Titans Know This Route

Twice in its previous 10 College World Series appearances, Cal State Fullerton won its first game, lost its second and then came back to advance to the national championship game.

In 1984, the Titans lost their second game to Texas before winning four in a row en route to their second NCAA title.

In 1992, they lost their second game to Miami then won three games before losing to Pepperdine in the final.

Today, top-seeded Fullerton (47-17) sets out on the long, tough road out of the losers’ bracket when the Titans play fifth-seeded Tulane (56-12) in an elimination game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Fullerton must defeat Tulane and beat Stanford twice to make it to Saturday’s final.

On Monday, Fullerton coaches mulled whether to start freshman right-hander Darric Merrell or a corps of relievers against Tulane.

Coach George Horton said they decided to go with Merrell after determining that senior left-hander Jon Smith, who started the series opener against Nebraska, is strong enough to come back on four days rest for a possible start Wednesday against Stanford. If Smith, who has a history of shoulder problems, was not deemed able to come back Wednesday, Merrell would have been pushed back.

Merrell, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander from Temecula, is 7-4 with a 3.17 earned-run average.

He joined the Titans’ weekend rotation after beginning the season with 12 1/3 scoreless innings and went 3-1 with a 3.61 ERA in Big West Conference games.

Merrell gave up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in a regional loss to Texas Tech, but gave up only three runs in 6 1/3 innings in a super-regional victory over Mississippi State that sent the Titans to the World Series.

Tulane, making its first World Series appearance, lost to Stanford in its opener, 13-11, then came back and eliminated Nebraska Sunday.

Freshman Michael Aubrey (3-0, 5.05), a designated hitter and pitcher, will start today for the Green Wave.

Aubrey had two hits and drove in a run and pitched the final two innings against Nebraska. He also pitched in relief against Stanford.

“He’s a good example of two players in one,” Tulane Coach Rick Jones said. “He’s mature beyond his years.”

Tulane will be trying to stave off elimination for the third time in the postseason. The Green Wave lost the first game of its super-regional against defending champion Louisiana State at Metairie, La., then won the next two games to advance to Omaha.

Tulane avoided going two-and-out in the World Series by defeating Nebraska, 6-5.