Sports
Cal State Fullerton enters NCAA regionals confident it ‘can play with anybody’
The Titans took batting practice at Goodwin Field on a still, cloudy day on the Cal State Fullerton campus.
The calm before the storm, Wednesday was a typical scene in preparation for an upcoming game. Except that practice represented the Titans’ final home tuneup before they were to hit the road for the Stanford Regional, the first playoff appearance for the program since 2018.
“It’s pretty surreal,” junior infielder Caden Connor said. “I mean, we’ve worked our entire time being here. It feels really good for the guys that came back, trusted the coaching staff.”
Added senior infielder Zach Lew: “Fullerton has a special place in my heart and going to the postseason has definitely been a long time coming for me.”
The Stanford Regional begins Friday, with the Titans playing Texas A&M (36-25) of the Southeastern Conference at 7 p.m.
The Titans (31-22, 20-10 Big West) finished second in the conference to UC San Diego (21-9). The Tritons, however, are in the midst of a four-year Division I reclassifying period and are, therefore, not eligible for NCAA playoff competition until the 2025 season.
Fullerton punched its ticket to the postseason by beating Cal Poly in its penultimate regular-season game to claim the automatic NCAA bid from the Big West. The Titans were led by second-year coach Jason Dietrich and players who identify as blue collar.
“Play the game the right way and play hard,” Connor said. “We’ll do anything it takes to win a baseball game. I mean, the three-hole hitter will get a bunt down if he has to.”
Connor and pitcher Tyler Stultz said it was the team’s first game of the season, a win against Stanford, no less, that helped set the tone for the kind of team they are. During that Feb. 17 game, the Titans went from being tied 1-1 after four innings to beating the Pac-12 school 8-1.
“The atmosphere on the field during that series was really crazy,” Stultz said. “It almost felt like playoffs to open our season.”
The Titans lost the three-game series with Stanford, and dropped their next multigame matchup against Michigan before taking two of three games against Texas in March, which helped bolster Fullerton’s confidence.
“We were like, ‘OK, yeah. We can play with anybody,’” Stultz said.
Though, in reflecting on the season, Dietrich said it was not one moment or set of games that defined Fullerton’s 2023 playoff push.
“I think it’s just the body of work that they’ve done,” Dietrich said. “I knew and the coaches knew that we had a group of guys that were pretty hungry.”
There are nine active Fullerton players who have an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled the season in 2020 after 16 games. Lew and Stultz are two of four players using that extra year this season. Lew’s freshman season was 2019. Connor and four others could exercise the extra year to return for next season.
The 2022-23 roster also had 17 returning and 22 new players.
“Our job, we felt, was just to build chemistry, get them to know each other,” Dietrich said. “And teach Titan baseball and the tradition of Titan baseball. So it was exciting to start the season to see where we’re at.
“And then after the first weekend against Stanford, to get these guys to understand that they can play with anybody. But that’s tough when the program’s been struggling a little bit.”
Fullerton baseball’s five-year NCAA tournament drought was the longest in the program’s history since its first postseason trip in 1975. Since the ‘75 season, the Titans had been to an NCAA regional 41 times, making 18 College World Series appearances, finishing as the runner-up in 1992 and winning it all 1979, 1984, 1995 and 2004.
The Titans’ alumni base, which includes several players, coaches and managers in major league baseball, continues to boast that tradition. Some of Fullerton’s big league alumni working just a few minutes’ drive down the 57 Freeway in Anaheim include Angels manager Phil Nevin, pitching coach Matt Wise, catcher Chad Wallach and reliever Chris Devenski.
“Exciting to see them back in the postseason,” Nevin said.
Nevin was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 amateur draft, a year in which he was also named most outstanding player of the ‘92 College World Series. “Jason Dietrich has done a great job of getting Fullerton back to relevance, which is nice. Where we should be. I’m looking forward to following during the regional,” Nevin said.
As for what lies ahead, the Titans recognize their program’s rich history and this year’s team’s abilities and will approach the playoffs one pitch at a time.
“We’ve gone to Omaha just as many times as all these big SEC schools,” Connor said, referring to the site of the CWS. “In the regular season, we played all those big teams and we’re ready to go against anybody.
“Everyone’s 0-0 now, so the records don’t really matter.”
Sports
Scottie Scheffler may see charges dropped after arrest during PGA Championship: report
Prosecutors in Kentucky were reportedly expected to drop the charges against Scottie Scheffler after his stunning arrest before the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday.
Jefferson County prosecutors were planning, “as of now,” to drop the charges, No Laying Up reported Sunday, citing a source “familiar with the office’s thinking.”
Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
He allegedly drove past a police officer who was directing traffic and failed to stop when directed. The officer attached himself to Scheffler’s vehicle and was dragged. According to an arrest report, Louisville Detective Bryan Gillis suffered injuries in the incident.
Scheffler’s arraignment is set for Tuesday. The Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday there was no body cam footage of the incident between Scheffler and Gillis.
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“The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident,” Greenberg said Saturday, via the Louisville Courier-Journal. “We will release footage that we have… to my knowledge, we have not yet discovered any video of the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr. Scheffler.”
Greenberg did say there was a “fixed camera” across the street from where the incident took place. He was unsure if Gillis was wearing a body camera. He didn’t say whether Scheffler’s charges would be reduced.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington was in the vicinity of the incident and caught video of Scheffler being put into the back of a police vehicle.
Scheffler called the incident a “big misunderstanding” on Friday.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do,” he said. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Column: Fairfax's McRae siblings keep trying to one-up each other, all the way to Dartmouth
On Mother’s Day, Ebony Robinson felt like the luckiest mom in the world.
Her oldest son, Robert McRae III, a former Fairfax basketball player, is graduating next month from Dartmouth. Daughter Elyjah, a former Fairfax volleyball player, is a junior at the Ivy League university. And the baby boy, Romello, who played football and basketball at Fairfax, just chose the same school after turning down Harvard.
“It is pretty amazing,” Robinson said about having three children attend the same school in New Hampshire. “I never thought about it. I just didn’t.”
For those who worry about sibling rivalries, understand that the McRae children motivated each other in a positive way in trying to top one another.
“It was more about competing within ourselves,” Romello said. ”My brother was the star athlete for the family. When my sister went to high school, she made it a goal to have better grades than my brother. Going to Fairfax, I had a legacy to live up to.”
Romello, 6 feet 4 and 180 pounds, played basketball for the Lions, then joined the football team last season for the playoffs after his mother finally relented and let him play. He was the ball boy for 10 weeks until Robinson gave in.
“I was expecting him to just be on the sideline for one game,” she said. “They were supposed to lose in the playoffs.”
McRae caught a touchdown pass in the first playoff game and Fairfax ended up winning the City Section Division II championship. He has the best grade-point average of his siblings at 4.3 and earned a Gates scholarship that will pay for his college tuition.
“From what I’ve learned is that a healthy competition is always a good thing,” he said. “We’ve always congratulated each other on our successes but always wanted to be the best.”
Robert was an All-City basketball player and played on the Lions’ City championship team in 2019. He played four years at Dartmouth. Romello won a City basketball title in 2022 but probably will try to make Dartmouth’s football team as a walk-on with his mother’s blessing.
“I have accepted it. Go ahead and go try out,” she said.
Robinson, who works with at-risk youths, has been a single parent with a no-excuses attitude.
“Being a single mom, especially having two boys, I didn’t have a lot of room for nonsense,” she said. “I became really strict. I need you to do what I’m asking you to do. I have no mental room for being able to handle anything else.”
She made it clear what was most important in her family.
“Even though the kids would say I am most definitely strict, I always show them unconditional love,” she said. “That love taught them to love each other the same way. With unconditional love, all you can do is admire each other for their strength and not hate on one’s success.”
To have three kids make it to the Ivy League is something few in the family ever imagined until Robert heard from a Princeton recruiter in high school, when mom’s goal was, “I just want you to have school paid for you because I can’t pay for it.”
Robert, 22, is deciding whether to pursue a master’s degree after graduating next month or head off to Wall Street to work. Elyjah, 21, is majoring in anthropology. Romello, 17, wants to be an engineer and is hoping to borrow his brother’s warm jackets to deal with the New Hampshire winter. Mom will be home with the last of her children, 8-year-old daughter Ellyott.
“I am a proud mommy,” she said.
Sports
NASCAR driver belly-flops into massive flood on pit road as rain postpones race
A monstrous rainstorm postponed Saturday’s NASCAR truck race, but those on the track still made the most of it.
The storm moved through North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, site of Sunday’s All-Star Open and Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series Wright Brand 250.
Pole qualifying was canceled Saturday morning, but the race started on time, as positioning was set per the rule book. However, lightning in the area brought the red flag out on Lap 81 at roughly 2:30 p.m. ET.
Fans were asked to clear the grandstand and take cover as rain began to fall.
NASCAR then announced at 5:05 p.m. ET the remainder of the race would be postponed until 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday, and heat races for the All-Star Open slated for Saturday were canceled. Positioning for the race will be set based on the rule book.
Rain flooded pit road so badly, it was roughly thigh-high for some on the track.
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One person in a video taken by FOX Business senior producer Justin Freiman could be seen swimming and diving in the water.
A few seconds later, a driver did a belly flop.
The weather affected racing Friday night, as well. All-Star Race qualifying and a pit crew challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway scheduled for Friday night has been postponed due to rain.
NASCAR announced Saturday and Sunday tickets would be honored Sunday with some stipulations.
Saturday ticketholders will receiver “priority seating” for the finish of the truck race, while those who have tickets for Sunday will then get seating for the All-Star Race, in the event of same-seat purchases.
Twenty drivers will participate in the $1 million All-Star Race following the conclusion of the Wright Brand 250.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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