2009 Fullerton Super Regional

Capsules compiled by Christina De Nicola, Duncan Phillips, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton

2. Cal State Fullerton Titans

Fullerton, California

At-large bid from Big West Conference, 3-0 in Fullerton Regional

2009 record: 17-7, 45-14 (second in Big West)

Head coach: Dave Serrano (Trinity, 2003)

Record at school: 86-36, two years

Overall record: 200-102-1, five years

Assistant coaches: Sergio Brown, Greg Bergeron, Brett Lindgren

Team offense: .327 BA, 458 R, 57 HR, .483 SLG%, .413 OB%, 112-157 SB

Team pitching: 3.44 ERA, 534 IP, 487 H, 149 BB, 421 K

Top hitters: Josh Fellhauer (.399/5/53/17 SB), Christian Colon (.351/7/35), Jared Clark (.350/11/74/), Gary Brown (.337/3/35/22 SB), Khris Davis (.330/16/55/24 2B), Nick Ramirez (.287/10/31).

Top pitchers: Kyle Mertins (1-0, 2.30, 27.1 IP, 23 H, 11 BB, 19 K), Daniel Renken (10-2, 2.56, 109 IP, 84 H, 31 BB, 88 K), Nick Ramirez (3-1, 2.70, 7 SV, 36.2 IP, 32 H, 8 BB, 26 K), Noe Ramirez (8-1, 2.91, 99 IP, 82 H, 19 BB, 86 K), Tyler Pill (11-3, 3.95, 98 IP, 91 H, 12 BB, 73 K).

Last NCAA appearance: 2008 (4-1 at Fullerton Regional, 0-2 at Fullerton Super Regional)

Notes: The Titans are in the field for the 18th straight time and Goodwin Field served as host for the eighth time since 2000. Fullerton will host its eighth Super Regional since the round’s inception 11 years ago; the program has made nine total appearances. The Titans have won six Super Regionals and have posted a 13-6 record in their nine Supers. Coach Dave Serrano, who replaced John Savage at UC Irvine in 2005, won 47 games in 2007 before replacing George Horton at Fullerton, where he pitched under Augie Garrido. In Sunday’s 16-3 clinching victory over Utah, Serrano picked up career coaching victory No. 200. Fullerton’s perfect 3-0 record in regional play extended the team’s winning streak to seven. The Titans averaged 13.6 runs and 20 hits for the three games, batting .476 (60 for 126). Leading hitter Josh Fellhauer’s grandfather pitched for the St. Louis Browns and his father was a sixth-round pick of the A’s. He, Christian Colon and Jared Clark contributed to a 24-0 Team USA last summer. Fellhauer and Colon led the team in hits with 26. Clark, nicknamed “Diesel,” missed 2007 with an injury and has been drafted twice. Freshman Tyler Pill is former Titan star Brett Pill’s brother. Reserve Tony Harkey played football at Utah State but did not play baseball. Billy Marcoe’s nickname is “Wonka” – his dad runs a candy shop. Opponents hit just .204 off Daniel Renken, who was recently named a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

Louisville Cardinals

Louisville, Kentucky

Automatic bid from Big East, 3-1 at Louisville Regional

2009 record: 19-7, 47-16 (first in Big East)

Head coach: Dan McDonnell (The Citadel, 1992)

Record at school: 135-61, 3 years

Overall record: 135-61, 3 years

Assistant coaches: Chris Lemonis, Roger Williams, Xan Barksdale

Team offense: .308 BA, 521 R, 83 HR, .490 SLG%, .399 OB%, 90-126 SB

Team pitching: 4.14 ERA, 576.2 IP, 562 H, 175 BB, 525 K

Top hitters: Phil Wunderlich (.372/18/78/17 2B), Andrew Clark (.356/9/55/21 2B), Chris Dominguez (.348/23/80/19-25 SB), Ryan Wright (.336/5/66/16 2B), Adam Duvall (.335/11/51/21 2B), Josh Richmond (.316/7/31/14 2B)

Top pitchers: Tony Zych (6-2, 2 SV, 3.25, 44.1 IP, 38 H, 10 BB, 31 K), Thomas Royse (3-2, 2 SV, 3.48, 41.1 IP, 35 H, 10 BB, 48 K), Derek Self (7-0, 1 SV, 3.25, 44.1 IP, 42 H, 13 BB, 34 K), Justin Marks (11-2, 3.40, 100.2 IP, 79 H, 32 BB, 125 K), Gabriel Shaw (3-1, 3 SV, 3.78, 50 IP, 46 H, 12 BB, 46 K), Dean Kiekhefer (6-4, 4.56, 73 IP, 87 H, 21 BB, 60 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2008 (0-2 in Athens Regional)

Notes: This marks the third consecutive year the Cardinals have been in the NCAA tournament, a school record, but the first year that Louisville hosted an NCAA Regional. The Cards have won 18 of their past 21 games, and the trip to the Fullerton Super Regional will be the second appearance in three years. Freshman Tony Zych pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his career, and won his third straight start to improve to 6-2, in the regional-clinching win against Vanderbilt. Junior All-American Justin Marks, who earned the regional’s Most Outstanding Player, picked up his first career save. Since his arrival prior to the 2007 season, head coach Dan McDonnell has led the program to its first-ever College World Series appearance (2007), three straight 40-win seasons and 135 wins overall, three straight NCAA Championship appearances and back-to-back Big East Tournament titles. The 47 wins for the Cardinals matches the school record for wins. Four players made the All-Louisville Regional Team – Marks, first baseman Andrew Clark and outfielders Ryan Wright and Josh Richmond.