Titan Sorensen in Search of ‘Big Game’

Cal State Fullerton pitcher Matt Sorensen has won 11 games this season without a loss.

Sorensen, however, says he still hasn’t had what he calls “the big game” he thinks he’s capable of. He is hoping that comes today in the opener of the best-of-three NCAA super-regional playoff series against Ohio State.

“Last year at Cerritos [College], I had two of my best three games in the playoffs,” Sorensen said. “I feel I perform better the more there is at stake. I think I’m able to rise to the occasion. The one thing I’ve been missing is the really good game.”

Sorensen originally was scheduled to start the second game of this series, but when pitcher Adam Johnson was suspended along with three other players after a rock-throwing incident Sunday night in South Bend, Ind., pitching coach Dave Serrano moved Sorensen up a day.

“When you’re playing a big game, you like having a guy pitching who is 23-1 over two seasons,” Serrano said. Sorensen was 12-1 last season for Cerritos.

Serrano said he likes Sorensen’s consistency. He has given up eight or fewer hits in 11 of 14 starts and has a 4.20 earned-run average. He has 76 strikeouts and 38 walks in 111 innings.

“He’s pitched well most of the season, but when he doesn’t have a good outing, he usually comes back and has a good one the next time out,” Serrano said. “He wasn’t at his best in the regional, so I expect him to have a good game here. I think he’s up to the challenge.”

Sorensen gave up eight hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings against Michigan last Friday, but closer Kirk Saarloos picked up the victory when the Titans won, 6-5, with a three-run rally in the ninth.

“My goal is to be ready to pitch the way I know I can from the first pitch on,” Sorensen said. “Before, I probably haven’t felt any sense of urgency at the start of the games because I knew our guys were going to get me runs. I know they will this time too, but I don’t want to give up anything early.”

Sorensen said he thinks the Titans’ adversity this week will work in their favor.

“We thought we should be playing at home this week,” Sorensen said. “I watched television and saw a couple of Ohio State players were popping off about it, and I take that kind of stuff personally.

“We’ve had a smooth ride until now, but I think we’ll use all this stuff to our advantage.”

Sorensen called the Titans a team “with an attitude” even before this week.

“We know the other teams don’t like it,” Sorensen said. “We’re always upbeat and vocal. We chirp a lot in the dugout, and we think that bothers the other teams.”

Sorensen, who also played quarterback for two years at Cerritos, was eligible for baseball’s amateur draft this season, although he has two years of baseball eligibility remaining at Fullerton.

“I told the scouts that asked me that I wasn’t going to sign this year regardless,” Sorensen said. “I need only about 33 hours to graduate, and I want to be able to do that next year.”

Sorensen said he expects to benefit from pitching another year in college.

“I see nothing but benefits in coming back,” Sorensen said. “There will be the high expectations after this season, but that will be a challenge too.”