Pro Update – Sept. 18, 2013
On Tuesday, Kotsay was announced as the San Diego Padres' 2013 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.
Kotsay is one of 30 club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.
Tuesday was Roberto Clemente Day throughout Major League Baseball, a day instituted on the 30th anniversary of his passing in 1972 to keep alive Clemente's spirit of giving.
Voting runs from Tuesday through Oct. 6 at chevybaseball.com as fans help decide which of those 30 club winners will receive this prestigious recognition.
Read more at MLB.com
In addition, last Sunday, it was announced that Kotsay would retire following the 2013 season after a 17-year Major League Baseball career.
Read more at MLB.com
Amidst a remarkable three-year collegiate career, Kotsay led the Titans to their third national championship in 1995. A combination outfielder and relief pitcher, Kotsay was selected College Player of the Decade (1990s) by Baseball America and is a member of the 50th anniversary all-time College World Series team.
In 1995, Kotsay won both the Golden Spikes Award and the Smith Award as the nation's top player and was selected national co-player of the year by Collegiate Baseball. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1995 CWS and won first-team All-American honors in both 1995 and 1996, then adding an Olympic bronze medal in the summer of 1996.
The Titans went 149-41 in his three seasons as he batted .404, a school career record. Kotsay was a first-round draft choice of the Florida Marlins with whom he earned a World Series Championship ring in 1997. He has played 17 major league seasons with seven different clubs: Florida, San Diego, Oakland, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago (AL) and Milwaukee.
More Titans in the Pros
• Khris Davis (2007-09) was the 53rd Titan to make his MLB debut on April 1, 2013 as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.
He was sent back to Triple-A during the months of May and June, but returned to the Brewers' lineup on July 12.
In 50 games this season, Davis is batting .278 with nine doubles and nine home runs.
A right-handed hitting outfielder, he was the seventh-round pick of Milwaukee in 2009 after leading Fullerton with 16 home runs while also earning Big West Conference First Team honors batting .328 and driving in 58 runs.
• Kurt Suzuki was traded from the Washington Nationals back to the Oakland A's on Aug. 22.
In his seventh MLB season, Suzuki is in his seventh season with Oakland after a short stint with the Washington Nationals.
In 2013, Suzuki is batting .232 with 30 RBIs.
A winner of the Brooks Wallace, Johnny Bench and Big West Conference Player of the Year awards in 2004, Suzuki was a second-round draft selection by Oakland that same year.
In 2004, Suzuki led the Titans in average (.413), home runs (16) and RBIs (87).
Arizona Fall League
Three former Titans have been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League.
Each Major League Baseball team sends six top prospects to the Arizona Fall League, 180 players in all.
Cal State Fullerton has representatives on three of the six teams in the Arizona Fall League.
• Closer Michael Lorenzen, selected by the Cincinnati Reds as the 38th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, will be playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
Lorenzen started his professional career with the Reds in the Rookie League and ascended to Cincinnati's Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Wahoos. Playing for four different clubs, Lorenzen finished his summer with a 1-1 record, 3.00 ERA, four saves and 19 strikeouts in 21 innings.
• Former Titan pitcher Noe Ramirez (2009-11) will suit up for the Surprise Saguaros this fall. A member of the Boston Red Sox organization, Ramirez pitched for the Salem Red Sox (High-A) and Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A) during the minor league season. In 36 appearances, Ramirez tossed 75 and 2/3 innings, and finished the year with a 3-2 record, six saves, a 2.38 ERA and 75 strikeouts.
During 2013, Cal State Fullerton's alumni totaled 32 playing professional baseball, including eight at the MLB level.
Khris Davis
Reed Johnson
Mark Kotsay
Vinnie Pestano
Brett Pill
Ricky Romero
Kurt Suzuki
Justin Turner
Professional Titans
Gary Brown
Christian Colon
David Cooper
Chad Cordero
Blake Davis
Chris Devenski
Danny Dorn
Josh Fellhauer
Jake Floethe
Dylan Floro
Dustin Garneau
Corey Jones
Erik Komatsu
Carlos Lopez
Michael Lorenzen
Michael Morrison
Richy Pedroza
Tyler Pill
Nick Ramirez
Noe Ramirez
Daniel Renken
Joe Terry
Chad Wallach
Matt Wallach