College World Series
Monday, November 23
Windsor, Suzuki lead Titans to CWS title
OMAHA, Neb. (ESPN.com news services) -- After Texas swept a two-game series with Cal State Fullerton in early March, a Longhorns coach walked past Titans coach George Horton. "See you in Omaha," the Texas coach said. |  | | Jason Windsor held Texas scoreless over the final eight innings. |
Horton, who had just witnessed his team's meager three-hit output in a 3-1 loss, wasn't so sure. "I'll be watching on TV," he replied. How things have changed. The Titans, 9-10 at the time of Horton's gloomy prediction, are now national champions after completing a surprising sweep of top-seeded Texas in the College World Series on Sunday. Following his team's title-clinching 3-2 victory over the Longhorns in the best-of-three finals, Horton recalled his earlier comments. "That's how I felt at that particular time," Horton said. "I guess [pitcher] Ricky Romero and a couple other guys overheard me, and maybe they used that as a motivating factor, that they could prove even the old coach wrong. | Texas chose not to return to the field for the second-place trophy presentation while Garrido talked with the team in the locker room. | "They proved not only me wrong, but they proved thousands and thousands wrong out there. Maybe I'll use that as my opening speech next year so maybe we'll get off to a better start." The Titans won their first national title since 1995 and have now won championships in each of the last four decades (1979, 1984, 1995, 2004). Fullerton's four national titles tie the Titans with Miami for fifth-most by any school. It was an unlikely journey. "It appeared by the way we were playing that we were the best team and would win this tournament, which makes it even harder for the players to understand or accept," Texas coach Augie Garrido said. "We did our best. They did better." Texas chose not to return to the field for the second-place trophy presentation while Garrido talked with the team in the locker room. NCAA officials made two requests for the Longhorns to return to the field. A 10-1 loss at home to Long Beach State on April 3 dropped the Titans to 15-16. The season turned with a 9-3 win over the 49ers the next day. The victory started a 32-6 stretch that helped Fullerton finish 47-22. Horton said it was appropriate that senior pitcher Jason Windsor, the Series' Most Outstanding Player, and junior catcher Kurt Suzuki were instrumental in the clinching victory over the Longhorns. Windsor pitched a complete-game five-hitter, and Suzuki drove in the winning run with an RBI single in the seventh inning. Windsor's season mirrored his team's. He started 1-4 before rolling off 12 straight victories. His 1.84 ERA ranked fifth nationally coming into the CWS, and he lowered it to 1.71 after giving up two earned runs in 21 innings. He threw 322 pitches in the Series. "The only thing I was concerned about was whether we were going to go to the well too many times with a thin pitching staff and wear him down," Horton said. "Knock on wood that he comes out of this stretch drive as healthy as he was during the stretch drive." Windsor, a third-round pick of the Oakland Athletics, finished 5-0 in the postseason with a 0.61 ERA. He threw two complete games in the CWS, shutting out South Carolina on a three-hitter and then throwing a five-hitter against the Longhorns. He also picked up a save in the Titans' second game against South Carolina. "That was a major-league performance," said Garrido, who led Fullerton to its first three national titles. Suzuki, a second-round pick of the A's, had come into the Series with the nation's fifth-best batting average, at .437. But he was in a 2-for-20 slump before stepping to the plate in the seventh with the go-ahead run on second base. "I had nothing to show for this Series, but I was swinging the bat fine," Suzuki said. "My teammates were sticking behind me, and they kept telling me my time was going to come when we need it most." Even though Suzuki had been slumping in the CWS, Horton said he liked having him at bat in the seventh. "P.J. (Pilittere) was standing next to me in the dugout, and I told him, 'We've got the best hitter in America up in this spot. How about that?"' Now Horton can say he's got the best team, too. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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