College baseball season begins this weekend

If you've had enough of your winter vacation from baseball, the collegiate season begins this weekend for NCAA Division I teams.

Cal State Fullerton, which made it to the World Series last season, has an intriguing opening game Friday at 7 p.m. at home against Oregon, whose coach, George Horton, won a national title as Fullerton's coach in 2004. Then the Titans host Pepperdine on Saturday and Long Beach State on Sunday.

UCLA opens Friday at 6 p.m. with a home game against Southern University. Sophomore Gerrit Cole, one of the hardest throwers in collegiate baseball, will get the start for the Bruins, who will also face Bethune Cookman on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Compton Urban Youth Academy and then play Cal State Northridge on Sunday at 6 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

USC is on the road for a three-game series against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Loyola Marymount plays UC Irvine in a three-game series that starts Friday at Loyola Marymount.

-- Eric Sondheimer