Ross Rallies Titans Into College Series

STARKVILLE, Miss. —  It was not much of a tournament for Mike Ross, not until the final pitch.

Ross, Cal State Fullerton’s cleanup hitter, no less, had gone 3 for 18 in the NCAA South Regional here. In his previous at-bat, he had grounded into a double play.

But with two on, two out and the score tied in the bottom of the ninth Monday, Ross lit into a belt-high slider, making the ball’s destination so clear that the Texas A&M; outfielders hardly bothered to move.

His three-run homer gave Fullerton a 6-3 come-from-behind victory over Texas A&M; at Dudy Noble Field, and sends the Titans to the College World Series for the fifth time.

It was a scene, too perfect in its drama, that would have made very bad fiction. This was baseball, however, and it made for one fine celebration.

About the only person who didn’t seem to know what to do was Fullerton Coach Larry Cochell, who has guided the Titans to the NCAA’s final eight in his first year as their coach.

In the midst of jubilation, Cochell wandered about carrying the bat Ross had used, shook an extended hand and picked up a cap that had fallen from the head of a celebrating player.

“I guess my feelings sometimes don’t show,” he said later, more clearly elated. “I don’t wear them on my sleeve. I need to learn how to get a little excited.”

The Titans seem willing to do their part for the cause.

Ross’s home run culminated a Fullerton rally that had its first stirrings in the eighth inning, when first baseman Keith Kaub hit a solo homer to left-center, his third in the Titans’ four games here and his 19th of the year.

It was Fullerton’s first success at trimming the 3-0 lead the Aggies had staked by scoring in the first, fourth and fifth innings.

Had Fullerton (41-16) lost, the teams would have met again in a night game to decide the regional champion. Texas A&M; (52-15), with one loss already, needed a victory to force a second game.

With Fullerton trailing, 3-1, with two outs in the ninth, a second game seemed likely. And had the Aggies been able to force it, they would have seemed to have the advantage.

The Aggie ace, Sean Snedeker, was ready to pitch with three days rest.

Fullerton would have gone to Mark Beck and Longo Garcia, who had only two- and one-day rests, respectively.

Cochell spoke of Yogi Berra later, but that was after it was over. In the dugout, Titan catcher Brent Mayne said he had begun to think a little bit about the second game.

Ralph Ramirez walked to lead off the ninth, but Aggie reliever Scott Centala struck out pinch-hitter Bobby Jones and Jim Osborn.

But Greg Mannion walked and Rex Peters hit a single, scoring Ramirez from second to make it 3-2.

Shane Flores then slapped a single just off the glove of the diving Aggie third baseman Scott Livingstone, driving in Mannion and tying the score, 3-3.

The Titans had managed a 12-inning victory the night before, but this time there was no call for extra innings.

Ross could have done the job with a run-scoring single, but he was guilty of a heavy hand.

“You didn’t get all of it, did you?” someone kidded Ross afterward.

Ross paused and smiled, but he wanted this on the record.

“Yeah,” he said, “I think I did.”

The more dramatic heroics may have been at the plate, but Fullerton got a crucial performance from reliever Paul Johnson.

Johnson had come on in the fifth inning the night before, and ended up going 7 innings, striking out 12 and earning the victory.

The call came again Monday, with Fullerton trailing, 2-0, in the fifth, and Johnson pitched 5-hit ball, allowing one run the rest of the way.

“He did it with guts,” said Fred Riscen, the Texas A&M; starter. “He came out there and didn’t have such good stuff like the night before, but he gutted it out.”

Johnson (7-3) struck out only four Monday, but he kept the game in check and eventually earned the victory.

“We got great pitching from Paul Johnson,” Cochell did. “He did his job two days in a row.”

Fullerton, seeded third at the regional behind Texas A&M; and host Mississippi State, swept through the double-elimination tournament unbeaten. The Titans will return to the College World Series for the first time since 1984, when they won the second of two national championships under Coach Augie Garrido, who left Fullerton last summer to become the coach at Illinois.

Fullerton also went to the College World Series in 1975, 1979, and 1982, winning the title in 1979.

Fullerton won here behind strong complete-game victories from Beck and Garcia and the two relief victories by Johnson, and with an offense that scored 21 runs in 4 games, led by the hitting of Kaub and Mannion.

Cochell, 48, will be making his second trip to the College World Series, after guiding Oral Roberts there in 1978.

“I’m happy for these seniors, they lost in the regionals last year,” Cochell said. “This has probably been as fun a year as I’ve had in coaching. I don’t know what to say. I’m elated. We’ve been very successful because this group of men has made it very easy. They’ve done everything we’ve asked.”

Titan Notes

First baseman Keith Kaub, left fielder Greg Mannion, and pitchers Longo Garcia and Paul Johnson made the 12-member all tournament team.