[ BASEBALL ]
Cal State Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki, a Baldwin alumnus, advanced to third base Thursday on a single by Danny Dorn, as South Carolina's Steven Tolleson lept unsuccessfully for the ball.
Suzuki living it up
The Baldwin alumnus is enjoying
the hype heading into the CWS
championship series
The hoopla surrounding the College World Series kept Cal State Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki hopping yesterday.
A day after the Titans secured a place in the CWS championship series, there were interview sessions with ESPN, a pep rally thrown by the city of Omaha to attend, and -- oh, by the way -- a quick practice in preparation for the biggest series of the college baseball season.
Championship Series
Best-of-three; all times Hawaii timeToday
» Texas (58-13) vs. Cal State Fullerton (45-22), 1 p.m. (ESPN)Tomorrow
» Texas vs. Cal State Fullerton, 9 a.m. (ESPN)Monday
» Texas vs. Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m., if necessary (ESPN)
But if the pregame hype wasn't sufficient to remind the Baldwin High School graduate that the Titans' series with Texas this weekend is a bit removed from the ordinary, the electricity buzzing through Rosenblatt Stadium today would certainly be indication enough.
"It's going to be rocking," Suzuki said in a telephone interview yesterday. "It's going to be sold out I'm sure. We're going to be amped up for the first couple of innings. I'm sure we're going to be racing and the adrenaline's going to be flowing. So after we get the first couple innings under us, I'm sure we'll be nice and relaxed and just playing baseball."
Suzuki will be behind the plate when Cal State Fullerton (45-22) faces the Texas Longhorns (58-13) in the best-of-three championship series that begins today at 1 p.m. Hawaii time.
The series continues tomorrow and, if necessary, Monday.
Both teams finished one step short of the final series last year. Fullerton lost twice to Stanford in the semifinal round of the 2003 College World Series, while Texas lost to eventual national champion Rice in the opposite bracket.
The Longhorns swept through their bracket in this year's series and have been resting since knocking out Georgia on Wednesday. Fullerton survived an elimination game with South Carolina on Thursday to earn a spot in the final.
Although the 4-0 win over the Gamecocks marked a breakthrough for the Titans, it wasn't long before thoughts of burnt orange entered their minds.
"We enjoyed it for about an hour," Suzuki said. "After we got off the bus we just said, 'We've got another series and the biggest games we've had all season. Just take it the same way we did towards the end of the season and hopefully we'll come out on the winning end.' "
Texas coach Augie Garrido joked with Cal State Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki, left, and pitcher Jason Windsor, at a news conference in Omaha, Neb., yesterday.
Suzuki, a second-round draft pick of the Oakland A's earlier this month, is hitting a remarkable .424 this season and has a team-high 16 home runs.
Not wanting to give the Baseball America first-team All-American a chance to unload, South Carolina and Miami pitchers fed him a steady diet of breaking pitches during the CWS.
The winds blowing toward the plate at Rosenblatt have also knocked down several solid drives resulting in a .167 (2-for-12) average over the week. But Suzuki isn't panicking over the numbers.
"I feel fine," he said. "I have the same approach I've had all season. I just have nothing to show for it. I've been hitting the ball hard. If it wasn't for the wind and being a little bit unlucky, which is a part of baseball, I'd be having a great series and people wouldn't be talking about how I'm not hitting well."
Although the hits haven't been falling with the frequency he's accustomed to, Suzuki has been a regular figure on the basepaths. In four CWS games, he's drawn five walks and was hit by a pitch. He scored the Titans' first run in both of their last two games.
"If I start up a rally, that's a way of contributing to the team," Suzuki said. "I'm not getting anything to hit, so if I can take walks and set the tables for the eight other guys hitting behind me that's helping the team."
The task for the Titans hitters won't get any easier in the final series. Texas, which opened the season with a sweep of Hawaii at Murakami Stadium, enters the series with a team earned-run average of 2.66, led by starter J.P. Howell (15-2) and closer Huston Street (12 saves).
"Their pitching is what sticks out," Suzuki said. "Their team ERA is probably under three and they've been pretty dominating in the College World Series. It's going to be a tough task for us, but we're up for it."
Suzuki's parents, Warren and Kathleen, have been in Omaha for the entire series and he said he's been getting lots of support from home throughout the week.
"I'm getting a lot of phone calls every day from people in Hawaii and it's just awesome to know you have the state of Hawaii supporting you and it's something you cherish the rest of your life," he said.
Suzuki isn't the only member of the Fullerton squad with Hawaii ties. CSF coach George Horton began his college career at UH in the mid-1970s before transferring to Fullerton, where he played for former Titans and current Texas coach Augie Garrido.
"I'm sure he's excited on the inside, but he hasn't really shown it much. He's pretty cool about it," Suzuki said of Horton. "But I'm sure when we get to the field and just see that atmosphere, he'll be pumped as well as the rest of the team."
