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Titans: From dire straits to dazzling destiny
By ERIC OLSON
Associated Press Writer
OMAHA After Texas swept a
two-game series with Cal State Fullerton in early March, a Longhorns coach
walked past Titans coach George Horton.
``See you in Omaha,'' the
Texas coach said.
Horton, who had just witnessed
his team's meager three-hit output in a 3-1 loss, wasn't so sure.
``I'll be watching on TV,'' he
replied.
How things have changed.
The Titans, 9-10 at the time
of Horton's gloomy prediction, are now national champions after completing a
surprising sweep of top-seeded Texas in the College World Series on Sunday.
Following his team's
title-clinching 3-2 victory over the Longhorns in the best-of-three finals,
Horton recalled his earlier comments.
``That's how I felt at that
particular time,'' Horton said. ``I guess (pitcher) Ricky Romero and a
couple other guys overheard me, and maybe they used that as a motivating
factor, that they could prove even the old coach wrong.
``They proved not only me
wrong, but they proved thousands and thousands wrong out there. Maybe I'll
use that as my opening speech next year so maybe we'll get off to a better
start.''
The Titans won their first
national title since 1995 and have now won championships in each of the last
four decades (1979, 1984, 1995, 2004). Fullerton's four national titles tie
the Titans with Miami for fifth-most by any school.
It was an unlikely journey.
A 10-1 loss at home to Long
Beach State on April 3 dropped the Titans to 15-16.
The season turned with a 9-3
win over the 49ers the next day. The victory started a 32-6 stretch that
helped Fullerton finish 47-22.
Horton said it was appropriate
that senior pitcher Jason Windsor, the Series' Most Outstanding Player, and
junior catcher Kurt Suzuki were instrumental in the clinching victory over
the Longhorns.
Windsor pitched a
complete-game five-hitter, and Suzuki drove in the winning run with an RBI
single in the seventh inning.
Windsor's season mirrored his
team's. He started 1-4 before rolling off 12 straight victories. His 1.84
ERA ranked fifth nationally coming into the CWS, and he lowered it to 1.71
after giving up two earned runs in 21 innings. He threw 322 pitches in the
Series.
``The only thing I was
concerned about was whether we were going to go to the well too many times
with a thin pitching staff and wear him down,'' Horton said. ``Knock on wood
that he comes out of this stretch drive as healthy as he was during the
stretch drive.''
Windsor, a third-round pick of
the Oakland Athletics, finished 5-0 in the postseason with a 0.61 ERA.
He threw two complete games in
the CWS, shutting out South Carolina on a three-hitter and then throwing a
five-hitter against the Longhorns. He also picked up a save in the Titans'
second game against South Carolina.
``That was a major-league
performance,'' said Texas coach Augie Garrido, who led Fullerton to its
first three national titles.
Suzuki, a second-round pick of
the A's, had come into the Series with the nation's fifth-best batting
average, at .437. But he was in a 2-for-20 slump before stepping to the
plate in the seventh with the go-ahead run on second base.
``I had nothing to show for
this Series, but I was swinging the bat fine,'' Suzuki said. ``My teammates
were sticking behind me, and they kept telling me my time was going to come
when we need it most.''
Even though Suzuki had been
slumping in the CWS, Horton said he liked having him at bat in the seventh.
``P.J. (Pilittere) was
standing next to me in the dugout, and I told him, 'We've got the best
hitter in America up in this spot. How about that?' ''
Now Horton can say he's got
the best team, too.
Copyright 2004
The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:37:45 AM
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