Funeral services set for football coach Gene Murphy

A funeral mass for Gene Murphy, the former Cal State Fullerton and Fullerton College football coach who died Saturday in Los Angeles, will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Juliana Falconieri Church (1316 N. Acacia) in Fullerton. Details regarding a reception will be available at the church.

Murphy, one of the most personable, engaging and quotable coaches in Orange County sports history, had undergone surgery for cancer of the esophagus last Tuesday and was recovering in the intensive care unit of USC University Hospital when he died Saturday. He was 72.

Murphy coached at Cal State Fullerton from 1980 until the program was discontinued in 1992. He led the Titans to two Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. championships and an 11-1 record and a top-20 national ranking in 1984.

He took over at Fullerton College in 1993 and remained there until 2007, still maintaining an office on campus as a consultant for the athletic department. He was inducted into Cal State Fullerton's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Bruce Bowen, Brent Mayne to be honored by Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton will induct six people into the Titan Hall of Fame Saturday night, including former NBA guard Bruce Bowen and former major league catcher Brent Mayne.

Bowen played at Fullerton from 1989 to 1993. He spent 13 seasons in the NBA, eight with the San Antonio Spurs, where he was part of three NBA championship teams. Bowen was named to the NBA’s all-defensive team eight times.

During his NBA career, Bowen was known for this and for that.

Mayne played 15 major league seasons with eight teams, including the Dodgers in 2004. He played at Fullerton in 1988 and 1989, where he was named an All-American. Mayne was taken by the Kansas City Royals as the 13th player overall in the major league draft.

Also being inducted:

Sue Lewis-Newton, who played softball at Fullerton from 1981 to 1984 and was a three-time All-American. Fullerton finished second nationally once and third twice during her career.

College baseball: UCLA draws familiar foe in NCAA baseball tournament

UCLA's baseball team begins the postseason where its regular season started -- at home against San Francisco.

The Bruins (33-22) are scheduled to play the Dons (31-23) at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday. UC Irvine (39-16) and Fresno State (40-14) are to play in the regional's other game.

Cal State Fullerton (40-15), which also hosts a regional, is set to play Illinois (28-25) on Friday at Titan Field. Kansas State (36-23) is to play Stanford (32-20) in that regional's other game.

UCLA began the season as the top-ranked team in the nation and swept San Francisco in the opening series without allowing an earned run in the three games. The Bruins labored offensively during the season but captured the Pacific 10 Conference title by winning eight of their last nine games.

For the first time since the NCAA tournament was expanded to 64 teams, the West does not have a team seeded in the top eight. Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, defending champion South Carolina, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Texas and Rice are the top eight teams.

-- Chris Foster

 

College baseball: UCLA, Cal State Fullerton will host NCAA regionals

UCLA and Cal State Fullerton were among the 16 schools awarded NCAA baseball regionals on Sunday.

UCLA clinched at least a share of the Pacific 10 conference title with a victory over Arizona State on Saturday. The Bruins, who finished second to South Carolina at the College World Series last season, hosted a regional and super regional in 2010.

Pac-10 teams will host three regionals: Arizona State and Oregon State were also awarded bids.

Fullerton, the Big West Conference champion, has hosted a regional the last four seasons and seven times in the last eight. The Titans lost to UCLA in the super regional in 2010.

South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Florida, Rice, Vanderbilt and Florida State will also host regionals, which run June 3-6.

The 64-team tournament field will be announced Monday. The eight super regionals will be announced on June 6. The College World Series begins on June 18.

--Chris Foster

Photo: UCLA's Tyler Rahmatulla celebrates his two-run home run in the ninth inning as he rounds first base behind Cal State Fullerton's Nick Ramirez during last season's NCAA super regional. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press

NCAA baseball: UCLA to host Super Regional

The NCAA announced Super Regional sites for it baseball tournament. UCLA, as expected, will host either Cal State Fullerton or Minnesota on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The best-of-three series resumes Saturday at 4 p.m., with a Sunday game at 7 p.m. if necessary.

Texas, Florida State and Texas A&M will also host Super Regionals that begin on Friday. Arizona State, Clemson, Virginia and Coastal Carolina host Super regionals that begin on Saturday.

-- Chris Foster

College baseball: Cal State Fullerton beats Minnesota, 7-2, to advance to regional final

Cal State Fullerton lost its NCAA regional opener to Minnesota, but the Titans beat the Golden Gophers, 7-2, on Sunday night at Goodwin Field and will play Minnesota in the regional final Monday.

Fullerton (44-16) rebounded from its loss to Minnesota on Friday with a victory over Stanford on Saturday and wins over New Mexico and Minnesota on Sunday.

Fullerton pitcher Colin O'Connell, making his fourth start of the season, dominated Minnesota, giving up two runs and seven hits in his first complete game. O'Connell struck out nine, walked one and benefited from several outstanding defensive plays.

Corey Jones and Nick Ramirez, who hit home runs in Fullerton's 11-3 victory over New Mexico earlier in the day, also homered against Minnesota. Fullerton also manufactured runs with bunts and double steals on a night when they collected 13 hits.

-- Gary Klein

Cal State Fullerton baseball: Titans confident even without CF Gary Brown

Even bad news doesn't seem to darken doorways for Cal State Fullerton’s baseball team.

The Titans will be without standout center fielder Gary Brown for this weekend’s regional. But the outlook still seems rosy to Coach Dave Serrano.

"If we continue to play Titan baseball, like we have the last 40 games, we can be a pitfall for opponents playing us," said Serrano, whose team opens against Minnesota at Goodwin Field in Fullerton on Friday. "I’m confident in this team and confident that our players are confident with the way they are playing."

Stanford plays New Mexico in the regional's other game Friday.

Fullerton (41-15), which has reached the College World Series 11 times in the last 20 seasons, enters the tournament on a roll, having won 22 of its last 24 games. The Titans have won seven of eight since Brown broke the middle finger on his left hand while sliding into second base against Long beach State on May 16.

Brown, a junior, is hitting .438 with six home runs and 41 runs batted in this season. He will be re-evaluated on June 7 and could be cleared to play in the Super Regional, if the Titans advance.

“We’ve already anticipated that we are going to have to win the first regional without him,” Serrano said.

Left fielder Joey Siddons has replaced Brown in center field. Austin Kingsolver and Anthony Hutting have shared time in left field. The Titans have a wealth of experienced talent, including shortstop Christian Colon, first baseman Nick Ramirez and second baseman Corey Jones.

Serrano said the final decision on a starting pitcher for Friday’s opener would be made Tuesday, but “ I think I already exposed that card over the weekend.“ The Titans used freshman Dylan Floro (7-0, 2.84 ERA) on Friday, followed by Noe Ramirez (10-1, 2.50) on Saturday.

-- Chris Foster

College baseball: UCLA is seeded sixth in NCAA baseball tournament

UCLA was rewarded by being seeded sixth in the NCAA baseball tournament, then punished with a regional field that may be the tournament’s toughest.

The Bruins (43-13) will face Kent State (39-23) on Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium, while UC Irvine (37-13) faces LSU (40-20). Irvine is ranked 21st by Baseball America, and LSU, the defending national champion, is ranked 23.

At Cal State Fullerton, the Titans (41-15) will play Minnesota (30-28), and New Mexico (37-20) plays Stanford (31-23). Fullerton, ranked seventh, is the only team in the regional that is in the Baseball America top 25.

-- Chris Foster

Cal State Fullerton continues baseball success

The two top college baseball teams in Southern California faced off on Tuesday night, and Cal State Fullerton came away with a 5-2 victory over UCLA at Goodwin Field.

Tyler Pill hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Nick Ramirez added a three-run home run in the seventh for Fullerton (38-15). UCLA dropped to 41-12. Bruins Coach John Savage is 3-18 against the Titans.

The victory could help Fullerton's bid to host a regional in the NCAA playoffs next week.

Garett Claypool (8-3) took the loss. Noe Ramirez (9-1) was the winning pitcher, throwing 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief.

-- Eric Sondheimer

UCLA starts college baseball season with 3-0 record

If the opening weekend of college baseball is any indication, UCLA has improved its hitting attack with the addition of several promising newcomers. The Bruins had 18 hits Sunday to defeat Cal State Northridge, 14-5, and finish the weekend with a 3-0 record.

Beau Amaral, a freshman outfielder from Huntington Beach, went four for five and hit a two-run home run against the Matadors. Third baseman Dean Espy, a junior college transfer from Arizona, hit a home run and had three runs batted in. Cody Keefer, a freshman outfielder, had four hits and six walks in three games.

And most encouraging, Dan Klein was flawless in his role as closer, throwing scoreless innings on Saturday and Sunday.

In other college baseball action, USC took two of three games in San Luis Obispo, knocking off Cal Poly, 9-4, in the series finale. Cade Kreuter, a freshman and the son of USC Coach Chad Kreuter, hit a two-run home run.

Cal State Fullerton (1-2) picked up its first victory with an 8-1 win over Long Beach State. Tyler Pill gave up one unearned run in seven innings

UC Riverside (3-0) came away with a three-game sweep of Brigham Young. Robert Brantly hit two home runs in an 11-6 victory. 

Pepperdine freshman second baseman Joe Sever tied a school record going five for five and scoring four runs in an 11-7 victory over Oregon.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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