COLLEGE BASEBALL / GARY KLEIN : Parisi Hunts for Big Game at Fullerton

The bigger the game, the better Mike Parisi pitches.

That appears to be the rule for the Cal State Fullerton right-hander, who is 3-0 with an 0.72 earned-run average.

Parisi, a junior from Arcadia, has beaten Stanford and pitched consecutive shutouts against Arizona and Texas. He has helped the third-ranked Titans compile a 10-1 record, their best start since 1977.

Parisi has a history of pitching well when it counts most. As a freshman, he defeated Louisiana State at Baton Rouge, La., in an NCAA regional game, then beat Florida State in the College World Series.

Last season, he beat San Jose State to give Coach Augie Garrido his 1,000th victory and beat Maine in the Central II regional at Austin, Tex.

“I can’t explain it, but when I look back on it, all of my best games--even in high school--were against the better teams,” said Parisi, who is 18-4 at Fullerton. “I guess I’m more focused, but going into those games, I don’t really do anything differently.”

Parisi is one of several pitchers back from last season who are expected to help carry Fullerton to its second College World Series appearance in three years.

“Going into this year, I just wanted to be one of the top pitchers in the country,” Parisi said. “My work ethic is a step above what it was last year in all areas, including lifting weights and eating right.

“I think I’m starting to open up some eyes. I’m definitely starting to see more interest (from pro scouts). Hopefully, I’ll handle it the right way.”

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Trivia time: What USC player was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965 and by the Dodgers in 1966 and 1970, but never played professional baseball?

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Shaken up: USC pitcher Ben Tucker’s streak of bad luck continued last month when he broke his thumb when he fell down a spiral staircase during the Northridge earthquake.

Tucker, a junior right-hander from Fresno who was expected to be a starter, probably will not play until April. Or he might become a redshirt.

“I woke up during the earthquake and tried to get out of my (second floor) apartment,” Tucker said. “The next thing I knew, I was at the bottom of the staircase.

“With all the aftershocks, I’ve been gripping onto the bed and staying there.”

Last year, Tucker was sidelined for six weeks because of a broken rib. He missed most of a summer league season in Kansas after breaking his hand in a fight.

“Some teammates call me ‘Bad Luck Tuck,’ because of all the stuff that has happened to me,” Tucker said. “Coach (Mike Gillespie) calls me ‘Bubble Boy.’ They think they need to put me in a plastic bubble to keep me ready for the last part of the season.”

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Demolition order: The cinder-block outfield wall at Cal State Northridge was damaged in several places during the quake. School officials, busy with more serious rebuilding concerns, are still deciding whether the wall will be repaired or replaced by a chain-link or wood fence.

Suggestion: Tear it down.

The wall has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years. Several outfielders have suffered injuries by running into it it, and the university has been lucky that no one has suffered a serious head injury.

For a campus facing millions of dollars in quake-related repairs, an outfield wall obviously does not rank as a priority. But when the issue does receive consideration, replacing the cinder-block wall with a more forgiving material would be a wise investment.

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Riptide: Pepperdine pitchers gave up 25 home runs in 58 games last season. In their first seven games this season, the Waves surrendered 11 and issued 51 walks in 62 innings. Not surprisingly, Pepperdine started this week with a 3-4 record.

The Waves will try to get their pitching staff in order this weekend when they travel to Texas for a three-game series against the Longhorns.

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Trivia answer: Mike Garrett.

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Hot water: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, scheduled to move to Division I next season, is off to a 6-0 start and ranked No. 1 in Division II by Collegiate Baseball magazine despite an internal investigation into the program’s financing and Coach Steve McFarland.

McFarland, in his 10th season, admitted in January that he paid six current and former players $6,400. The money, McFarland said, was for registration fees. McFarland is on paid leave while a university committee conducts its probe. The committee’s findings will be presented to university officials and the NCAA, both of which could levy penalties against the program.