Leuenberger Gets in the Groove

Long Beach State’s Jeff Leuenberger shut out Miami for seven innings on seven hits during the final regular-season series at Blair Field last year.

It was the last game the Hurricanes lost in 1999. Miami went on to win the College World Series title, storming through the NCAA regional and super-regional.

“That game was a big boost to my confidence,” said Leuenberger, a junior who pitched for Canyon High.

Leuenberger was 6-2 with a 2.81 earned-run average last season. This year, he is 4-1 with a 3.76 ERA. He had a four-game winning streak before he gave up nine hits and five earned runs in five innings in Long Beach’s 5-4 loss at Sacramento State two weeks ago.

“My first three starts this season were a little rough,” Leuenberger said. “But I threw well against UCLA and that got me going again. I’m pitching more relaxed now, and I think that has helped.”

Long Beach Coach Dave Snow said Leuenberger has been solid. “For a while, he was over-throwing, but I think he learned from that,” Snow said. “Once he got over that hump, he’s gotten into a groove.”

Leuenberger earned a spot in the 49ers’ starting rotation as a freshman, finishing 6-3 on a team that reached the 1998 College World Series. Snow made him his closer at the start of last season, and he didn’t return to the rotation until April 30.

Leuenberger said he is more comfortable as a starter.

“When you’re in the bullpen, you never know for sure when you’ll pitch,” he said. “It’s a lot better for me to know I’m going to be starting and being able to plan for it. It helps me to be more ready mentally.”

Leuenberger said the return of Bryan Kennedy as his catcher this season has also been a boost. Kennedy missed more than a month of last season after knee surgery.

“This is the third year we’ve been on the team together, and we’re always on the same page,” Leuenberger said. “It was different last season when he wasn’t in there.”

The 49ers play a key three-game Big West series against conference leader Cal State Fullerton starting Friday night at Titan Field, and Leuenberger is scheduled to start the opener.

“I love playing against Fullerton,” Leuenberger said. “Both teams really get up to play each other. Even when the series isn’t for the conference championship, it’s a lot of fun because we all know each other.”

Leuenberger will be going against former Canyon teammate Jason Corapci for the first time. Corapci, a freshman, has become the Titan regular in right field.

GOOD HOMECOMING

Sacramento State players Chad Elliott and Rick Gonzalez had big games during their Orange County homecoming last weekend against Cal State Fullerton.

Elliott, a senior from Yorba Linda who played for Troy High, gave up only three hits and two runs in nine innings during the Hornets’ 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Titans Friday night.

On Saturday, Gonzalez, a senior outfielder who played at Tustin High, hit a grand slam that lifted Sacramento State to a 12-7 victory. It was the first homer of the season for Gonzalez, who was three for five with five runs batted in.

Elliott and Gonzalez played for Santa Ana College before transferring to Sacramento State.

Elliott has a 2-4 record and 3.73 ERA this season. Elliott has four complete games and has reached the ninth inning seven times.

Gonzalez is batting .313 with 14 RBIs.

TITANS HONORED

Mark Kotsay, who led Cal State Fullerton to the 1995 College World Series championship, was named the best college player of the 1990s by Baseball America.

The magazine also rated Fullerton’s baseball program as the nation’s third best during the decade, with Louisiana State getting the No. 1 ranking and Miami the No. 2.

The Titans advanced to the College World Series five times during the 1990s, winning it once.

Skip Bertman of LSU, Jim Morris of Miami and Gene Stephenson of Wichita State were picked as the decade’s top coaches.

TOUCHING THE BASES . . .

Florida State (35-5) strengthened its ranking as the nation’s top team last weekend with a three-game sweep of national champion Miami (24-12). The Seminoles won the first game of the series, 14-13, in 17 innings, then followed with 12-2 and 5-4 victories.

Cal State Fullerton dropped from fifth to 11th in Baseball America’s rankings after losing two of three games to Sacramento State last weekend. UCLA is 17th, USC 19th and Long Beach State 22nd. Collegiate Baseball ranks the Titans 12th, UCLA 15th, USC 16th and Long Beach 20th.