This isn’t a Titanic mismatch

One of the charming things about college baseball is the little guys sometimes beat the big boys, the way UC Irvine knocked off Texas in Texas.

Now UCLA must go to Cal State Fullerton for a best-of-three NCAA super regional that begins today.

A quick compare-and-contrast:

Most famous thoroughfare -- UCLA, Westwood; Fullerton, Nutwood.

Nobel laureates on faculty -- UCLA 5; Fullerton 0.

NCAA Division I championships -- UCLA 100 (none in baseball); Fullerton 5 (four in baseball).

Most-famous baseball alum -- UCLA, Jackie Robinson; Fullerton, Kevin Costner (though the Titans alum played baseball only on the silver screen).

Coaching sage -- UCLA, John Wooden; Fullerton, former (and now Texas) baseball coach Augie Garrido.

Current major leaguers -- UCLA 8, including Chase Utley and Garrett Atkins; Fullerton 11, including Chad Cordero and Mark Kotsay.

All-time major leaguers -- UCLA 55; Fullerton 44.

Men’s basketball series -- UCLA leads, 9-0.

Baseball series -- Fullerton leads, 48-22-2.

College World Series appearances -- Fullerton 14; UCLA 2.

--

Trivia time

What former UCLA baseball second baseman revived UC Irvine’s defunct baseball program in 2002?

--

One wild longshot

If you’re looking for a horse for today’s Belmont Stakes and don’t want to bet the girl, bet the gelding.

Imawildandcrazyguy started out as a colt named Cupcake Melee, but the dappled gray had a wild streak.

“The first day I had him in the barn, he dropped the rider, dragged the hot walker and even came after me,” trainer Bill Kaplan said.

“I called the owners and told them that he’s going to hurt someone or himself. We need to geld him immediately.

“And, by the way, we need to change his name. He’s no cupcake.”

A 28-1 longshot in the Kentucky Derby, Imawildandcrazyguy closed from last after a half-mile to fourth.

He’s 20-1 on the morning line in the Belmont, but Kaplan said his crazy horse is going to love the 1 1/2 -mile distance.

Creme Fraiche, in 1985, is the only gelding to win the Belmont.

Rags To Riches, the filly in the race today, is trying to become only the third filly to win, and the first since 1905.

--

No horsin’ around

Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich, a 1974 Arcadia High graduate who went on to play football at Northern Arizona, has been chosen as the Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily athletic director of the year for overseeing the growth of a program whose football and men’s and women’s basketball programs were in the top 25 last season and whose baseball team is in a super regional.

Growing up in Southern California, Jurich, 50, spent part of his youth as an usher at the Coliseum, witnessing USC’s famous 1974 comeback against Notre Dame, and he lived near Santa Anita, next door to trainer Farrell Jones.

“Horse racing was really in our blood,” he said.

That serves him well in Kentucky.

So what about today’s big race in New York?

“Robby Albarado, Curlin’s jockey, is a neighbor,” Jurich said.

“I don’t see how you can go against Curlin in the Belmont. The horse has run pretty well.”

--

Trivia answer

UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, who held the same post at Irvine from 1992 to 2002.

--

And finally ...

So Kevin Durant couldn’t bench 185 pounds at the NBA pre-draft camp.

Rick Barnes, his coach at Texas, told the Dallas Morning News to forget about it.

“There are a lot of guys who can bench-press 300 pounds in the NBA who couldn’t play dead in a cowboy movie. Kevin’s the best player in the draft -- period, at any position.”

--

robyn.norwood@latimes.com