Chatham Is Hot at the Right Time

Steve Chatham calls this “the fun time of the year.”

The Big West tournament begins Thursday, and the NCAA playoffs are the next week.

“It’s when you put everything on the line,” Chatham said.

Chatham is ready, and he certainly has been having fun lately.

A two-year regular who shared playing time this year, Chatham went five for six and helped Cal State Fullerton to an 11-8 victory over host UC Santa Barbara Sunday in the final game of the regular season.

Chatham was nine for 14 in the three-game series, and is hitting .706 (12 of 17) in four games since Coach George Horton returned him to the lineup.

“I think he’s telling us that he wants to play regularly,” said a smiling Horton. “You can’t do much better than he’s done lately--unless you’re perfect.”

Chatham had a two-run homer, two doubles and drove in four runs Sunday in the leadoff spot. The home run was his third in four games.

“I guess I’m really fortunate that it’s coming at this time of the year,” Chatham said. “I’m seeing the pitches right out of their hand right now, and I’m trying to turn every one of them into a quality swing.”

It was the 22nd victory in 24 games for Fullerton, which will take a 42-13 record into postseason play. The top-seeded Titans will play sixth-seeded Santa Barbara (17-29-2) to open the tournament. The game is 7 p.m. Thursday at Fullerton.

“Whatever happens, happens, but it’s going to be fun to see if we can pull it off this year,” Chatham said. “I’m ending my career, and I want to make the best of what I have left.”

Chris Beck, another Titan outfielder who hasn’t been playing regularly, on Sunday had three hits, including a two-run homer. Beck took Aaron Rowand’s spot in the lineup.

Horton kept Rowand out because of a strained side muscle. “We thought a couple days of rest would do him good,” Horton said.

Rowand says the injury has been worse the last few days. “It’s been bothering me for a while when I throw, but it started bothering me when I was swinging the last two games. It must be from that way I torque my body throwing. I had trouble with it late last season too. But I’ll be ready for the tournament.”

Horton said he started Beck in center field because of the player’s good showing in batting practice. “It was a coin flip between him and Reed Johnson,” Horton said. “But it seems like everyone we put in the outfield hits the ball.”

Fullerton had 15 hits. Santa Barbara got 16 off six Titan pitchers.

Bryan LaCour hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Titan starter Greg Jacobs after an infield hit and a hit batter. Gene Lenzi hit a home run in the second. Both drives cleared the 400-foot mark in center field.

Kirk Saarloos relieved Jacobs in the fourth and gave up two runs in the fifth. George Carralejo came on before the inning ended, and Jordan DeJong gave up two runs in one inning of work.

Freshman Jon Smith, a starter early in the season before he developed arm problems, made his first appearance since March 7, taking over in the seventh. He gave up three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

“Smith threw well for being in a game for the first time in three months,” pitching coach Dave Serrano said. “He probably was a little nervous. It was a choppy first step coming back, but we’ll keep building on that.”