CATCH ALL THE ACTION: Titans fans can catch all the action for this weeks games by following the links at FullertonTitans.com. Live stats will be available for all four games this week. Audio broadcasts and a live video feed will also be available.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE EXCELLENT TITANS BASEBALL TICKET OFFERS!
The Titans may be on the road this week but Titans fans can still take advantage of these great deals to catch Fullerton in action at Goodwin Field.
-Three-game Flex Plan: Fans can pick any three remaining home games against UC Santa Barbara, UCLA or Long Beach State for $30.
-Albertsons Gift Card Giveaway: The first 50 fans that purchase a minimum of four reserved seats to any of the three games against UC Santa Barbara this weekend can receive a $20 gift card to Albertsons. Use the promo code ALBERTSONS20. Offer is presale only, not valid the day of the game.
TITAN EARBUD GIVEAWAY: Fans attending any of this weekend's games against UC Santa Barbara will receive a set of Titan earbuds while supplies last.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow @BaseballTitans on Twitter for daily updates during the 2015 season. Fullerton baseball is also now on Instagram, so make sure to follow the 2015 team all season @CSF_TitansBaseball.
BATTLE FOR FIRST PLACE: The Titans return to Goodwin Field this weekend to host No. 11 UC Santa Barbara for a crucial three-game set. The Gauchos and Titans are currently locked in a three-way tie for first place with UC Irvine atop the Big West Conference standings with three weeks left in the regular season.
PITCHING MATCHUPS:
FRIDAY
CSF - RHP, Thomas Eshelman (5-5, 1.94 ERA) vs. UCSB - RHP, Dillon Tate (7-3, 1.63 ERA)
SATURDAY
CSF - RHP, Justin Garza (4-3, 3.21 ERA) vs. UCSB - LHP, Justin Jacome (7-2, 2.24 ERA)
SUNDAY
CSF - LHP, John Gavin (6-1, 3.79 ERA) vs. UCSB - RHP, Shane Bieber (6-3, 2.01 ERA)
RPI AND TOURNAMENT WATCH: The Titans are now at No. 34 in the NCAA RPI ratings as of May 6.
CSF vs. UC SANTA BARBARA • ALL-TIME SERIES
First Year Played/Last Year Played 1976/2015
Overall Record 98-36
Current Streak Lost 2
SCBA Conference Record 28-4
Big West Conference Record 67-29
Overall Conference (SCBA and Big West) Record 95-33
SCBA Playoff Game Record 0-1
Big West Conference Tournament Record 1-0
Home Record 51-17
Road Record 47-18
Neutral Record 0-1
Longest Winning Streak 12 games (5/16/80 to 4/21/83)
Longest Losing Streak 5 games (4/27/86 to 3/27/87)
Extra Innings 4-2
Most Runs Scored in a Game 21 runs, 2 times (last on 4/27/85)
Most Runs Scored in a Game by Opponent 15 runs (5/9/86)
Largest Margin of Victory 20 runs (4/27/85)
Largest Margin of Defeat 8 runs, 2 times (last on 5/3/08)
UCSB NOTES:
• Gauchos Remain Sixth in Nation, Tied for Highest Ranking Since 1986 - UCSB Baseball appeared in all five major national polls for the tenth consecutive week on Monday, including a No. 6 ranking by the NCBWA, the program's highest national ranking since the 1986 season, when they were fifth in the NCAA. This is the second consecutive season that UCSB has been ranked among the top-10 nationally at some point. Besides the NCBWA, the Gauchos checked in at No. 7 in D1 Baseball, No. 7 in USA Today, No. 11 in Baseball America, and No. 13 in Collegiate Baseball.
• Tate Named to Final Golden Spikes Award Watch List - USA Baseball on Thursday announced its final Golden Spikes Award Watch List, which included UC Santa Barbara ace Dillon Tate. This is the second consecutive season that UCSB has had a player on the final 30-man watch list (Joey Epperson) after having gone without a single nominee in the history of the program. The Golden Spikes Award is handed out annually to the top amateur player in the country, and voting for the prestigious award is set to begin on May 22.
• Road Warriors - Though they have traditionally been a power at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, the Gauchos are getting it done on the road as well this season, as they have gone undefeated in away series so far in 2015. Should UCSB win its series against CSF and lowly UC Riverside this month, the program will go undefeated in road series for an entire season for the first time in program history.
• Tackling the Titans - In order to ascend to the top of the Big West standings, UCSB will have to overcome a bit of history. The Gauchos have won just one of their last seven series against Cal State Fullerton (last year), and they haven't taken a series at Goodwin Field since the 2007 season.
• Pitch Perfect - For the second consecutive weekend, the Gauchos will enter play with the lowest team ERA (2.09) in the entire NCAA. This is the first time in program history that the Gauchos have led the country in ERA this late in the season. Much of the team's pitching success can be attributed to the four-man rotation, which has put together a collective 25-9 record, a 2.18 ERA, and six complete games. UCSB remains the only squad in the country with four starters that have winning records and ERAs below 2.50.
TITANS AND THE BIG WEST: Overall, Cal State Fullerton has posted a dominant 720-253-1 (.740) conference record over 40 seasons. Rick Vanderhook, the school's fifth Div. I head coach, has compiled a 65-25 Big West Conference record in his four seasons at the helm and won consecutive conference titles in 2012 and 2013, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Augie Garrido (14). Larry Cochell (1), George Horton (7) and Dave Serrano (3). Overall, the Titans have won 27 conference titles.
A further breakdown has the Titans winning three PCAA conference championships (1975-76, 1987), eight straight SCBA titles (1977-84), and 16 while playing under the Big West name (1990-91, 94-95, 1997, 1999-2001, 2004-06, 2008, 2010-13). The Big West absorbed the PCAA records in 1990 upon its formation, giving the Titans 19 total Big West championships and a 544-207 (.724; 32 years) PCAA/Big West Conference record.
PICKED TO WIN IT: Cal State Fullerton was picked as the favorite to win the 2015 Big West title as selected by the nine conference head coaches that voted in the Big West Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Titans received five of the nine first-place votes and 74 points overall, edging 2014 Big West Conference champions Cal Poly, which received three first-place votes and 73 points overall. UC Santa Barbara claimed the third spot, receiving the final first-place vote and 62 points overall while UC Irvine (56 points) and Long Beach State (48 points) rounded out the top five spots.
CSF vs. UCLA • ALL-TIME SERIES
First Year Played/Last Year Played 1975/2015
Overall Record 65-31-2
Current Streak Lost 1
NCAA Regional Record 4-2
NCAA Super Regional Record 3-4
Overall NCAA Postseason Record 7-6
Home Record 35-14-1
Road Record 28-16-1
Neutral Record 2-1
Longest Winning Streak 7 games, 2 times (last from 2/24/07 to 3/5/08)
Longest Losing Streak 4 games (5/7/86 to 4/22/87)
Extra Innings 2-5
Most Runs Scored in a Game 19 runs (4/22/98)
Most Runs Scored in a Game by Opponent 16 runs, 2 times (last on 4/22/87)
Largest Margin of Victory 15 runs (2/22/84)
Largest Margin of Defeat 10 runs (2/16/82)
UCLA RECAP, FIRST MEETING: The Titans dropped the first meeting between the two teams back on April 14 at Jackie Robinson Stadium, falling 7-2. The Titans managed just three hits on the night while the Bruins got 2-for-4 efforts from Brett Urabe and Ty Moore to score the victory.
VERSUS THE PAC-12 CONFERENCE: The Titans are 2-4 against PAC-12 Conference teams this season. The Titans currently hold a 286-211-3 mark against teams from the Pacific-12 conference, with their most victories (65) coming against UCLA in 97 games. The Titans have also played Arizona 97 times, holding a 63-34 record. Fullerton has played Stanford on 99 (43-56) occasions, the most against any PAC-12 team. Stanford is one of just three teams in the conference to hold a winning record over the Titans all-time along with Arizona State (26-30) and Washington State (5-7).
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE: The Titans and Gauchos enter this weekend's series tied atop the Big West Standings with identical 11-4 conference records. Neither team has lost a three-game conference series to this point, but that will change by the end of this critical weekend.
BATTLE OF ACES - THOMAS ESHELMAN VS DILLON TATE: All eyes will be on Goodwin Field Friday night as two of the top collegiate pitchers in the country are set to face off. Thomas Eshelman will get the start for the Titans Friday with Dillon Tate, a projected top-five pick for the 2015 MLB Draft, gets the ball for the Gauchos.
-ESHELMAN: The Titans right-hander has been stellar again this season. He currently sits atop the national rankings in walks allowed per nine innings (0.51) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (17.20). He's also ranked in the top-50 in the nation in WHIP (13th, 0.87), strikeouts (26th, 86), complete games (31st, 3) and ERA (44th, 1.94).
-TATE: Dillon Tate has been spectacular in his first year as a starter after spending his sophomore season as the team's closer. Tate is currently second in the conference and 19th in the nation with a 1.63 ERA. He's first in the Big West and sixth in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (5.12) and has fanned 84 batters this year, good for third in the Big West and 30th in the country. His 0.83 WHIP is first in the conference and seventh in the nation.
THAT'S OFFENSIVE: The Titans erupted for season highs in hits and runs Saturday night in a 19-0 victory over UC Riverside at The Plex. Fullerton scored in six of the nine innings including three multi-run innings, highlighted by a seven-run fourth inning. Eight of the 17 position players posted multi-hit games and three players drove in multiple RBIs. Taylor Bryant set a new career-high as he recorded his first three-hit game as a Titan. The explosion was part of a dominating weekend for the Titans in which they outscored the Highlanders 35-4 en route to a three-game sweep. They posted 51 hits in the series, a new season-high for a three-game set along with 11 doubles and 32 RBIs, also season highs.
YOU WILL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT: The Titans pitching staff set a new program record last week as they went 30 and 2/3 scoreless innings, beginning with the last out of the sixth inning in the Titans' 5-3, 12-inning victory at USC. The Titans recorded consecutive shutouts for the second time this season after blanking UC Riverside in the first two games of their series and held the Highlanders scoreless for six and 1/3 innings in Sunday's game before a sacrifice fly put an end to the streak. The previous record in the program's recorded history came last year when Titans pitchers went 27 scoreless innings to end the regular season. Nebraska ended that streak in the sixth inning of game one at the Stillwater Regional.
HIGH FIVE: Timmy Richards set a new career high in Saturday's win at UC Riverside as the shortstop drove in five RBIs. Richards has been on a tear at the plate lately, batting .371 (13-for-35) with four doubles, one triple and 11 RBIs In his last eight games. He has also scored eight runs in that span and recorded consecutive three-hit games against UC Irvine on April 26 and at USC on April 28. He did not have a three-hit game in his career prior to that point.
JUST TAKE THE BASE WITH YOU: Third baseman Jerrod Bravo has been living on the basepaths lately for the Titans. Bravo has reached base in 28 consecutive games he has played, a span that goes back to the first month of the season. During that stretch, Bravo has come up with pinch-hits and walks in his only appearance certain games to keep the streak alive. He has not had to worry about that lately as he's started the last eight games. He is batting .300 (9-for-30) in that stretch with one triple and eight RBIs, including a three-RBI game May 1 at UC Riverside. Along with Bravo, Timmy Richards has also been getting on base consistently, having reached in 18 straight games.
DAVID IS GOLIATH: David Olmedo-Barrera wore out UC Riverside pitching over the weekend and has been swinging a hot bat for the Titans. In the three-game set at The Plex, Olmedo-Barrera went 5-for-8 with two doubles, six RBIs and five runs scored. He slugged .875 and also drew a pair of walks. Over his last eight games, Olmedo-Barrera is batting .481 (13-for-27) with three doubles, one home run and eight RBIs. He has scored eight times and has a .704 slugging percentage to go along with a .548 on-base percentage. He's also been a terror on the bases for opponents, stealing four bases in six attempts. Olmedo-Barrera is currently batting .331 for the season and is second in the conference with a .551 slugging percentage. He is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak as well.
VARGAS CONTINUES TO ROLL: Josh Vargas is currently ranked fourth in the Big West with a .364 batting average in 43 games played. Vargas is tied for first on the team with 48 hits and has scored a team-high 32 runs. He also leads the conference with a .479 on-base percentage. He went 5-for-8 with a double and six runs scored in the three-game series against the Highlanders.
TAYLOR AND TYLER: Second baseman Taylor Bryant is known for his defense but it's his bat that has come alive and helped him secure a spot in the starting lineup. In his last 10 games, Bryant has started nine times after making just four starts in the previous 36 games. He is hitting .387 (12-for-31) with two home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored. He's also drawn a team-best seven walks and boasts a .500 on-base percentage during that stretch. Outfielder Tyler Stieb has also been producing with the bat for the Titans as he has pushed his overall batting average to .304 this season. In his last 10 games, Stieb is batting .324 (12-for-37) with five RBIs and five runs scored. He also had a 10-game hitting streak at one point, the longest for a Titans player this season.
DON'T WALK: The Titans find themselves in a familiar position as they lead the nation in walks allowed per nine innings. The pitching staff has allowed just 81 walks in 411.2 innings pitched, good for a 1.77 average. Texas Christian ranks second in the country with a 1.93 average and Illinois is third with a 1.95 clip. Those three teams are the only ones in the country averaging fewer than two walks per nine innings.
CROSS 'EM OUT AND PUT A "K": The Titans are currently ranked first in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 4.74 average, holding a comfortable lead on second-place TCU (4.56).