#29 Cal State Fullerton Baseball 2020 Preview

 
Cal State Fullerton Titans
 
Overall Rank: #29
Conference Rank: #1 Big West
Cal State Fullerton Logo
 
Last season Cal State Fullerton missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. It was a tough go for the Titans, but they should start a new streak in 2020. Their four main starting pitchers were underclassmen last year and all four are back to give Coach Rick Vanderhook a deep, talented starting rotation. Tanner Bibee was the most prolific of the bunch, striking out 80 batters in 95.2 innings of work. With Michael Weisberg and Dillon Brown leading the bullpen, Fullerton should see massive improvements on the mound.
 
2019: 27-26, 13-11
2019 Postseason: None
Coach: Rick Vanderhook
 
Key Departed Players:
Hank LaForte, IF, .302 BA, 29 RBI
Mitchell Berryhill, OF, .415 BA, 27 RBI, 17 SB
Jacob Pavletich, IF, .252 BA, 4 HR, 27 RBI
A.J. Curtis, OF, .318 BA, 1 HR, 18 RBI
 
Key Returning Players:
Kameron Guangorena, C, .261 BA, 1 HR, 26 RBI
Brett Borgogno, IF, .206 BA, 3 HR, 22 RBI
Isaiah Garcia, OF, .323 BA, 2 HR, 39 RBI
Tanner Bibee, P, 4.33 ERA, 5-7 W/L, 95.2 IP, 80 SO
Timothy Josten, P, 4.14 ERA, 3-4 W/L, 67.1 IP, 51 SO
Kyle Luckham, P, 5.37 ERA, 4-6 W/L, 58.2 IP, 51 SO
 
Projection:
Fullerton was more productive at the plate than on the mound last season, but there are more holes to fill there too. Isaiah Garcia has the most potent returning bat after hitting .323 with a couple homeruns and 39 RBIs last season. Kameron Guangoerna and Brett Borgogno combined to drive in 48 runs and will bring some much needed experience to the roster. Coach Vanderhook also acquired some more experience from a handful of junior college transfers. He will also need sophomores like Jason Brandow and Zach Lew to take a step forward now that they have a year of experience under their belt. Even if the hitting takes a step back, Cal State Fullerton can still win the Big West and start a new tournament streak thanks to their experienced pitching staff.
 
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament