Stanford Shuts Out Jittery Titans

Cal State Fullerton wasn’t shut out all last season on the way to its national championship. But Friday night, in their season opener against Stanford, it looked as though the Titans weren’t going to get a hit.

Steve Chatham finally broke up Kyle Peterson’s no-hit bid with a single into the gap in right-center field with two out in the eighth, but that was the only hit the sophomore right-hander gave up in Stanford’s 5-0 victory in front of 3,324 in Sunken Diamond.

The first round of the matchup between the two college baseball heavyweights clearly belonged to Stanford. The last time the Titans were shut out was by Georgia Tech in the 1994 College World Series.

“Peterson pitched a great game,” Fullerton Coach Augie Garrido said. “We came out with jitters, and they were able to dominate this game on the mound. Peterson established his confidence against our hitters in the first time around, then we were overanxious the second round. Then we were too defensive. We really didn’t start hitting the ball until the fourth time around.”

Garrido said it was to Stanford’s advantage to have played three games in Hawaii last week. “You never like to play a team this strong in this situation with them having that kind of advantage,” Garrido said.

The difference between Peterson’s performance this week and in his opening start last week was dramatic. Against Hawaii, Peterson gave up nine hits and seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. The Cardinal lost that game, 11-1, but came back to win the next two in the series.

This time Peterson was at the top of his game. “It was an unbelievable outing,” Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said. “Fullerton’s a great offensive team.”

Peterson also was pleased he pitched so well in the first night game at Stanford. Lights were installed for this season.

“I didn’t want to throw eight innings this early in the season, but to be able to have this kind of game against Fullerton in this atmosphere was a great feeling,” said Peterson, who was relieved by Chad Hutchinson in the ninth.

Cale Carter, the former Mater Dei High player from Orange, hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning as part of Stanford’s nine-hit night.

Fullerton starter Kirk Irvine gave up all five runs in the 4 1/3 innings he worked. The three-game series continues at 1 p.m. today with Titan sophomore left-hander Brent Billingsley, a transfer from East Carolina, scheduled to pitch against junior right-hander Jason Middlebrook, who threw the school’s last no-hitter in 1994 in a 3-0 victory over UCLA.

Middlebrook was rated as this year’s probable No. 1 draft pick in one poll of major league scouts, primarily because of his 97 mph fastball. His record last season was only 1-5 with a 4.78 earned-run average, but he missed much of the year with a sore elbow. He was 7-2 with a 2.54 ERA as a freshman.

Stanford got rolling quickly Friday. The Cardinal scored its first run in the second. Irvine gave up an inning-opening single to Troy Kent, and he advanced on an obstruction call against C.J. Ankrum at first, but Ankrum came back with two sparkling defensive plays, and Irvine appeared to be almost out of the inning.

But the Cardinal scored when Jody Gerut stole second and came home on Jay Pecci’s single to left. Catcher Mike Lamb threw out Pecci trying to take second, ending the inning.

Stanford picked up two unearned runs in the fourth after Irvine hit the first two batters. A wild throw to first by Ankrum on Gerut’s bunt brought in both runs. Fullerton got out of the inning without further damage when Pecci lined into a double play.

Carter’s two-run homer to right in the fifth after Joe Kilburg’s bunt single boosted Stanford’s lead to 5-0.

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Notes

Stanford has seven players from Orange County on its roster, although left fielder Cale Carter of Orange and Mater Dei High is the only regular. Third baseman Josh Hochgesang, a freshman from Sunny Hills High, is expected to be a challenger for a starting spot when he recovers from a shoulder injury. Relief pitcher Tom Reimers of Century High is showing promise as a relief pitcher. The others are outfielder Eric Wei of Newport Beach, pitcher Adam Harris of Villa Park, pitcher Justin Dunning of Tustin and outfielder Chris Draft of Anaheim. Draft, a starting linebacker on the Stanford football team, is taking a break after football but will be with the team soon. . . . Senior Mark Chavez is listed as the probable starter for the Titans Sunday against Stanford’s Mario Iglesias, who was 3-2 last season.