Olsen Takes Detour to Emergency Room : College baseball: Titan is rushed to hospital because of kidney stone, but recovers to go three for four in 11-1 victory.

Cal State Fullerton teammates Mark Kotsay and D.C. Olsen were watching a late movie in their hotel room after midnight Monday.

All of a sudden, Kotsay saw his roommate in agony.

“I was sitting in bed, and I felt an excruciating pain in my side,” Olsen said. “I started yelling at Kots to get someone. . . . I was real scared at that point.”

Kotsay first thought Olsen was kidding. But then he realized it was no joke. “I started running around like my head was cut off trying to get someone,” Kotsay said.

Soon afterward, Olsen was on his way to an Omaha hospital in an ambulance. It turned out to be a kidney stone, and Olsen was fine after it passed, but there was some high anxiety for both of them before Olsen was released from the hospital about 5 Monday morning.

“I couldn’t sleep for at least a couple of hours after that,” Kotsay said. “I sure was happy when I woke up and saw him back in the bed next to mine in the morning. . . . He’s been like a big brother to me.”

And neither Kotsay nor Olsen appeared worse for the experience in Monday’s game in the College World Series in Rosenblatt Stadium.

Kotsay hit a grand slam, his 19th homer of the season in a six-run Fullerton second inning and went four for four. Olsen was three for four with two runs scored and his 14th home run.

And the Titans went on to defeat Tennessee, 11-1, to take a commanding position in the tournament’s lower bracket.

Olsen said he was fine after the kidney stone passed. He went back to the hotel, slept until it was time to leave with the team, then found in batting practice he had lingering problems.

After the game, both players were feeling better.

Kotsay said his performance compared favorably with the big game he had in the Series as a freshman a year ago. Kotsay had a grand slam in Fullerton’s victory over Florida State and tied a Series record with seven runs batted in.

Kotsay said he had some doubt at first that Monday’s home run was going to make it over the fence.

“When I saw their outfielder running for it, I thought he might have a chance to catch it,” Kotsay said.

Olsen said the Kotsay’s grand slam was big boost to the team.

“Mark has a big impact on this team.” Olsen said. “This game will take some of the pressure off him,” he said. “I really bothers him if he doesn’t do well. He’s very competitive.”

While Kotsay said he was pleased with the day, he said the fact it came on a day when Tennessee’s Todd Helton was hitless was of no matter. Helton has been Kotsay’s leading competition for college player of the year awards.

“I just knew I wanted to have a good day for the team,” Kotsay said. “And I knew that all my friends would be watching the game on television.

“I didn’t take it as a game as me against Helton. I just know that nothing happens without your teammates, and this was another team effort. . . . If I hadn’t had three teammates on base, I couldn’t have hit a grand slam.”

The only time Tennessee got Kotsay out was on his first-inning sacrifice bunt, which advanced runners to second and third and helped set up Fullerton’s first run.

“As far as I was concerned,” Kotsay said, “that bunt was just as important as the home run.”

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College World Series Schedule

MONDAY’S RESULTS

Cal State Fullerton 11,

Tennessee 1

Stanford 8, Clemson 3

TODAY’S GAMES

Florida State vs. USC,

12:35 p.m.

Stanford vs. Tennessee,

4:35 p.m.

TV: ESPN

All times Pacific