June 11 , 2007

Titans unexpectedly return to an expected place
Fullerton back in super regionals.

BY JANIS CARR

FULLERTONSome say it's magic. Others believe mirrors, maybe with some added smoke, had something to do with it.

Then there are those who say Cal State Fullerton's appearance in the NCAA super regionals comes down to one thing — Coach George Horton.

Whether it has been mirrors, magic or timely hitting, the 25th-ranked Titans play No. 20 UCLA this weekend for a berth in the College World Series. It's an unexpected scenario, even for Horton, after CSF stumbled into the regionals as the fifth-place team in the Big West.

"A lot of people got off the bandwagon when we hit our slide, so they earned the right to have questions about our ability to get to the super regionals," Horton said. "We have proven at times we can beat anybody in the country, and at times, we've proven we can lose to anybody in the country."

The Titans (36-23), who dropped five of their final seven regular-season games and their final four conference series, have turned it around at the right time, going undefeated in the San Diego regional to advance. Now, they get to play the Bruins (33-26) in a best-of-3 series that begins today at Goodwin Field.

A return trip to the College World Series now seems attainable. The Titans took two of three from UCLA earlier this season at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

"It's pretty amazing how this has all unfolded," Horton said. "I'm not sure we earned it, but we'll take it. Who would have thought that we would be here a month ago?"

Not many. Baseball America recently asked several coaches and scouts anonymously to evaluate the Titans-Bruins series, and many seemed baffled the Titans are alive in the postseason.
So what did they tell Baseball America?

•"They're nothing special offensively. (Clark) Hardman is having a big year, and (John) Curtis (is) behind the plate, but they don't run a lot; they don't bunt a lot. It's just that Titan magic."

Center fielder Hardman has rebounded in a big way from shoulder surgery in 2005. The junior posted a .224 batting average last season but is hitting .389 this season and .480 in his past 25 at-bats. Hardman has hit four home runs — two last weekend in San Diego — and driven in 44 runs.

"I predicted he would be good this year and repeat the year he had as a freshman (before his surgeries)," Horton said. "I don't think he was 100 percent last year. He certainly wasn't as strong as he was as a freshman."
Freshman Josh Fellhauer has had a breakthrough season, hitting .326 with five doubles and three h

ome runs and 26 RBIs, and newcomer Nick Mahin is batting .288.

•"Hitting .279 as a club, only 52 stolen bases — they're doing it with mirrors. They're only fielding .969, not playing great defense, but their ERA is 3.85. They pitch well."

The Titans have overcome their inconsistent plate appearances with solid pitching, starting with junior right-hander Wes Roemer, who was the 50th pick overall in Thursday's draft.

Roemer, who will start today, is 10-6 with a 3.33 ERA. It's not as good as last year, but still strong enough to get Fullerton into the postseason. He has had help.

Jeff Kaplan (11-3, 3.35) and Adam Jorgenson (3-2, 4.45) have bolstered the pitching this season, especially on Sundays, when questions abounded.

•"If they didn't have Fullerton on their chest, they might not have (been given a regional bid). Any time you have George Horton running things that will come into play."

Horton guided the Titans to the 2004 College World Series title and the Final Four last season, but even the 11th-year coach has had his doubts about this year's team. The doubts deepened after the Titans were swept by UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara.

Some of those questions dissipated after Fullerton won a late-season series against Wichita State, but they resurfaced when the Titans lost the season-ending series against Long Beach State.

"We're Cal State Fullerton. We're expected to advance, and other teams expect us to be tough and don't realize some of our weaknesses," Horton said. "Everyone thinks being king of the mountain is easy. Sometimes, it's pretty hard."