2015 HONORS
ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-AMERICAN
Thomas Eshelman, SP (First Team)
David Olmedo-Barrera, DH (First Team)
ABCA ALL WEST REGION
Thomas Eshelman, SP (First Team)
David Olmedo-Barrera, DH (First Team)
Tyler Peitzmeier, RP (Second Team)
ABCA WEST REGION COACH OF THE YEAR
Rick Vanderhook
BASEBALL AMERICA ALL-AMERICAN
Thomas Eshelman (First Team)
D1BASEBALL.COM ALL-AMERICAN
Thomas Eshelman (First Team)
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER ALL-AMERICAN
Thomas Eshelman (Second Team)
Tyler Peitzmeier (Third Team)
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN
NCBWA ALL AMERICAN
Thomas Eshelman (Third Team)
FULLERTON ALL-REGIONAL TEAM
Thomas Eshelman, Pitcher/MVP
Tyler Peitzmeier, Pitcher
Tanner Pinkston, First Base
Josh Vargas, Outfielder
David Olmedo-Barrera, Designated Hitter
BIG WEST CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
Rick Vanderhook
BIG WEST CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Thomas Eshelman
BIG WEST FIELD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
David Olmedo-Barrera (Co-player)
BIG WEST ALL CONFERENCE TEAM
Jerrod Bravo (First Team)
David Olmedo-Barrera (First Team)
Josh Vargas (First Team)
Thomas Eshelman (First Team)
Miles Chambers (First Team)
Tyler Peitzmeier (First Team)
Tyler Stieb (Second Team)
Taylor Bryant (Honorable Mention)
John Gavin (Honorable Mention)
GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD
Thomas Eshelman (Initial, Midseason, Semifinalist)
Justin Garza (Initial)
JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
BIG WEST CONFERENCE FIELD PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Josh Estill (March 2)
Jake Jefferies (March 9)
BIG WEST CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Thomas Eshelman (March 9, May 11, May 18)
NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Tyler Peitzmeier (Midseason)
NCBWA PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Thomas Eshelman (May 12)
RECAPPING 2015
• Cal State Fullerton finished the 2015 season with a record of 39-25 (.609), securing the 41st consecutive winning season in program history. It was also the 41st straight year the Titans won at least 30 games in a season.
• In his fourth season at the helm, head coach Rick Vanderhook led the Titans to their 20th Big West Conference title and 28th conference title overall. It was also the program's fifth conference crown in the last six seasons and the third title in four seasons under Vanderhook. He now holds a 160-80 overall record in four seasons as the Titans head coach.
CAL STATE OMAHA
• The Titans made their 17th trip to the NCAA College World Series, ending a five-year drought. The Titans absence from Omaha since 2009 was the longest in the program's history. It was also Fullerton's first trip to T.D. Ameritrade Park after 16 previous trips to Rosenblatt Stadium.
NUMBERS GAME
• The Cal State Fullerton pitching staff continued to shine in 2015, posting a cumalative 2.89 ERA in 582.0 innings pitched. It was the 11th best ERA in the nation and the ninth best mark in the
program's history. It was the third straight season the pitching staff posted a top-10 mark in the
Fullerton history books. The Titans set a new program record with a 2.24 ERA in 2014.
• The Titans once again led the nation in walks allowed per nine innings, allowing 1.70 free passes per nine. It also ranked as the third best mark in the program's history.
• Fullerton led the nation with a 4.96 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a full point higher than second-place Texas Christian. The pitching staff's 546 total strikeouts were also the second most by a Fullerton pitching staff in program history, 31 punch outs shy of the 1984 team's record of 577.
• The Titans tossed nine shutouts in 2015, the fourth most in the country, five behind Vanderbilt's nation-leading 14 shutouts. The nine shutouts also tied the second most by a Titans squad, deadlocked with the 2004 and 2014 teams. The 2013 squad set the record with 11 shutouts. In the past three seasons, the Titans have pitched 29 shutouts.
FULLERTON REGIONAL:
The Titans swept through the Fullerton Regional, defeating Pepperdine, Arizona State and then Pepperdine a second time in the championship game. Fullerton outscored its opponents 22-6 in the regional round. Along with MVP Thomas Eshelman and Tyler Peitzmeier, the Titans also had three other players selected to the Fullerton All-Regional Team. 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.
LOUISVILLE SUPER REGIONAL:
David Olmedo-Barrera's 11th inning home run lifted to Titans to a 3-2 victory over Louisville in the third and final game of the Super Regional round, punching Fullerton's ticket to Omaha. The Titans two victories both came in extra innings and were each decided by one run against Louisville.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES:
Fullerton led 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning in its opening game at the College World Series against defending champion Vanderbilt, but Jeren Kendall belted a two-run, walk- off home run against closer Tyler Peitzmeier to break the Titans hearts and send Fullerton into the loser's bracket. In an elimination game, the Titans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against No. 1 LSU but the Tigers scored five unanswered runs to send the Titans home. It was the Tigers first win over Fullerton in the College World Series in three meetings and also marked the third straight time the Titans left Omaha without a victory.
TITANS HISTORY IN THE POSTSEASON :
--The Titans made their 17th trip to Omaha in 2015, but the first at the current venue, T.D. Ameritrade Park. The 16 previous treks to Middle America and all four of the school's national championships were celebrated on the turf of Rosenblatt Stadium.
--The team's 2015 appearance snaps a five-year absence from Omaha, the longest drought in school history dating back to its first season at the Div. I level in 1975.
--The Titans have made 12 Super Regional appearances since the tournament format expanded in 1999. The Titans claimed their eighth Super Regional championship overall with their victory at Louisville, which was just the second one won on the road (1999 at Ohio State and 2015 at Louisville)
--The Titans have an all-time postseason record of 151-81 (.650) and recorded their 150th all-time postseason win with a Super Regional triumph over Louisville on June 6, 2015. Breaking it down, in Regional play the Titans are 99-41 (.707). In the Super Regionals they have a 18-11 mark (.621). The Titans have an all-time record of 34-29 (.540) at the College World Series. Their two losses now mark seven straight defeats for the Titans in Omaha. Fullerton's last win came against Clemson, a 7-6 affair, on June 20, 2006.
--Cal State Fullerton, with four titles, is tied with Arizona and Miami for the fourth-most national championships by any one school. Southern California (USC) has 12, LSU and Texas are tied with six each, and Arizona State has five to precede the Titans on the all-time list.
--The Titans 34 College World Series wins and 63 total games are both the ninth-most in tournament history.
--Fullerton has reached Omaha by clinching on someone else's field 11 times in 17 trips. The 2015 season marked the first time since 1999 – the first year of Super Regional play, that the Titans celebrated advancing in enemy territory. From 1975 to 1999, the Titans NEVER played at home in the postseason. Yet they won 10 Regionals (at USC, at Fresno State twice, at Arizona State, at Mississippi State, at Texas, at LSU twice, and at Oklahoma State) and one Super Regional (at Ohio State) for more road titles than anyone.
--Rick Vanderhoook became the Titans' fifth head coach to lead them to Omaha. Augie Garrido took the Titans seven times (1975, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1994 and 1995). Larry Cochell did it twice (1988 and 1990). George Horton led them to Omaha six times (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007) and Dave Serrano once (2009).
--Rick Vanderhook made his first trip to the College World Series as a head coach in 2015 but it was his 12th trip to Omaha as a Div. I coach. He's made 10 trips with the Titans (1990, 1992, 1994-95, 1999, 2001, 2003-04, 2006-07) and one with UCLA (2010).
TITANS AND THE BIG WEST:
Overall, Cal State Fullerton has posted a dominant 728-254-1 (.740) conference record over 41 seasons. Rick Vanderhook, the school's fifth Div. I head coach, has compiled a 73-26 Big West Conference record in his four seasons at the helm and won consecutive conference titles in 2012 and 2013. He helped lead the Titans to another title in 2015, 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 28 conference titles.
A further breakdown has the Titans winning three PCAA conference championships (1975-76, 1987), eight straight SCBA titles (1977-84), and 17 while playing under the Big West name (1990-91, 94-95, 1997, 1999-2001, 2004-06, 2008, 2010-13, 2015). The Big West absorbed the PCAA records in 1990 upon its formation, giving the Titans 20 total Big West championships and a 552-208-1 (.725; 33 years) PCAA/Big West Conference record.
ALL-CONFERENCE: The Cal State Fullerton baseball team was well represented in the Big West Conference postseason honors, garnering Big West Pitcher of the Year, Co-Fielder of the Year and Coach of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. Thomas Eshelman, who was honored with his second-consecutive Big West First-Team selection, was named the Big West Pitcher of the Year. Fellow junior David Olmedo-Barrera was given the nod for Big West Co-Player of the Year along with UCSB's Cameron Newell while head coach Rick Vanderhook was named Big West Coach of the Year for the third time. Vanderhook guided the Titans to their 20th Big West title with a 19-5 record and their 24th consecutive NCAA appearance this weekend. The Titans dominated conference play, winning all eight series, three of which were sweeps. With this year's selection, Vanderhook garners his third Big West Coach of the Year honor and the school's 13th selection. Four Titans joined Eshelman and Olmedo-Barrera with first-team selections as Tyler Peitzmeier, Josh Vargas, Jerrod Bravo, and Miles Chambers rounded out the top-team selections. Tyler Stieb was awarded a second-team nod while Taylor Bryant and John Gavin were added to the honorable mention list.
DRAFT DAY:
Six Titans were selected in the 2015 MLB Draft. Thomas Eshelman was taken in the second round with the 46th overall pick by the Houston Astros on day one while Justin Garza was chosen in the 8th round with the 244th pick by the Cleveland Indians. Closer Tyler Peitzmeier went to the Chicago Cubs with the 263rd pick one round later. On the third day, David Olmedo-Barrera was selected in the 12th round by the Tampa Bay Rays while A.J. Kennedy was chosen by the San Diego Padres in round 30. Infielder Jake Jefferies wrapped up the Titans draft selections, going in the 39th round to the Washington Nationals.
THOMAS ESHELMAN:
Thomas Eshelman wrapped up his final season with the Titans in excellent fashion. He led the nation for the third straight year in strikeout-to-walk ratio (19.86) and walks allowed per nine innings (0.46). Eshelman finished in the top-five in starts (4th, 14), strikeouts (4th, 139), and WHIP (4th, 0.82) and in the top-20 in complete games (10th, 5) and ERA (14th, 1.58). His 1.58 ERA is the third best for a single season in Titans history, trailing only Curt Lewis (1.17, 100 IP) in 1976 and himself from 2013 (1.48, 115.2 IP). Of all players in the top-10, Eshelman tossed the most innings. Eshelman's 0.46 walks per nine innings average ranks third on the all-time Titans record book and surpassed his 0.58 average from 2014. Eshelman's 139 strikeouts are tied for the ninth most for a Titan in a single season and are the most since Wes Roemer fanned 145 in 2006.
TYLER PEITZMEIER:
Left-hander Tyler Peitzmeier is finished the season ranked third in the nation with 16 saves. He also made 31 appearances, which ranked 41st in the county. Peitzmeier's 16 saves are the third most in a single season in Titans history behind Michael Lorenzen's 19 in 2013 and Scott Wright's 24 in 1984.
BRAVO SETS NEW RECORD:
Third baseman Jerrod Bravo made Cal State Fullerton history at the Louisville Super Regional as the Cameron Park, Calif.-native reached base for the 44th consecutive game. He reached in both games at the College World Series to extend the streak to 46 at the end of the year. It is one of just two streaks of more than 40 games at Fullerton in the last 13 seasons and he surpassed Tyler Pill's record of 43 straight games, which was set 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. 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 failed to reach base in just two of 45 games played in 2015, which were 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 played in 48 games and started in 41. He batted .318 with 28 runs scored, nine doubles and two triples. In conference, Bravo led the team with a .406 average in 64 at-bats. He tallied 26 hits and posted a 1.024 OPS. He also helped propel the Titans to the College World Series as he came through with a two-run single in the eighth inning of game three at the Louisville Super Regional to pull the Titans even, 3-3. Fullerton would go on to win the game in extras and secure a trip to Omaha.
DAVID OLMEDO-BARRERA:
Cal State Fullerton designated hitter David Olmedo-Barrera had a breakout season in 2015. He finished the year with a .325 batting average, leading the squad with 10 home runs, six triples and 46 RBI. He posted a 1.000 OPS and stole 14 bases in 18 attempts. Olmedo-Barrera played a huge role in helping the Titans advance to the College World Series, going 7-for-11 in the three games against Louisville in the Super Regional, scoring five runs. His biggest moment came in the winner-take-all game three as the junior launched a pair of solo home runs, including the game-winning bomb in the top of the 11th that broke a 3-3 tie. In the postseason, Olmedo-Barrera is hit .406 (13-for-32) with eight runs, seven RBI and a .750 slugging percentage. On April 4, he tied a Cal State Fullerton record with 8 RBI in one game, leading the Titans to a 13-2 victory in the rubber match of their series against Cal Poly. Olmedo-Barrera hit a grand slam to along with a two-run single, sacrifice fly and RBI hit-by-pitch to tie the record, which was set by Danny Dorn in 2003. Olmedo-Barrera would go on to earn All-American honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association and was also named the Big West Conference Co-Player of the Year, earning a first-team selection in the process.
JUSTIN GARZA:
Cal State Fullerton right-hander Justin Garza saw his Titans career come to an end in 2015, although it came abruptly as the right-hander suffered a slight tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Garza pitched for the Titans on May 9 against UC Santa Barbara and came out of the game in the fourth inning after feeling discomfort in his arm. Garza finished the 2015 season with a 4-3 record and a 3.05 ERA. He tallied 53 strikeouts in 65 innings of work.
"It's a tough thing to go through, obviously and I'm just glad for all the support I've already received from my family and friends; it means a lot. I'm thankful for all the support and time I have received from the Cal State Fullerton Athletic Training staff and everyone involved with Titan baseball. Once a Titan, always a Titan. On a positive note, I'll still be able to be around the team and my teammates. We have been playing well and hopefully they can make a great run through the rest of the season. I will be there cheering them on and hopefully be at the top of a dog pile at the end of the season whether my arm is in a sling or not."
Garza was drafted in the eighth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, going to the Cleveland Indians. In his three seasons with the Titans, Garza appeared in 41 games, making 40 starts. He posted a 21-7 record with a 2.64 career ERA. He had 208 strikeouts in 252 and 2/3 innings pitched. His 2.64 ERA ranks 10th all-time in the Titans record book while his 1.60 walks per nine innings average ranked sixth all-time. Garza exploded onto the scene as a freshman with the Titans, earning seven All-American nods in his first year at Fullerton. He set a freshman record with a 12-0 record, becoming one of just four Titans pitchers to finish a year with at least 12 wins without a loss. His 12 wins tied for the freshman record along with teammate Thomas Eshelman in 2013.
CONNOR SEABOLD:
Freshman Connor Seabold settled in to the starting rotation with the injury to Justin Garza. Seabold went 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 22 appearances and 11 starts. He also started in all three rounds of the postseason for the Titans. Seabold was dominant in the Titans' Fullerton Regional Championship clincher, going six shutout innings and striking out nine, both tying career highs. Seabold had 0.82 ERA with 10 strikeouts and one walk in 11 innings through his first two postseason starts before giving up four runs on seven hits in two and 1/3 innings against LSU in the College World Series elmination game. He finished with a 1-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in the postseason. 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. Overall, Seabold finished second on the team with 76 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched. His 9.91 strikeouts per nine innings average ranked as the ninth best single-season mark in Titans history. His 6.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio also ranked 16th in the nation during the 2015 season. Opposing batters hit .257 against Seabold, the sixth best mark on the staff for pitchers who tossed at least 50 innings.
JOHN GAVIN:
Cal State Fullerton left-hander John Gavin was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team by Collegiate Baseball in 2015. 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 made 17 starts and accumulated a 7-3 record with a 3.66 ERA. Gavin was named Big West Honorable Mention in 2015 and recorded 67 strikeouts in 86 innings. He allowed 25 walks and opponents batted .248 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.
GOING FOR A STROLL:
The Titans had a lot of plate discipline during the 2015 season, drawing 255 walks collectively to lead the Big West Conference. That mark also ranked 38th in the nation. The team drew 20 walks at the Fullerton Regional alone, the third most in a weekend during the season. Josh Vargas and Timmy Richards led the team with 30 walks apiece. David Olmedo-Barrera worked 27 free passes while Jerrod Bravo walked 24 times. Taylor Bryant walked 23 times while six other players recorded double-digit walks in 2015.
HAVE A DOS:
The Titans led the Big West in batters hit by a pitch. Fullerton hitters were pelted 95 times this season, which also ranked fourth in the nation. The 95 hit-by-pitches were also the seventh most in a single season for a Titans team. Dustin Vaught earned the dubious honor of leading the team in the category, catching a stray pitch on his person 16 times, which was the 37th most in the country and third most in the Big West. Four other Titans were pelted more than 10 times, including David Olmedo-Barrera and Jerrod Bravo, each getting plunked a dozen times.
FREQUENT FLYERS:
The 2,080-mile trip to Louisville for the Super Regional round was the Titans third trip of more than 2,000 miles in 2015. 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). Adding in the trip to Omaha, the Titans logged nearly 15,000 miles in the air during the 2015 season.
CLOSE EDGE:
The Titans were 10-11 in one-run games during the 2015 season. They dropped a 4-3 decision against Vanderbilt after a 4-3 win over Louisville in the Super Regional winner-take-all game.
YOU WILL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT:
In 2015, the Titans pitching staff set a new program record 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 on April 28. The Titans recorded consecutive shutouts for the second time in 2015 after blanking UC Riverside in the first two games of their series on May 1 and 2 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.
TITANS IN THE BIG LEAGUES:
The Titans have had 59 former players ascend to the major leagues since their first products, Dan Whitmer and Tim Wallach, got there in 1980. Dustin Garneau became the latest after he made his debut with the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 20 against the Washington Nationals. He doubles in his first career at bat and finished the night 1-for-4. He was the fourth former Titans player to break into the Majors in 2015, joining Noe Ramirez, Michael Lorenzen and Danny Dorn. Ramirez made his debut with the Red Sox in a game against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on July 3. Loreznen made his debut for the Cincinnati Reds on April 29. Lorenzen started on the mound and went five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out five. Lorenzen also collected a hit in his first MLB at-bat, becoming the first Reds pitcher to get a hit in his first at-bat since 2010. Danny Dorn made his debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 22 and entered the game against the Texas Rangers as a pinch hitter. Christian Colon and Gary Brown became the 54th and 55th former Titans to break into the Majors after making their debuts in 2014. Colon appeared in his first game with the Kansas City Royals on July 1 while Brown made his Giants debut on Sept. 3 in Colorado. Both players would go on to be picked up for each team's postseason roster and Colon propelled the Royals past the Oakland Athletics with an RBI single in the American League Wild Card Playoff game. Brown would have his lone postseason at-bat in the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals. Colon finished the regular season with a .333 batting average, playing in 21 games. He had five doubles, one triple and six RBI. Brown played in seven games and went 3-for-7 with a run scored and one RBI. Colon and Brown were two of seven former Titans that played in MLB during the 2014 season, joining Khris Davis (Milwaukee Brewers), Reed Johnson (Miami Marlins), Vinnie Pestano (Cleveland Indians/L.A. Angels), Kurt Suzuki (Minnesota Twins) and Justin Turner (L.A. Dodgers).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: In 2015, the Titans faced 11 teams that finished the season with a top-50 RPI (UCLA, Louisville, Vanderbilt, UC Santa Barbara, USC, Arizona State, South Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska and UC Irvine).
SUMMER IN KOREA: The four-time national champion Cal State Fullerton baseball program was selected to represent the United States at the 2015 World University games from July 3-14 in Gwangju City, South Korea. The Titans finished fourth overall in the tournament, falling to hosts South Korea in the Bronze Medal game.
The World University Games is the American term for "Universiade," an international multi-sport event organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The Universiade, which began in 1959, is an international sporting and cultural festival, staged every two years in a different city around the world, representing both winter and summer competitions.
The 2015 Summer Games in Gwangju City, South Korea had U.S. representation in up to 21 sports by 550 people which was the largest American team in the history of U.S. participation in the Games. By contrast, the 2013 American team had 400 athletes and staff in Kazan, Russia.