Baseball Thursday February 25, 2016 Get Ready! Baseball Season
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PAGE 7 BASEBALL THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2016 GET READY! BASEBALL SEASON IS PATRICK DO / DAILY TITAN CSUF baseball came up short of a national championship in 2015. This year, a College World Series title rests upon the shoulders of a Fullerton squad that was ranked No. 22 by Baseball America in its preseason poll. HERE HOME OPENER FINALLY ON DECK FOR TITANS Behind solid pitching, During their 2015 cam- two of three games during Peitzmeier gave up three runs designated hitter David Ol- senior outfielder Tyler Stieb, Cal State Fullerton paign, the Titans finished with the NCAA Super Region- in the bottom of the ninth in- medo-Barrera was drafted by senior infielder Jerrod an overall record of 39-25, de- al in Louisville against the ning to blow the save. the Tampa Bay Rays in the Bravo,and junior infielder sets sights on Omaha spite a sluggish 1-3 start on the hometown Cardinals, which The elimination game in 12th round of the 2015 Major Timmy Richards. season. This marked the 41st included a dramatic 4-3 vic- the loser’s bracket saw the Ti- League Baseball draft. Start- While the roster has tons of BRANDON ROSS consecutive season CSUF has tory in 11 innings. tans match up against the LSU ing pitchers Justin Garza and experience, this year’s squad Daily Titan won more than 30 games in CSUF’s first game in the Tigers. Fullerton would gain Eshelman were drafted by the will feature 12 freshmen, in- a season, and the fifth time in College World Series saw the the early momentum scoring Cleveland Indians and Hous- cluding Eastman. the past six seasons the pro- Titans up against the Vander- three runs in the first inning. ton Astros, respectfully. The Titans already began The Cal State Fullerton gram finished first in the Big bilt Commodores. Fullerton However, that was not enough Eshelman was traded from the 2016 season last weekend baseball team will be look- West Conference. took a 3-1 lead after six in- for starting pitcher Connor Houston to the Philadelphia in Palo Alto against the Stan- ing to avenge last year’s Head Coach Rick Vander- nings, thanks to starting pitch- Seabold, who surrendered the Phillies this past offseason. ford Cardinal, where Stan- heartbreaking finish to its hook earned his third title in er Thomas Eshelman’s bril- lead and allowed four runs The Titans starting ro- ford took two of three games College World Series run by four seasons. liant outing, going 5.2 innings on seven hits in 2.1 innings tation this season will fea- from Fullerton. After an ex- heading back to Omaha, Ne- For the first time since pitched and only giving up pitched. ture the likes of sophomores hibition game against NC braska at the end of this sea- 2009, Fullerton made a trip one run on four hits and eight LSU would go on to Seabold, John Gavin, fresh- Dinos on Tuesday in which son for the 18th time in the to the College World Se- strikeouts. win the game 5-3, ending man Colton Eastman and the Titans lost 10-1, CSUF school’s history. ries, which was the longest The game was delayed in CSUF’s hopes of winning a Fresno State transfer junior will begin its home open- CSUF enters this season drought in the program’s rich the bottom of the sixth in- fifth national title. Blake Quinn. ing series Friday through ranked in the top 25 by all ma- history. The Titans punched ning due to rain and resumed Fullerton will be with- The starting lineup for Sunday as it will square off jor polls, including 22nd by their ticket to the world se- the next day. CSUF took a out key contributors to the CSUF will see similar faces against the Indiana Hoosiers Baseball America. ries after having clinched dramatic loss when Tyler 2015 campaign this year, as from last season, including at Goodwin Field. 吀䠀䔀 䌀䤀吀夀 伀䘀 䰀䄀 䴀䤀刀䄀䐀䄀 䤀匀 䠀䤀刀䤀一䜀℀ 匀倀䰀䄀匀䠀℀ 䄀儀唀䄀吀䤀䌀匀 倀伀匀䤀吀䤀伀一匀 匀甀瀀攀爀瘀椀猀椀渀最 䰀椀昀攀最甀愀爀搀㨀 ␀㈀ ⸀㘀㘀 ⴀ ␀㈀㔀⸀㠀㜀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 匀眀椀洀 䤀渀猀琀爀甀挀琀漀爀⼀䰀椀昀攀最甀愀爀搀㨀 ␀㘀⸀㐀 ⴀ ␀㈀⸀㐀㐀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 匀眀椀洀 䤀渀猀琀爀甀挀琀漀爀㨀 ␀㌀⸀㌀㠀 ⴀ ␀㠀⸀㤀㈀ 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 䰀椀昀攀最甀愀爀搀㨀 ␀㌀⸀㌀㠀 ⴀ ␀㠀⸀㤀㈀ 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 䄀焀甀愀䄀焀甀愀琀椀挀猀 䄀椀搀攀 䤀䤀㨀 ␀⸀㔀㔀 ⴀ ␀㐀⸀㔀㠀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 䄀焀甀愀琀椀挀猀 䄀椀搀攀 䤀㨀 ␀ ⸀㌀㌀ ⴀ ␀㈀⸀㜀㜀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 䌀氀漀猀椀渀最 䐀愀琀攀⼀吀椀洀攀㨀 吀甀攀⸀ 䴀愀爀挀栀 㔀Ⰰ ㈀ 㘀 愀琀 㔀㨀 瀀洀 䜀甀攀猀琀 匀攀爀瘀椀挀攀猀 䄀猀猀漀挀椀愀琀攀㨀 ␀㈀⸀㔀 ⴀ ␀㠀⸀㈀㠀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 䌀氀漀猀椀渀最 䐀愀琀攀⼀吀椀洀攀㨀 吀栀甀爀⸀ 䴀愀爀挀栀 Ⰰ ㈀ 㘀 愀琀 㔀㨀 瀀洀 ollow us 漀爀 眀栀攀渀 㔀 愀瀀瀀氀椀挀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀 愀爀攀 爀攀挀攀椀瘀攀搀⸀ 刀䔀䌀刀䔀䄀吀䤀伀一 倀伀匀䤀吀䤀伀一匀 刀攀挀刀攀挀爀攀愀琀椀漀渀 䄀椀搀攀㨀 ␀ ⸀㌀㌀ ⴀ ␀㈀⸀㜀㜀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 刀攀挀爀攀愀琀椀漀渀 䰀攀愀搀攀爀㨀 ␀⸀㔀㔀 ⴀ ␀㐀⸀㔀㠀 瀀攀爀 栀漀甀爀 䌀氀漀猀椀渀最 䐀愀琀攀⼀吀椀洀攀㨀 䴀漀渀⸀ 䄀瀀爀椀氀 㠀Ⰰ ㈀ 㘀 愀琀 㔀㨀 瀀洀 on 漀爀 眀栀攀渀 㔀 愀瀀瀀氀椀挀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀 愀爀攀 爀攀挀攀椀瘀攀搀⸀ 䘀漀爀 洀漀爀攀 椀渀昀漀爀洀愀琀椀漀渀 瀀氀攀愀猀攀 挀愀氀氀 ⠀㔀㘀㈀⤀ 㤀㐀㌀ⴀ ㌀ 漀爀 瘀椀猀椀琀 眀眀眀⸀挀椀琀礀漀昀氀愀洀椀爀愀搀愀⸀漀爀最⸀ FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @DTSPORTSDESK VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM/SPORTS PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 25, 2016 THURSDAY BASEBALL Head coach hooked on progress Rick Vanderhook employs direct approach on road back to Omaha you’ve got to learn.” about to take credit for it. Known for his direct ap- “They do the work; we HAYLEY M. SLYE proach, Vanderhook’s attitude don’t do the work,” Vander- Daily Titan goes back to what he says the hook said. “They take the Fullerton baseball program is process as they go around and all about: accountability. if they get drafted it’s not be- Cal State Fullerton baseball “He’s not afraid to tell you cause we coached them. It’s Head Coach Rick Vander- the truth,” senior infielder Jer- because they performed.” hook doesn’t accept defeat. rod Bravo said. Vanderhook has been “He’s a coach that always When mistakes are made, coaching since 1985, the grinds, no matter the circum- Vanderhook said the players year after he won the College stance. Down by 10, he’ll still point their thumb at them- World Series as a player with push you,” said Colton East- selves, not at anyone else. the Titans in ‘84. Besides a man, freshman right-handed “They have to learn how few seasons with Cal State pitcher. to do things on their own be- Northridge and UCLA, Van- Vanderhook and the Ti- cause when you play baseball derhook has spent his entire tans went all the way to the and you get to home plate, it’s career with Fullerton. College World Series last one guy with the ball and one Despite working in col- year after defeating Louis- guy with the bat,” Vander- lege sports, he spends his ville, ranked No. 2 in a 2016 hook said. “It’s a team sport, free time watching them, at- preseason poll by Baseball but it’s one-on-one.” tending CSUF men’s basket- America. Vanderhook admits Eastman took a perfect ball home games as often as it’s a moment that stands out game into the sixth inning possible. in his coaching career. on Sunday in his first outing While Vanderhook sup- “I don’t think you think as a Titan. Along with John ports other CSUF athlet- about that until you’re done,” Gavin, Blake Quinn and Con- ic programs, there’s plenty he said. “(But) I think win- nor Seabold, Eastman round- of people that support his. ning at Louisville was a pret- ed out a rotation that Vander- Over $155,000 were raised ty good thing.” hook is optimistic about. at the “Dinner with the Ti- The Titans were ultimate- Fullerton’s 2015 team tans” annual baseball fund- ly knocked out of the loser’s had three bona fide stars raiser, which featured Acad- bracket by the LSU Tigers af- on its roster in Thomas Es- emy-Award winner and ter playing only two games in helman, Justin Garza and Fullerton alumnus Kev- Omaha. As a result, Vander- David Olmedo-Barrera. in Costner as the keynote hook, in his fifth year as head All three players were se- speaker. coach, doesn’t see the short- lected in the Major League All that backing warrants lived College World Series Baseball draft and left the expectation of another trip trip as an accomplishment team. A team doesn’t re- to Omaha, but Vanderhook worthy of praise, but as an ex- place players like that, is focusing on the matter at perience from which to learn Vanderhook said. hand. from. The Titans have a long “That’s all you can do “You get caught up in it and list of former players who is prepare to go out and do you forget what you’re there have pursued careers in the something. You can’t control for. I don’t think we were majors. In Vanderhook’s the results,” he said. PATRICK DO / DAILY TITAN there long enough to really time as head coach, 18 Aaron Valdez and Ryan Rick Vanderhook surveys his team from the dugout Tuesday night. In his five years as head coach at enjoy it,” Vanderhook said. players have been drafted Porter contributed to this Cal State Fullerton, 18 players have been selected in the Major League Baseball draft from his squad. “But it was a good experience; to big leagues, but he isn’t story. Jason Dietrich values comradery in baseball CSUF pitching coach coach, and his fifth at CSUF, earned-run average and even- most rewarding reason to love revels in seeing his Dietrich noted how baseball tually transferred to Pepper- baseball is the brotherhood has consumed his entire life. dine University. that comes with it. Addition- players thrive “There are many things I’ve According to Fullerton Ath- ally, Dietrich is very proud of gained from baseball, from letics, he still holds records watching the young men he AMBER MASON friends to learning to deal with at Pepperdine for lowest bat- coaches excel at the sport.