He’s Ready to Make a Rare Start

Pitcher Jon Smith has never lost a game in two seasons with the Titans.

The bad news is that he hasn’t been available to pitch nearly as often as either he or the Titan coaches would have preferred.

For the second year in a row, Smith’s promising career was blunted by soreness in his arm and shoulder.

A year ago, Smith, a sophomore left-hander, missed two months of the season but was 2-0 with a 3.21 earned-run average when he pitched. Through the first two months this season, Smith was 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA. Then he started having pain again on his left side.

“When it’s feeling good, you don’t worry about it,” Smith said. “But when it starts hurting, it seems to snowball from there.”

Only recently, however, Smith (7-0, 2.71 ERA) has appeared to be back near the form he showed earlier in the season, and he will be Fullerton’s scheduled starter against Florida State today in the College World Series.

Smith had pitched only three innings from April 10 until he started June 5 against Ohio State. That day he pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and three runs in an 11-5 Titan victory.

“I think I’m going to have to clean up my mechanics in the off-season,” Smith said. “I’m going to work with a guy in Utah this summer that does analysis on pitchers’ mechanics, and hopefully that will help. I want to have a healthy junior season.”

Smith said he had no problems with his arm when he pitched at Perris High School. “But then I only pitched once a week,” he said, “and didn’t throw much other than that.”

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Texas A&M; catcher Shawn Schumacher said he’s happy he decided to transfer from Texas after last season.

Schumacher wanted to be behind the plate at Texas, but Coach Augie Garrido played him at first base.

“He has to do what he thinks is best for the Longhorns, and I understood that,” Schumacher said. “I asked him after last season if I’d be able to catch, and he said he still saw me at first. But he was honest with me, and I appreciated that. I’m glad I made the move.”

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Cal State Fullerton catcher Craig Patterson said he is strongly considering returning to Fullerton for his senior season. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to come back,” said Patterson, who was drafted in the 25th round by Minnesota.