CATCH ALL THE ACTION:
Television: All games of the Louisville Super Regional will be available on the ESPN family of networks. Saturday's opening game will air on ESPN2 at 8 a.m. PT. Sunday's game will air on either ESPN2 or ESPNU and the third game, if necessary, will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
Streaming Video: ESPN3/Watch ESPN
Audio Webcast: An audio broadcast of this weekend's games against the Cardinals will be available courtesy of Louisville radio.
Live Stats: Live in-game stats will be available at www.FullertonTitans.com.
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.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets are still available for the Louisville Super Regional and can be purchased through the Cal State Fullerton Athletics Ticket Office by calling (657) 278-2783. All-Tournament passes are $25 for general admission and $45 for chair-back seats. Single-session tickets are $10 for general admission and $20 for chair-back seating.
LEADING OFF:
Fresh off their 21st NCAA Regional title, the Titans head to No. 3-seed Louisville for the Super Regionals beginning this Saturday at 8 a.m. PT. The Titans are coming off a perfect 3-0 weekend at the Fullerton Regional where they defeated Pepperdine, Arizona State and Pepperdine again in the Regional Championship game. The Titans pushed their record to 37-9 in Regional play at Goodwin Field and swept a regional at home for the second straight time, the last coming in 2013.
TITANS HISTORY IN THE POSTSEASON:
Fullerton makes its 37th NCAA appearance in its 41 seasons at the Div. I level. The exceptions were 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1991. The current string of 24 CONSECUTIVE appearances is third longest in the nation behind Miami (43), Florida State (38), who both made the tournament in 2015.
Overall, the Titans have won 21 Regional titles – including a national best 11 on the road (two each in Fresno and Baton Rouge and one each at USC, Austin, Starkville, Stillwater, South Bend, Tempe and San Diego). The Titans NEVER hosted a regional before 2000 but have since hosted 12 at home (10-2) – they lost the first (USC, 2000) and won eight in a row before being eliminated by Illinois in 2011. This year, the Titans won their 10th regional in the Super Regional era, going 3-0.
HISTORIC REGIONAL RUN:
Of the eight schools (Texas, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma State, Clemson, Arizona State, Southern California, Cal State Fullerton) that have recorded 37-or-more Div. I baseball postseason appearances, the Titans are the only team to have never gone winless in Regional play. The Titans' all-time record in Regional play is 99-41 (.707).
SUPER REGIONAL HISTORY:
The Titans are 16-10 (.615) in Super Regional play. They have gone 0-2 only twice in a Super Regional (2008 & 2013). This will be Fullerton's 12th appearance in the Super Regionals but only third on the road. The Titans defeated Ohio State in three games in 1999 as the No. 3 national seed but lost to UCLA in three games back in 2010.
CSF vs. LOUISVILLE • ALL-TIME SERIES
First Year Played/Last Year Played 2009/2015
Overall Record 3-0
Current Streak Won 3
NCAA Super Regional Record 2-0
Overall NCAA Postseason Record 2-0
Home Record 2-0
Road Record 0-0
Neutral Record 1-0
Longest Winning Streak 3 games (6/5/09 to present)
Longest Losing Streak NA
Extra Innings 0-0
Most Runs Scored in a Game 12 runs (6/5/09)
Most Runs Scored in a Game by Opponent 6 runs (2/15/15)
Largest Margin of Victory 12 runs (6/5/09)
Largest Margin of Defeat NA
ABOUT LOUISVILLE AND HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Head Coach: Dan McDonnell, 9th Season
Tournament Berth: The Cardinals went 43-16 during the regular season and 25-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference to earn the No. 3 national seed in the 69th NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.
Regionals: The Cardinals earned their third straight NCAA Super Regional berth and the fifth in the last nine seasons by winning the Louisville Regional last weekend at Jim Patterson Stadium. Extending its postseason home winning streak to 11 games overall, Louisville swept through the double elimination Regional with a 7-2 victory over Morehead State followed by 4-3 and 13-4 wins against Michigan.
Super Regionals: Louisville is hosting an NCAA Super Regional for the second straight season and the third time overall. The Cardinals are 28-6 at home this season and improved to 18-4 all-time in NCAA postseason games at Jim Patterson Stadium with the trio of wins in last weekend's Regional.
HERE WE GO AGAIN:
The Titans and Cardinals have faced off only three times all-time, the first two coming in 2009 at the Fullerton Super Regional. The Titans swept the Cardinals in 2009, outscoring them 23-2 in the two games to clinch a trip to the College World Series. Since then, the Titans have not been to Omaha in the last six seasons while the Cardinals are coming off two straight trips to the College World Series and are in search of their third straight trip with a series win this weekend.
PREVIOUS MEETING:
The Titans had four hits in the first inning and seven through four as they went on to defeat the Cardinals 8-6 at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla. on Feb. 15. The Titans collected their first victory of the season thanks to timely hitting as they went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position while the Cardinals were held to 2-for-9 in those same situations. Freshman John Gavin earned the win for the Titans, tossing five and 2/3 innings in his first career start. He allowed four earned runs on nine hits but did not issue a free pass and struck out five. Senior Tyler Peitzmeier made his second relief appearance of the season and earned his first save, going one and 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed one hit and struck out two. At the plate, the Titans got a lot of production from the 2-5 spots in the lineup as Scott Hurst, Jake Jefferies, Josh Estill and Chris Hudgins combined to go 5-for-15 with six runs scored, a double and four RBIs. Dustin Vaught went 2-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored while shortstop Timmy Richards went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
TEAM USA REUNION:
Saturday's pitching matchup features not only two of the top collegiate pitchers in the country, but also a reunion of teammates from the 2015 USA Collegiate National Team as Thomas Eshelman gets the start for the Titans while Kyle Funkhouser gets the call for the Cardinals.
This season, Eshelman has made 16 starts and compiled an 8-5 record, winning five straight decisions before recording a no-decision in Saturday night's 3-2, 14-inning victory over Arizona State. Eshelman was stupendous in that start, tying a career high with 14 strikeouts and setting a career high with 143 pitches, 103 for strikes. Overall, Eshelman has a 1.61 ERA in 123 and 1/3 innings pitched. He's fanned 125 batters and walked just six, good for a 20.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which ranks first in the nation by a wide margin. His 0.44 walks per-nine innings average also leads the country.
As for Funkhouser, the All-American right-hander has also posted an 8-5 record in 16 starts this season. He has tossed one complete game and struck out 99 in 105 and 1/3 innings of work. Batters are hitting .231 against him and he has accumulated a 3.25 ERA.
MORE ESHELMAN:
Thomas Eshelman leads the Big West with a 0.80 WHIP, which also ranks fourth in the nation. Eshelman also ranks seventh in the country in strikeouts (125), 17th in ERA (1.57) and 10th in complete games (5). His 9.12 strikeouts-per-nine innings average is a career high and also ranks fifth in the Big West.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE CLOSER:
Left-hander Tyler Peitzmeier is currently ranked third in the nation with 16 saves in 16 opportunities this season. Over the weekend, Peitzmeier went beyond the closer role as he pitched five outstanding innings of relief in support of Eshelman to earn his third win of the season in the Titans 3-2, 14-inning victory over Arizona State. It was Peitzmeier's only appearance of the Fullerton Regional but was enough to earn him a spot on the Fullerton All-Regional Team. He tied a career high with six strikeouts and was two-thirds of an inning shy of tying a career high in innings pitched.
GAVIN EARNS FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS:
Cal State Fullerton left-hander John Gavin was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team by Collegiate Baseball, the publication announced Wednesday. Gavin was one of two players from the Big West Conference to be named to the team along with UC Irvine outfielder Keston Hiura. Assuming the Sunday starter's role from the outset of the season, Gavin was solid for the Titans throughout 2015. The San Jose, Calif.-native has made 16 starts this season and accumulated a 7-2 record with a 3.55 ERA. Gavin was named Big West Honorable Mention in 2015 and has recorded 65 strikeouts in 83 and 2/3 innings. He has allowed 24 walks and opponents are batting .241 against the lefty. In conference play, Gavin went 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA and struck out 30 in 42 and 2/3 innings and held opposing batters to a .234 batting average.
ON BASE MACHINE:
Third baseman Jerrod Bravo is approaching Cal State Fullerton history as the Cameron Park, Calif.-native has reached base in 41 consecutive games this season. It is one of just two streaks of more than 40 games at Fullerton in the last 13 seasons. Tyler Pill reached base in 43 straight games to end the 2010 season. Bravo's streak is also just the fourth streak of more than 30 games in the last 13 seasons at Cal State Fullerton. Ironically, the streak began on Feb. 15 against Louisville at the Opening Weekend Challenge when he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the Titans 8-6 win. Bravo has only failed to reach base in two of 43 games played this year, the first two games of the season. He entered as a defensive replacement on opening night and never got an at-bat and then entered the game as a pinch-hitter against Alabama State on Feb. 14, striking out in his only appearance. Overall, Bravo has started in 38 games and is batting .313 with 24 runs scored, nine doubles and two triples.
GOING FOR A STROLL:
The Titans have had a lot of plate discipline this season; drawing 241 walks collectively to lead the Big West Conference. That mark also ranks 52nd in the nation. The team drew 20 walks over the weekend at the Fullerton Regional alone, the third most in a weekend this season. Josh Vargas leads the team with 30 walks with Timmy Richards right behind at 27 free passes. David Olmedo-Barrera has drawn 24 free passes while Jerrod Bravo and Taylor Bryant have walked 21 times. Five other players have drawn double-digit walks this season.
HAVE A DOS:
The Titans led the Big West in batters hit by a pitch. Fullerton hitters have been pelted 92 times this season, which also ranks fourth in the nation.
OTHER TEAM RANKS:
Fullerton ranks first in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings with a 1.72 average. They are also first in the country with a 4.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In addition, the Titans led the Big West in shutouts with nine, a mark that also ranks fourth in the country. The Titans also rank highly in the following categories: WHIP (1.12; 1st BWC, 5th Nation), sacrifice bunts (64; 3rd BWC, 16th Nation), strikeouts per nine innings (8.5; 1st BWC, 18th Nation) and triples (17, 3rd BWC, 52nd Nation).
MAYDAY, MAYDAY:
After being near .500 after the first three months of the season, the Titans surged to the top of the Big West standings in May, winning 14 of 16 games in the month. They went 8-2 at Goodwin Field and were undefeated in six road games during the month. The Titans batted .284 with 35 doubles, one triple and four home runs as a team, led by Josh Vargas' .385 (20-for-52) clip. Tyler Stieb (.349), Jerrod Bravo (.345) and David Olmedo-Barrera (.305) also batted above .300 to lead the Titans. On the mound, the Titans were dominant, posting a miniscule 1.38 ERA, led by Thomas Eshelman's 0.64 mark in five starts. Titans pitchers fanned 149 batters and walked just 23 in 16 games in May with opponents hitting .199 against them.
OUT TO SEA:
Freshman Connor Seabold has settled in to the third starter role with the injury to Justin Garza. Seabold is 5-3 this season with a 2.92 ERA in 20 appearances and nine starts. He is second on the team with 73 strikeouts and has walked just 12 batters in 61 and 2/3 innings. He was dominant in the Titans' Fullerton Regional Championship clincher, going six shutout innings and striking out nine, both tying career highs. In May, Seabold made five appearances including four starts, going 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA. He struck out 32 batters and walked just two in 24 innings pitched. Opponents hit just .231 against him during the month.
SWEET RELIEF:
The Titans bullpen has been outstanding this season, let by Tyler Peitzmeier at the back end with 16 saves. But Miles Chambers, Maxwell Gibbs and Willie Kuhl have all made 24 or more appearances out of the bullpen this season and been solid. Chambers boasts a 2.16 ERA in 24 appearances including two starts. He's 5-3 and has fanned 50 batters in 58 and 1/3 innings with opponents hitting .239 against him. Gibbs has also been a solid lefty out of the pen with a 2-2 record and 29 strikeouts in 30 and 1/3 innings while Kuhl has gone 2-0 in 26 appearances with 32 strikeouts in 28 and 2/3 innings pitched.
FULLERTON ALL-REGIONAL TEAM:
Along with MVP Thomas Eshelman and Tyler Peitzmeier, the Titans also had three other players selected to the Fullerton All-Regional Team this weekend. First baseman Tanner Pinkston went 4-for-12 with three doubles and four RBIs with two runs scored to earn the first base position. Josh Vargas led the team with a .400 average (4-for-10) with five runs scored and a .571 on-base percentage to earn one of the outfield spots and David Olmedo-Barrera was 4-for-13 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored to earn the designated hitter spot.
FREQUENT FLYERS:
The Titans get back on a plane this weekend to make their first ever trek to Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Ky. The 2,080-mile trip will be the Titans third trip of more than 2,000 miles this season. The team traveled to Clearwater, Fla., Bloomington, Ind., Lincoln, Neb., and College Park, Md., which was the team's longest road trip of the season (2,628 miles), along with Honolulu (2,494 miles). Overall, the Titans logged more than 11,000 miles in the air during the regular season and will add to that total with this weekend's trip.
CLOSE EDGE:
The Titans are 8-10 this season in one-run games following the 3-2 win over Arizona State on Saturday night. Last season, the Titans led the nation with 26 one-run games. They went 13-13 in those contests.
