The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, June 28, 2004, Image 3

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    Sports
The Battalion
Page 3 • Monday, June 28, 2004
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Underdog Titans win fourth World
Series title against favored Texas
By Eric Olson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
After struggling at the start of the season, Cal
State Fullerton ended it in championship style.
Jason Windsor pitched a five-hitter, Kurt
Suzuki’s RBI single capped off a three-run sev
enth inning and Cal State Fullerton won the
College World Series with a 3-2 victory over
Texas on Sunday.
The Titans won the best-of-three championship
series 2-0 — a surprising end to a season they
started 15-16. The 22 losses are the most by a
national champion since Stanford had 23 in 1988.
“I’m in shock. I’m in awe,” Fullerton coach
George Horton said. “These guys I’ve been hon
ored to coach have kept surprising me and sur
prising me and surprising me. This is the great
est turnaround in Cal State Fullerton history.”
Fullerton also won national titles in 1979,
1984 and 1995 — all under cur
rent Texas coach Augie Garrido.
“It makes it even more special
to accomplish this competing
against your mentor and against
someone who laid such a strong
foundation for Cal State
Fullerton,” Horton said.
The Longhorns, the top seed in
the field, had moved through the
tournament with a string of lop
sided victories that made them the
prohibitive favorite against Cal
State Fullerton.
“It appeared by the way we
were playing that we were the best
team and would win this tourna
ment, which makes it even harder
for the players to understand or
accept,” Garrido said. “We did our
best. They did better.”
Windsor was strong in throw-
ing his second complete game of
the CWS. He struck out 10 and walked one.
Windsor shut out South Carolina on a three-
hitter in the Titans’ opener, and he pitched three
innings of shutout relief Thursday in another win
over the Gamecocks.
In 21 innings, Windsor gave up 11 hits and
two runs, struck out 29 and was named the tour
nament’s Most Outstanding Player.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Windsor said of his
perfonnances. “It will take a few days and some
relaxation. I look at it on paper and it looks great
and sometimes I don’t believe it’s me.”
Windsor, a senior right-hander, finished the
season with 12 straight wins and nine complete
games after losing four of his first five starts.
“His numbers are mind-boggling,” Horton
said. “You can’t do it any better than that. The
thing I was worried about was whether we would
go to the well too many times using Jason.”
Garrido said Fullerton did a good job of capi
talizing on its opportunities in the seventh inning.
Suzuki lined a two-out single into left field,
scoring Ronnie Prettyman from second for the
go-ahead run. Suzuki had been 2-for-20 in the
College World Series before his big hit.
“I just didn’t press,” Suzuki said. “Every
time I got out, Coach Horton stayed positive
with me. I came up that last at-bat and said I
want to be the man.”
Fullerton, held to five hits over the first 6 1-3
innings, broke through after Texas starter Sam
LeCure was relieved by Buck Cody (1-2) with
the Longhorns leading 2-0.
Pinch-hitter Brett Pill tripled in the seventh on
Cody’s first pitch, scoring Bobby Andrews to cut
Texas’ lead to 2-1.
“My teammates told me he throws a lot of
fastballs in, and that’s what he gave me,” Pill
said. “I was lucky enough to get a piece of it.”
A wild pitch by Cody scored pinch-runner
Brandon Tripp with the tying run.
Prettyman reached on a throwing error by
Texas shortstop Michael Hollimon, and later
scored from second on Suzuki’s hit off J.
Brent Cox.
LeCure turned in a solid effort, holding the
Titans to five hits and one run over 6 1-3 innings.
He struck out five and walked none.
LeCure stayed in the game
after getting hit on the right ankle
by a hard comebacker by Justin
Turner in the fifth inning. The
ball ricocheted to third baseman
David Maroul, who threw out
Turner to end the inning. LeCure
hopped back to the dugout, and a
few minutes later was throwing
in the bullpen.
“I thought that was too minor
a thing to take me out of the game
and hurt the team’s chances,”
LeCure said. “I felt I would be
able to continue to be successful.
In the seventh inning, it was get
ting to me. It was tightening up.”
But after LeCure left in the
seventh,* the Texas bullpen
couldn’t hold the lead and
blew its third save opportunity
of the Series.
Texas took 2-0 lead against
Windsor, who saw his scoreless
innings streak end at 27 2-3 innings.
Dooley Prince doubled leading off the game
and Taylor Teagarden reached on a fielder’s
choice before Hunter Harris drove both in with a
single to center.
Windsor, who hadn’t given up a run in five
appearances since June 4 against Minnesota,
said the 34 pitches he required to get out of the
inning did not take a toll.
“I wasn’t too worried about the pitch count
because of the pitches I have in my repertoire,”
Windsor said. “I’m capable of using one or two
pitches and getting some quick innings.”
During one stretch, Windsor retired 22 of 24
batters.
“He’s unreal, the biggest competitor I’ve ever
seen,” Fullerton left fielder Danny Dorn said.
“He’s been doing it all year. He just puts up zeros.”
Cal State first baseman P. J. Pilittere had been
using the phrase “Think how good it’s gonna feel”
all through the season as Cal State struggled, open
ing the season 15-16. He began writing the saying
down in the dugout-during the NCAA regionals.
Coming from behind to win the College World
Series championship was a microcosm of the
Titans’ season, Pilittere said.
“We just found a way, and it feels pretty good
right now,” Pilittere said.
u,
It makes it even
more special to ac
complish this com
peting against your
mentor and against
someone who laid
such a strong foun
dation for Cal State
Fullerton.
— George Horton
Cal State head coach
By Stephen Hawkins
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carlos Beltran leaped with
his glove extended over the top
of the wall, then dropped to the
ground in a sitting position.
Even he wasn’t sure he had
made the catch until he looked
into his glove.
Beltran’s home run-robbing
catch in the first inning proved
huge, and the newly acquired
outfielder scored the game’s
lone run as the Houston Astros
won 1-0 Sunday to end the
Texas Rangers’ eight-game win
ning streak.
“When he came down and
didn’t show it right away, I
thought it got over,” said Roy
Oswalt. “That saved the whole
game right there.”
Texas leadoff hitter Michael
Young was already trotting
halfway between second and
third and umpire Ed Montague
had signaled a home run. Then,
Beltran got up and pulled the
ball from his glove.
“When I jumped, I saw the ball hit my glove,
but when I went down and opened my glove, I was
like, ‘Wow, I got this one,”’ Beltran said. “I was
kind of shocked and surprised.”
It was the third time this season Texas was shut
out, and the Rangers’ first 1-0 loss at home since
June 23, 1997, against Anaheim.
“That’s impressive pitching on both sides,”
Texas manager Buck Showalter said. “It goes
back to one thing: Beltran’s catch.”
Beltran was acquired from Kansas City in a
three-way trade last Thursday.
Oswalt (6-6), who didn’t walk a batter, over
came extra-base hits in three consecutive innings
for the win. He threw 74 of 109 pitches for strikes.
Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth for his
fourth save in six chances — completing the
Astros’ seventh shutout.
effery Washington • KRT CAMPUS
Texas Rangers’ Eric Young reacts as he is called out after attempting to
steal second base earlier this season at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.
Ryan Drese (4-5) threw his second complete
game for the Rangers, allowing six hits over nine
innings and striking out four.
“It stinks, but that’s the game,” Drese said. “It
was a game that could very easily have been 0-0 in
the ninth.”
Houston got its lone run after loading the bases
with no outs in the second — Beltran and Lance
Berkman singled, and Mike Lamb walked. Beltran
scored when Morgan Ensberg grounded in a dou
ble play before Jose Vizcaino grounded out.
After Alfonso Soriano’s two-out single in the
first, Oswalt retired 12 straight batters — getting
seven on strikeouts.
“I got a few guys to chase the fastball out of
the zone and got a few guys swinging at curve-
balls in the dirt,” Oswalt said. “The whole game-
plan was to keep the ball out of the middle of the
plate, because they are so aggressive.”
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Franchione signs Stars make many
one more recruit moves in draft
A&M head coach Dennis
Franchione announced the signing
of another recruit Tuesday.
Jay Lucas, from Baton Rouge,
La., adds to the stellar 2004 sign
ing class that is ranked as high as
13th in the nation by football
recruiting Web sites such as
www.rivals.com
Lucas, who stands at 6 feet tall
and weighs in at 225 pounds,
played at Redemptorist High
School where he helped his team
win two consecutive state football
titles. Lucas was named most
valuable player of the champi
onship game in his senior season
after gaining 207 yards on 17 car
ries.
Lucas finished his high school
career with 4,666 rushing yards
and scored 59 touchdowns.
Lucas isn’t expected to receive
immediate playing time, as
incumbent running backs Derek
Farmer and Courtney Lewis
should be receiving a majority of
the hand-offs.
DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas Stars
made five picks and four trades on
the first day of the NHL draft
Saturday.
Dallas used its first two picks on
defensemen, taking Mark Fistric of
Vancouver in the Western Hockey
League 28th overall in the first
round, and Swedish standout
Johan Fransson 34th overall in the
second round.
The Stars got right wing
Raymond Sawada of Nanaimo of
the British Columbia Hockey
League and another Swedish
defenseman, Niklas Grossman,
later in the second round. Left
wing John Lammers was the 86th
overall pick in the third round.
With their trades, the Stars not
only got extra picks this season,
but added two third-round selec
tions for the 2005 draft
"We're very happy with the five
players we drafted because we
addressed some needs,” said Tim
Bernhardt, the Stars' director of
amateur scouting.
Gordon wins at
Infineon Raceway
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) - Jeff
Gordon wrapped up a near perfect
weekend Sunday, starting from the
pole and racing to an overpowering
victory in the NASCAR race at
Infineon Raceway.
Gordon picked up his fourth vic
tory on the 1.99-mile, 10-turn road
course, winning for the third time
from the pole. It also extended his
own Nextel Cup record for road
racing wins to eight and gave him
three for the season and 67 for his
career.
Kurt Busch started third and
vaulted past both Gordon and
Rusty Wallace to grab the lead on
the first lap, but Gordon quickly
moved back into the top spot and
stayed there the rest of the way
except during pit stop sequences.
Gordon quickly disposed of
Kahne on the restart on lap 70,
but it took him until lap 74 before
he could work his way past former
open-wheel racer Mears. Once
Gordon got back on top, he was
never challenged again.
UNIVERSITY
for more info go to: http://academyarts.tamu.edu
PERFORMANCE
"GrandFinale" CEDirC
7:30 pm, Monday, June 28, 2004, Rudder Theatre ^ L i\ IL J
Our chamber music series ends with a bang,
featuring a piano quartet by Fauri and Bral
stunning Quintet for Clarinet and Strings'"
Performed by TMF artist / faculty, including
clarinetist Randall Griffin,
violinist Lucie Robert and pianist Jeffrey Cohen.
3km Mask IssimJ Jm
sponsored by
The Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts | Dept, of Performance Studies
The Memorial Student Center | The University Honors Program
Office of the President, Texas A&M University | Arts Council of Brazos Valley
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