USC, Fullerton to Play for Title : College World Series: Trojan shortstop Alvarez goes a record-tying five for five as USC defeats Miami, 7-3.

All Gabe Alvarez wanted was the chance to come through.

Countless opportunities had presented themselves during the College World Series and USC’s No. 3 batter was only three for 17 in the series.

But Alvarez delivered every time he stepped to the plate Friday night against Miami. The junior shortstop from El Monte tied a series record with five hits, including the game-winner, as USC advanced to the NCAA championship game with a 7-3 victory over the Hurricanes before 15,332 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Sixth-seeded USC (49-20), making its first series appearance since 1978, will play top-seeded Cal State Fullerton (56-9) today for the national championship. Fullerton has won 17 consecutive games.

It’s the second time in four years that the championship game will be a Southern California affair. Pepperdine defeated Fullerton, 3-2, in the 1992 final.

Fullerton, which finished the regular season ranked No. 1, will start junior right-hander Ted Silva (17-1). USC, which finished the regular season ranked No. 2, will counter with junior right-hander Brian Cooper (8-2).

“We’re facing a very good pitcher and we’re going to have to battle,” Alvarez said. “We’ll just have to stay back and be patient.”

That is the approach Alvarez took Friday night against the Hurricanes. It produced a solo home run in the first inning against J.D Arteaga (11-3), a single in the fourth, a run-scoring double in the fifth, a run-scoring single in the seventh against Allan Westfall that broke a 3-3 tie and a single in the ninth.

Alvarez tied a record shared by 10 players. Barry Bonds was the last player to equal the record when he played for Arizona State in 1984.

“A guy like [Alvarez] is going to come through eventually,” said Miami Coach Jim Morris, whose team finished 48-17. “He’s not going to stay down for long.”

Alvarez wasn’t the only Trojan who came through against Miami.

The game’s defining moment came in the bottom of the seventh inning after freshman right-hander Jack Krawczyk replaced starter Randy Flores (13-3) with two out and runners at first and second.

Krawczyk walked Adam Finnieston to load the bases, bringing up Eddie Rivero, who had four hits, including a three-run homer, in the Trojans’ 15-10 series-opening loss to the Hurricanes.

Krawczyk got ahead 0-2, wasted a high fastball, then watched Rivero pull two curveballs foul. Krawczyk came back with another curve and Rivero swung and missed to end the threat.

Feeding on the momentum, Chad Moeller and Greg Walbridge led off the eighth with consecutive homers, giving USC a 7-3 lead.

Fullerton, winner of NCAA championships in 1979 and 1984, defeated Stanford once and Tennessee twice to reach the title game. USC, winner of a record 11 NCAA championships, lost to Miami in their opener, then defeated Oklahoma, Florida State and Miami twice to earn the berth in the final. Fullerton and USC split two games this season.

George Horton, Fullerton’s associate coach, said the championship game is a testament to the strength of West Coast baseball.

“It’s kind of ironic that we traveled all this way and we could drive 20 minutes down the freeway [at home] and settle this,” he said.

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World Series Notes

Today’s championship game will be televised by CBS at 10 a.m. PDT. . . . USC assistant Frank Sanchez left Omaha Thursday morning and flew home to be with his wife, April, who gave birth to the couple’s second child, Lacy Marie, while he was en route. Sanchez returned to Omaha on Friday afternoon and was in the Trojan dugout for the game.