gonzalez (4-3, 1.54, 13 saves), who suffered the season-ending loss to eventual national champion Louisiana State. Freshman right-hander Marcus Jones should also figure prominently.

Sophomore first baseman Jeff Liefer (.356, 12 homers, 54 RBIs) is the top returning position player. Key newcomers include Snow’s son, Casey, a freshman catcher, and outfielder Rolando Avila and shortstop Ryan Miller, who are JC transfers.

* PEPPERDINE

1993 record: 41-17

An influx of talented transfers and freshmen could give the Waves a legitimate shot at their ninth West Coast Conference championship in 10 seasons and their second NCAA title in three years.

Coached by Andy Lopez, Pepperdine already had a formidable pitching staff with sophomore starters Greg Gregory (7-3, 2.65) and Jason LeBlanc (7-4, 2.83), and senior relievers Mauricio Estavil (5-0, 2.64, five saves) and Adam Housley (4-4, 1.93, four saves). It got even stronger when Jason Dietrich transferred from Rancho Santiago College, Cade Gaspar transferred from Saddleback College and Matt Wise passed up a six-figure pro offer and joined the Waves.

Other transfers who will have an immediate impact include catcher Keith McDonald and first baseman Greg Tippin from Cypress College, second baseman David Rosato from Harbor College and infielder David Newhan from Georgia Tech.

* LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

1993 Record: 23-33

The Lions have one of the most talented two-way players in the country in junior Jesse Ibarra, who was selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft by the Minnesota Twins.

Ibarra batted .299 with 17 homers and was 2-1 with a 3.41 ERA and four saves in 1993. Junior outfielder Mike Peters (.365) and senior first baseman Anthony Napolitano (.315) will help Coach Jody Robinson’s team in the West Coast Conference race.

Junior Shawn Hammett (7-8, 5.38) and sophomore Ryan Graves (5- 6, 4.59) are the top returning pitchers. Freshman Jason Hueth is the top recruit on the mound.

* CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

1993 Record: 36-20

The Matadors, under Coach Bill Kernen, are seeking their fourth consecutive regional appearance since joining Division I.

Kevin Kempton (10-4, 3.99), Marco Contreras (8-4, 3.98) and Johnny Najar (5-2, 5.93) have returned from a staff that helped the Matadors advance to the West I regional at Tempe, Ariz. Senior second baseman Keyaan Cook (.306) is the top returning hitter. First baseman Jason Shanahan (.271) and center fielder Joey Arnold (.264) also are back.

Catcher Eric Gillespie and first baseman Andy Shaw are highly regarded freshmen.

* UC SANTA BARBARA

1993 Record: 24-30-1

The Gauchos have a new coach in Bob Brontsema and a new facility in 1,000-seat Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. They also have three talented sophomores in first baseman/pitcher Jared Janke (.330, 13 homers), outfielder Wynter Phoenix (.315) and third baseman Zach Elliott (.307).

Senior shortstop Matt Bokemeier (.342) is the most experienced player.

* CHAPMAN

1993 Record: 22-32

The Panthers, under first-year Coach Rex Peters, will play only two games against Division I opponents this season as they prepare to move to Division III next year.

Senior right-hander James Thomas, who had tendinitis last season, has beaten Pepperdine, UCLA and USC during his career.