June 16, 2007

Vanderhook made associate head coach
By JANIS CARR and RANDY YOUNGMAN
The Orange County Register

OMAHA, Neb. Cal State Fullerton assistant Rick Vanderhook was promoted Saturday to associate head coach, the school announced.

Vanderhook, 42, is in his 21st season at Fullerton, having served as bullpen coach and third base coach before taking over the pitching duties this season.

"I commend the Cal State Fullerton athletic leadership for recognizing and rewarding Rick Vanderhook with the associate head coaching position for Titan baseball," Coach George Horton said in a statement. "We're delighted that Rick has decided to stay on as an important part of the Titan baseball program."

Vanderhook had turned down an offer to become head coach at Servite High.

"I think the administration has realized what we have known all along, that we have one of the finest young coaches in the country," Horton said.

STRIKEOUT RECORD

With his seven strikeouts against Oregon State, Cal State Fullerton ace Wes Roemer set the school career record with 366, breaking Adam Johnson's mark of 365 set in 1998-2000.

Roemer, a junior, broke the record in the eighth inning Saturday, when he caught Beavers catcher Mitch Canham looking for the third out.

STREAKS SNAPPED

UC Irvine first baseman Taylor Holiday had his 22-game hitting streak snapped in the Anteaters' loss to Arizona State. He went 0 for 3 in the 5-4 loss.

Irvine pitcher Scott Gorgen also saw his streak of 17 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end on Matt Spencer's second-inning home run. Gorgen had allowed just one earned run in his previous 38 innings, dating to May 18.

Gorgen admittedly did not have his best stuff, but Brett Wallace, the Pac-10 Player of the Year who won the conference Triple Crown, went 0 for 4 against him. ASU cleanup hitter Keil Roling struck out three times.

Harshest critic

With four of his players seated next to him in the media interview room, Arizona State coach Pat Murphy mocked the way his team executes fundamentals.

"When was the last time we got a bunt down?" Murphy asked rhetorically, after ASU's 5-4 victory over UC Irvine. "How many times have we executed a hit-and-run this season?"

"Maybe once," third baseman C.J. Retherford answered, laughing.

All ASU does is win.

The Sun Devils were also the team that eliminated Big West champion UC Riverside in the Tempe Regional.

NOTES

ASU shortstop Andrew Romine (Trabuco Hills High), who was drafted in the fifth round by the Angels this month, went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice bunt. …

Saturday night's crowd of 26,559 was the ninth-largest in College World Series history. …

Arizona State's five runs marked only the 16th time this season the Sun Devils were held to five runs or less. Arizona State leads the nation in scoring at 9.5 runs a game.