Titans Will Lose Their Nucleus but Retain a Lot of Talent : Baseball: Seven Fullerton players were picked in amateur draft, but Horton praises the athletes who remain.

Cal State Fullerton made another strong run in the College World Series, its third appearance in the last five years, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone close to college baseball to see the Titans return to Omaha, Neb., soon.

Fullerton, eliminated by Georgia Tech Wednesday night, 3-2, is expected to lose some top players to professional baseball, and several seniors have completed their eligibility. Some top talent, however, will be returning, and the Titans already have signed several highly regarded high school players.

“That type of tradition and success breeds success,” said George Horton, Titan associate head coach. “Of course, there’s always a danger that it can lead to complacency, too, but I don’t think that’s going to happen with us.”

Seven Titans were picked in the amateur draft, including three juniors. Outfield Dante Powell, second baseman Jeff Ferguson and pitcher Mike Parisi indicated earlier in the season that they planned to sign pro contacts as juniors. The Giants picked Powell, who finished the season with a .305 batting average, in the first round. The Marlins picked Parisi in the sixth round and signed him Friday. The Twins picked Ferguson in the ninth round.

The seniors drafted were catcher Bret Hemphill, selected in the 14th round by the Angels; pitcher Chad Rolish, in the 19th by the Athletics; Jim Betzsold, in the 20th by the Indians, and first baseman Adam Millan, in the 28th by Phillies.

Pitcher Dan Ricabal, 4-0 in the postseason with two victories in Omaha, wasn’t drafted but hopes he will have a chance in the pros. He finished 12-1 for the year.

“I’m sure someone at some point will say, ‘Here’s a plane ticket and come pitch for us,’ ” Ricabal said. “I’m not about to lose confidence in my ability to pitch on that level until I get home and the phone doesn’t ring.”

Although the Titans will be losing some big names, several key underclassmen will be returning.

That group includes freshman outfielder Mark Kotsay, who had seven runs batted in and a grand slam in the Titans’ 10-3 victory over Florida State. Kotsay, who also pitched during the season, was the team’s leading hitter with a .372 average, two percentage points higher than Ferguson.

Shortstop Jack Jones, another freshman, sparkled defensively throughout the season and had moments of timely hitting. First baseman D.C. Olsen, who was platooned and hit .277, also is expected back for his senior season.

Also returning are outfielder Jeremy Giambi, a redshirt freshman who hit .294 while starting 37 games, along with top reserves Brian King (.256) and Robert Matos (.345).

The returning pitchers include sophomores Matt Wagner, 12-1 for the season, and closer Ted Silva, 4-4 with 13 saves.

Horton, who handles the pitchers for Coach Augie Garrido, also is optimistic that sophomore Jon Ward will develop into a top pitcher next season. Ward, used sparingly this season, was 0-2 with a 3.67 earned-run average.

“Jon was bothered by some knee and back problems, but I’ve already told him that we expect him to be one of our top arms next season,” Horton said. Two other Titan pitchers, Jose Peraza and Kimson Hollibaugh, were redshirts this season.

The Fullerton coaches also are confident that freshman Brian Loyd can take over for Hemphill at catcher. “We think he’ll be outstanding,” Horton said.

Fullerton also has signed several top players. That group includes C.J. Ankrum of San Jose Saratoga High. An outfielder-first baseman, Ankrum was picked in the ninth round of the draft by the Dodgers. The Titans also have signed left-handed pitcher Derrin Ebert of Hesperia High, chosen in the 18th round by Atlanta.

Other players who have committed to the Titans are catcher Michael Wright of San Jose Bellarmine High and catcher-infielder Mike Brambilla of Brea-Olinda High. The Titans also have signed two players from Rancho Santiago College, outfielder Matt Kastelic and infielder Joe Fraser. Pitcher Mark Chavez of Harbor College also is committed.

“We feel good about the kids we’ve signed,” Horton said. “We may have the draft situation to deal with on a couple of them, but we’re pleased at this point. We still expect to sign some other players.”