Titans Turned Mediocrity Into Excellence

Cal State Fullerton’s baseball team had an 8-8 record by the first week of March, a mark of mediocrity that changed senior Jon Smith’s approach to the season.

“I was thinking, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going to have a great record, at least we should play for fun,”’ Smith said. “After we did that, we started rolling and we didn’t stop.”

Stanford finally halted Fullerton’s run to a fourth national title by defeating the Titans twice in the College World Series.

Fullerton Coach George Horton was disappointed the season was over, but he was proud of a team that finished 48-18. Horton said the team reminded him of the 1995 national championship team that featured current San Diego Padre outfielder Mark Kotsay.

“If it’s not the most fun group and the most committed group I’ve been around at Fullerton, than it’s tied for first with the ’95 team that had a lot of special people,” Horton said. “The personality of this team was great.”

The results on the field, initially at least, were anything but sensational.

Fullerton lost its opener against Pepperdine, dropped two of three games against Stanford and lost to USC before winning winning two of three games at Baylor.

A loss to Long Beach State in the Kia Baseball Bash on Mar. 4 left the Titans at 8-8.

“We were a little confused at the start when we were struggling because we thought this team had the personality and talent, but we weren’t getting the results.” Horton said. “We could have folded the tents and not become a confident baseball team, but the players stuck with it.”

Fullerton swept a series at Houston, and won two of three games twice in nonconference series against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Long Beach. The 5-3 win over Long Beach on March 25 started the Titans on a 14-game winning streak that included a three-game sweep of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla.

Miami advanced to the championship game for the second time in three years Thursday with a 12-6 victory over Tennessee.

“That series turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Miami and for us,” Horton said. “It let them know what they needed to get better and it gave our guys confidence to know they could play with a really good team.”

Fullerton’s winning streak ended when Cal State Northridge hammered the Titans, 15-1, on April 20, but Fullerton beat the Matadors the next day to start a 10-game winning streak.

Fullerton won another Big West title and finished the regular season at 41-15. Based on the Titans’ record, strength of schedule, and its sweep at Miami, the NCAA Division I baseball committee made Fullerton the top-seeded team for the playoffs.

Fullerton won a regional at home that included Temple, Arizona State and Texas Tech, then beat Mississippi State twice in a super-regional at home to advance to Omaha for the 11th time.

Unfortunately for the Titans, they were in the same bracket with fourth-seeded Stanford. Fullerton beat Nebraska in its opener, then lost to the Cardinal, 5-2, in 10 innings. The Titans rebounded with a victory over Tulane, but lost again to Stanford, 4-1.

Horton said the ending could not overshadow the accomplishments of the team and several individuals, including senior right-hander Kirk Saarloos, who finished 15-2 with a 2.18 earned-run average, and senior second baseman David Bacani, the only player in Big West Conference history to be named first-team all-conference four times.

The Titans might have to reload if they hope to return to the World Series for the 12th time next year.

Saarloos, Smith and first baseman Aaron Rifkin have completed their eligibility and were selected in the amateur draft. Five other Titans also were selected in the draft.

“We don’t have a Saarloos or the leadership warrior guys like Bacani and Rifkin, but we still have good leadership and talent,” Horton said. “There’s not a year we tee up that we don’t think we’re coming here.”