FULLERTON, Calif. – Fall has arrived along with postseason Major League Baseball, and beginning this week, several former Titans will be on the field competing for their respective clubs.
Former Titan Tim Wallach will take the field as the third base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, as the National League West champs travel to Atlanta to begin a five-game NL Division Series.
Wallach was named the SCBA Player of the Year as well as an All-American by both The Sporting News and the American Baseball Coaches Association, and later went on to win the Golden Spikes Award and National Player of the Year Award as the nation's top amateur player after leading the Titans to their first national championship in 1979.
In Atlanta, Wallach will coach against fellow former Titan Reed Johnson, who is in his 11th major league season and second year with the Braves. The outfielder was an all-conference pick with Fullerton in 1999.
The only player in Titan history to receive the Johnny Bench Award – given to the best catcher in collegiate baseball – Kurt Suzuki and the AL West champion Oakland A's will begin postseason action on Friday at O.co Coliseum in a five-game AL Division Series against Detroit. Suzuki also won the Brooks Wallace Award in 2004 as Cal State Fullerton won its fourth national championship.
Former Titan pitcher Vinnie Pestano was not named to the Cleveland Indians AL Wild Card game roster, but could be added to Cleveland's postseason plans if the Indians defeat visiting Tampa Bay at 5 pm PT today. With a win, Cleveland would advance to play in the five-game AL Division Series against Boston, which begins Friday at Fenway Park.