Titans Look to Fix a Few Things Before Regionals

The last four weeks have been agonizing for the Cal State Fullerton baseball program.

The Titans, who lost only twice in two months early in the season, lost twice Saturday and were eliminated in the Big West postseason tournament. In the last 12 games, Fullerton has lost eight.

And now the Titans (42-12) are left with a three-game series at eighth-ranked Miami beginning Thursday to try to turn things around before NCAA regional tournament play begins a week later.

Despite the slump, Fullerton is expected to receive an at-large bid when the NCAA pairings are announced next Monday, based on its record and its showing against top teams. Regional sites will be announced today.

“Our problems are solvable,” Coach Augie Garrido said Sunday. “We just have to solve them.”

The key now, Garrido says, is getting the pitching staff back on track. Brent Billingsley (11-1) had a strong performance Friday in Fullerton’s 3-1 victory over Long Beach, but Nevada Las Vegas and Long Beach scored 22 runs in Saturday’s two games against Fullerton.

“We’ve been in a state of decline for about six weeks, but now the pitching is the only part of our game that hasn’t responded,” Garrido said. “That’s the one thing that still needs to be fixed, and it can be. The offense responded this weekend, and we fielded well.”

Fullerton scored 17 runs in Saturday’s two losses, which Garrido said should be enough to win.

“Obviously, our pitching staff right now is in disarray,” said associate head coach George Horton. “And it’s indicative of what’s been happening to us. We haven’t pitched up to the level we’re capable of. We haven’t been consistent. But if there’s anyone to blame, it’s me. The players have been trying hard.”

Garrido and Horton talked over a plan Sunday they hope will remedy the problem.

Horton said he probably stayed too long with some of the pitchers Saturday.

Starters Kirk Irvine (10-3) and Scott Hild (8-3) struggled. Irvine gave up three runs on four hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings against UNLV. Long Beach had eight runs on nine hits and four walks in Hild’s 5 2/3 innings.

“Hild pitched in character, but I left him in too long,” Horton said. He said he also erred when he stretched his expectations of others pitchers.

“Irvine was having a tough time with his fastball, and that’s been his best pitch,” Horton said. “It was flat and didn’t have the kind of hop it usually does. He’s trying hard, and we’ve done what we can do, but only he can bring himself out of it now.”

Horton said top reliever Mark Chavez (2-2) has been bothered by an arm problem. “It’s been a nagging muscle thing, and he hasn’t felt right,” Horton said. Mark Kotsay also has “experienced some tenderness in his arm,” Horton said, making him reluctant to take any chances with Kotsay.

Horton said the pitching troubles have been compounded by the hitting strength of the Big West teams Fullerton has faced.

“They’re better teams than some of the teams we were playing earlier,” Horton said. “And we’ve regressed. We went through a stretch when we were very consistent. It’s harder to pitch against teams you play against all the time. They chart us real well, and they probably get some tendencies on us. Sometimes, in that situation, you have to pitch at an above-average level to stay where you were.”