Temple Coach Has Been There

Temple, the No. 4-seeded team at the Fullerton regional this week, is making its first trip to the NCAA playoffs since 1984, but it’s hardly a new experience for Owl Coach Skip Wilson.

Wilson is in his 42nd season at Temple and led the Owls to 14 regionals and College World Series appearances in 1972 and 1977.

Wilson said he’s pleased to be back in a regional, but “it’s a shame we have to play the No. 1 team right off the bat.”

Wilson credits Athletic Director Dave O’Brien, who was at Long Beach State previously, with helping to reinvigorate the Temple program.

“About 10 years ago, we went through a period when we had an administration that talked about dropping the sport, and it was very hard to recruit in that situation,” Wilson said. “Then Dave O’Brien came in and told me that they wanted to have good baseball again.”

Temple (27-29), one of only two teams in the tournament with a losing record, earned a spot in the playoffs by winning the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. The Owls started the season 0-14.

“It’s a tribute to the kids that they didn’t quit after that,” said Wilson, who is planning to retire after next season.

Cal State Fullerton is batting .349 in its last 32 games with 35 home runs after hitting only .265 with nine homers in its first 24 games.

Fullerton Coach George Horton was pleased that Titan senior second baseman David Bacani was selected to the All-Big West first team for the fourth consecutive season, the first time it has been achieved in the conference.

“David is what Titan baseball is all about,” Horton said. “The nice thing about him is that he always practices at the same level he plays.”