Cal State Fullerton’s freshman right-handed pitcher Colton Eastman has proved his worth for the Titans this season as he dons a solid 5-2 record with a 2.41 ERA going into the series against UC Davis.
(Patrick Do/Daily Titan Stock Photo)
Hoping to regain its form, Cal State Fullerton baseball gears up for a Big West Conference series matchup against the UC Davis Aggies this weekend.
Fullerton lost last weekend’s series against the Cal Poly Mustangs 2-1. In the first game, Titan Miles Chambers struck out Davis’ Alex Mckenna with the game-winning run on base to secure a win. The Titans weren’t so lucky in the next two games, losing both, one in extra innings.
The Titans were on a roll before the Cal Poly series began, finding themselves on the winning end of a six-game streak. The streak began March 29 with their 14-7 victory over UCLA.
Going into the weekend, CSUF has an 18-13 overall record this season while the Aggies have been subpar, owning an 8-18 overall record and a 1-5 conference record. The Titans are 29-4 all-time against Davis. If history is any indication, this series should go Fullerton’s way.
Two current Titans were also in the lineup in last year’s series against Davis. Josh Vargas went four-for-four against Aggie pitching, scoring three runs and notching an RBI. Scott Hurst also went four-for-four against Davis last season as he scored two runs and recorded two RBIs in the final game of the series.
As a team, the Aggies don a .255 batting average, compared to the Titans’ average of .237. However, Fullerton has the slight edge in RBIs with a total of 177, while UC Davis has 101.
UC Davis’ biggest offensive threat to the Titans is junior outfielder Mark Cardinalli, who is currently hitting .362 and has logged in a total of 11 RBIs on the season. The Titans will also have to watch out for redshirt freshman infielder Ryan Anderson, who has earned a team-leading 14 RBIs and owns a solid .281 batting average.
The Aggies’ pitching is led by southpaw Robert Garcia as he goes into the series boasting a respectable 1.32 ERA and 43 strikeouts under his belt.
Junior infielder Timmy Richards continues to shine offensively for the Titans, going 2-4 with his fifth home run of the season in the last game of the Cal Poly series. Richards also leads the Titans in slugging percentage at .495. Dalton Blaser has also been an offensive stalwart for Fullerton, leading team with his .343 batting average.
On the mound, starter Blake Quinn owns a 2.74 ERA, despite allowing four earned runs in three innings in last weekend’s series. Freshman Colton Eastman made a solid outing in that series, going 6.2 innings and allowing no earned runs in Saturday’s 0-1 pitchers’ duel loss.
The Titans will look to bounce back from a series loss to the Mustangs as they take on the Aggies. The series opener will begin Friday at 7 p.m at Goodwin Field.