Titans Pull Smith From Off the Shelf

Cal State Fullerton needs a victory to stay alive in its NCAA baseball super-regional today against Ohio State, but that might be a lot to ask from a pitcher who hasn’t pitched more than two innings in a game since April 10.

Titan Coach George Horton is hopeful, however, that Jon Smith (6-0) can help keep the Titans going in the best-of-three series against the Buckeyes.

“He’s been able to come off the shelf before and help us,” Horton said, referring to last year in the regional at Louisiana State. “He’s healthy now. When he’s right, he’s as good a pitcher as we have. The question is how sharp he’ll be after the layoff.”

Smith didn’t pitch last week in the regional at Notre Dame, but the Titans need him this week. Starters Adam Johnson and Marco Hanlon are suspended because of a rock-throwing incident in South Bend, Ind., Sunday.

Horton is hopeful that his team can still come back strong.

“If I know my players, we won’t go down without a fight,” Horton said.

Fullerton’s Ryan Owens, who drove in five runs in Friday’s loss to the Buckeyes, agrees. “We can still turn this around,” Owens said.

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E.J. Laratta, scheduled to be Ohio State’s starting pitcher in today’s second game, is a freshman from Englewood, Colo. He has no scholarship.

“I was recruited by some schools out West, but I decided to come to Ohio State because I thought I would have a chance to pitch here right away,” Laratta said.

Laratta, who pitched for the highly successful Cherry Creek High School program, said he was offered scholarships to Louisville and Nevada Las Vegas, and had the opportunity to walk on at Arizona.

Laratta said Ohio State Coach Bob Todd told him that he would start as the 15th pitcher on the staff, but Laratta moved up quickly. A 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-hander, Laratta (10-2) has the best earned-run average (3.18) on the Buckeye staff. He has given up only 17 walks and has struck out 55 in 82 innings.

“I throw in the mid-80s,” Laratta said. “I throw four different pitches, including two curveballs, and I change speeds a lot.”

Laratta pitched his fifth complete game of the season last week against Mississippi State in the regional, giving up only six hits and one earned run in Ohio State’s 6-3 victory. Laratta had gone 31 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run before the Bulldogs broke the streak with a home run.

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Titan junior outfielder Spencer Oborn was disappointed that he wasn’t drafted higher. He was taken in the 14th round by the Chicago White Sox, and said he plans to keep his options open about returning to Fullerton for a senior season.

“It wouldn’t be bad to come back and play another year,” Oborn said. “I’ve been pleased with everything about the program at Fullerton. But I won’t think about that until our season is over. I’ll talk to the White Sox and see what they have to say.”

Oborn transferred to Fullerton from Brigham Young last fall.

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Fullerton’s games this weekend will be televised live by OCN. Local game times are 4 p.m. today and 10 a.m. Sunday, if a third game is needed.