Johnson Can Make Amends for Fullerton

When sophomore pitcher Adam Johnson goes to the mound to start Cal State Fullerton’s opening game in the College World Series today, he will be grateful to the guys who gave him the opportunity.

Johnson and three other Titan players were suspended last week for the super-regional series at Ohio State after a rock-throwing incident in South Bend, Ind., the regional site. But Fullerton won the playoff anyway to advance to Omaha.

“I’m really excited to have a team that picked us up like that,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who has a 10-3 record and 3.22 earned-run average, will have a chance to return the favor against Stanford at 5 p.m. PDT.

The Titans (49-12) lost two of three games at home to the Cardinal (48-13) at the start of the season, but Johnson shut out Stanford for 6 1/3 innings on only two hits in the first game. Closer Kirk Saarloos held Stanford hitless in the final 2 2/3 innings and the Titans won, 8-0. The Cardinal came back to win the next two, 6-5 and 13-7.

But, as Titan Coach George Horton pointed out, “That was our first series of the season, and only the second for Stanford, so we’re both different teams now.”

Johnson agrees.

“I just know that they have a lot of good hitters through the lineup, and you can’t afford to pitch around any of them,” he said.

Stanford also has two of the nation’s top pitchers, sophomores Jason Young and Justin Wayne. Young, the scheduled starter against the Titans, has an 11-3 record and led the Pacific 10 Conference with a 3.14 ERA. Wayne is 9-1 with a 4.92 ERA.

“I thought we were a year away this season because of the starting pitchers we lost, but pitching has become our strength,” Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said. “Our pitchers think they’re good, and that’s half the battle.”

Horton said Fullerton’s situation is similar. The Titans lost seniors Erasmo Ramirez and Benny Flores, who combined for 23 victories last year, but came back strong behind Johnson and sophomore Matt Sorensen (11-0, 4.36). Another sophomore, left-hander Jon Smith (7-0, 2.71), was a strong third starter early in the season, but ran into arm and shoulder soreness and only recently returned to form in the super-regional.

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In games Friday:

Alabama 11, Oklahoma State 2--Justin Smith overcame a bumpy start and pitched six strong innings, striking out seven in Alabama’s victory in the opening game of the College World Series.

Jeremy Brown, Antonio Bostic and Erik Smallwood hit home runs as Alabama stretched its school-record winning streak to 16 games. The Crimson Tide (52-14) plays Miami Sunday.

Andy Phillips of Alabama singled to left in the third to extend his hitting streak to 34 games, breaking a tie with Louisiana State’s Todd Walker for the Southeastern Conference record.

Carlos Gautreaux homered and scored twice for the Cowboys (46-20), who will meet Rice (58-14) in Sunday’s elimination game.

Miami 8, Rice 4--A freak home run by Bobby Hill and a legitimate one by Kris Clute lifted top-seeded Miami over Rice.

The Hurricanes (47-13) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score, 4-4, then took the lead for good in the sixth when Clute homered to right.

Hill’s shot appeared to be staying in the park when a fan reached over the wall and snagged it. Umpires ruled it a home run and the Hurricanes’ comeback was underway.

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

TODAY’S GAMES

Double-elimination first-round format:

* Florida State (53-12) vs. Texas A&M; (52-16), 10:30 a.m.

* Cal State Fullerton (49-12) vs. Stanford (48-13), 5 p.m.