We wanted to start Thursday Thoughts: Keith LeClair Classic & USC edition on a more positive note. Unfortunately, when the Titans went 0-4 since the last time we wrote this column, there needs to be a lot of digging to find the positive.
Don’t worry, we did find some positive coming out of Greenville, North Carolina. As we have said here and on the 1544 Miles to Omaha Podcast and within our social media channels, the 2024 Titans are talented but young and inexperienced. There will be some growing pains and it appears the 2024 Titans have Osgood-Schlatter disease right now.
Join us as we yet again look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly that was the Keith LeClair Classic and USC Mid-week game.
The Results
Overall Record: 4-7
Conference Record: 0-0
Streak:Lost 4
Last 10: 3-7
Offense
Runs Scored: 42
Hits: 77
Doubles: 19
Triples: 2
Home Runs: 6
RBI: 38
Team Batting Avg: .219
On-Base %: .312
Slugging %: .335
Walks: 37
Extra base hits: 27
Total bases: 118
Hit by pitch: 12
Stolen Bases: 5
Strikeouts: 122
Defense
Errors: 11
Fielding %: .973
Double Plays turned: 11
Passed Balls: 0
Stolen Bases allowed: 18
Pitching
Team ERA: 4.20
WHIP: 1.53
Batting average against: .271
Hits allowed: 103
Total Runs Allowed: 52
Walks Issued: 48
Strikeouts: 90
Home runs allowed: 6
Polls and RPI Tracker
Polls
D1Baseball: Not Ranked
Baseball America: Not Ranked
NCBWA: Not Ranked
College Baseball Nation: Not Ranked
USA Today Coaches Poll: Not Ranked
11.7 Mid-Major Power Rankings: Not Ranked
RPI
NCAA: 145
Warren Nolan: 145
D1Baseball.com: No Ranking
Titans of the Week
Winners chosen via Twitter/X poll
Pitcher of the Week
Mikiah Negrete : 6.2 IP – 5 H – 0 ER – 2 BB – 4 K – 0.00 ERA
Also considered:
Jason Blood: 3.2 IP – 3 H – 1 ER – 0 BB – 3 K – 2.46 ERA
Seth Tomczak: 3.2 IP – 2 H – 0 ER – 3 BB – 3 K – 0.00 ERA
Derek Turner: 2.1 IP – 3 H – 0 ER – 3 BB – 1 K – 0.00 ERA
Vote on the #CalStateOmaha Pitcher of the week Nominees:@jtblood13: 3.2IP – 3H – 1ER – 0BB – 3K – 2.46 ERA@NegreteMikiah: 6.2IP – 5H – 0ER – 2BB – 4K – 0.00 ERA@SethTomczak: 3.2IP – 2H – 0ER – 3BB – 3K – 0.00 ERA
Derek Turner: 2.1IP – 3H – 0ER – 3BB – 1K – 0.00 ERA#TusksUp— Cal State Omaha (@CalStateOmaha) March 6, 2024
Batter of the Week
Marcos Rosales: : 5-for-15 – .333 – 2 R – 3 RBI – 1 BB – 7 K – 2 HR – 1 XBH
Also considered:
Luke Mistone: 1-for-4 – .250 – 0 R – 0 RBI – 0 BB – 1 K
Max Ortega: 3-for-9 – .333 – 1 R – 3 RBI – 2 BB – 1 K – 1 XBH
Nico Regino: 2-for-5 – .400 – 0 R – 1 RBI – 0 BB – 2 K – 1 XBH
Vote on the #CalStateOmaha Batter of the Week Nominees:@MistoneLuke: 1/4 – .250 – 0R – 0RBI – 0BB – 1K@_MaxOrtega_ 3/9 – .333 – 1R – 3RBI – 2BB – 1K – 1 XBH@nico_regino44: 2/5 – .400 – 0R – 1RBI – 0BB – 2K – 1XBH
Marcos Rosales: 5/15 – .333 – 2R – 3RBI – 1BB – 7K – 2HR – 1XBH— Cal State Omaha (@CalStateOmaha) March 6, 2024
The Good
Played East Carolina Tough
Moral victories do not exist, only learning opportunities. Since that’s the case, hopefully the Titans learned a ton from the Keith LeClair Classic.
We’re not going to sit here and make excuses for the Titans poor performance in Greenville this weekend. You do need to factor in that travel, time change and body clock adjustment may have had an adverse effect on the on-field performance.
Despite the adversity, the Titans lost in an 11-inning battle 2-1. The Titan pitchers were stellar led by Cal State Omaha Pitcher of the Week, Mikiah Negrete. Two costly and ill-timed fielding errors cost the Titans the game.
East Carolina is one of the best mid-major teams in the college baseball landscape and to lose in extra innings by a single unearned run should stand as a positive. We all learn from failure more than we do from success. Hopefully the mistakes on display in Greenville will serve as learning lessons for a young and developing team.
(Photo courtesy of Titan Athletics)
Tomczak Terrific
Coming into 2024, many wondered who would take over the closer role with the departure of Jojo Ingrassia leaving via the MLB Draft. We think that question has been answered in the form of Seth Tomczak.
In five appearances in relief this young season. Tomczak still holds a 0.00 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched. He has surrendered just four hits and three walks (one of them an intentional walk) while striking out 11 batters.
Although the season enters its fourth weekend this Friday, look for Jason Dietrich to rely on Tomczak last in games to slam the door if the Titans are leading or stop the bleeding should they run into trouble.
(Photo courtesy of Titan Athletics</.em>)
MiKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKiah Negrete
Staying on the mound, Mikiah Negrete leads the Titans with 16 strikeouts on the season. (Yes, you can count how many Ks we put in his name in the headline.) Of the two pitchers meeting the minimum requirement of pitching at least one inning per game, Negrete’s ERA sits at 3.31.
Although three weekends into the 2024 season with a small sample size, Negrete might take over the Friday role come next weekend when the Titans open Big West Conference play vs. UC San Diego. Friday starter Christian Rodriguez with his 1-2 record and 6.75 ERA has good reason to look over his shoulder.
Hopefully the Titans can provide more run support in the coming weeks and the pitchers won’t feel they need to throw shut outs just to place the Titans in a position to win.
See ya 👋#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/UWU2zm6LZv
— Titans Baseball (@FullertonBSB) March 2, 2024
Marcos Rosales
On a team with a .219 batting average, Marcos Rosales has performed well above expectations for a true freshman. Just last year at this time, Rosales was playing short stop for South Hills High School. This year, Rosales leads the team in batting average (.273) for those considered starters. (Players with 30+ at-bats after 11 games.)
For a 5’ 9”, 185 lb. guys, he sure packs a lot of punch into a smaller package. He leads the Titans with three home runs on the year and holds a .636 slugging percentage. Rosales has played mostly in the DH spot due to an arm injury that prevents him from throwing longer distances.
If the injury can heal quickly, look for Rosales to hold down the middle infield spots or third base. He saw time at First Base so that may be a good sign he is on the mend.
The Bad
End 1 | We’ve had better innings.
Titans trail 10-0. #TusksUp
— Titans Baseball (@FullertonBSB) March 3, 2024
Lack of Hitting
We’ve already it on the season long batting average is hovering just above the Mendoza Line at .219. The team’s batting average over the last four games is below that at .170.
Against SE Louisiana, ECU and Purdue, the Titans went 16-for-97 (.160) and vs. USC, went 6-for-32 (.190). Add to that, the Titans struck out 46 times in 129 at-bats over that four-game stretch.
As the weather warms up, the Titan bats better heat up as well or this will be a long season.
Errors
We mentioned earlier that the Saturday ECU game was plagued by fielding errors that cost the Titans the game. Whether it was a lack of concentration or just trying to do too much, the errors vs. ECU were glaring.
If you saw the game, there is no need to go into detail. Just know that come Big West Conference play starts, hopefully these errors will be eliminated and not come at such critical moments in the game.
The Ugly
Mid 1 | Titans trail 10-0. Hey, there’s a lot of game left.
Due up: Guzman, Lopez and Latta#TusksUp
— Titans Baseball (@FullertonBSB) March 3, 2024
1st Inning vs. Purdue
Chad Gurnea and Michael Flores had outings to forget on Sunday vs. Purdue. Before the Titans, the designated home team at the neutral site, picked up a bat, they trailed 10-0.
We all know Purdue is more of a football school, but being down a touchdown and field goal before getting a chance to hit is one of the all-time ugly moments in Titan Baseball history.
Talk about going from the Penthouse to the Outhouse. Chad Gurnea, the promising young freshman from Pacifica High School, tossed a gem vs. Fresno State. His 5.2 IP, three hits, one earned run, two walks and four strikeouts earned him the Cal State Omaha Pitcher of the Week honors.
Compare that to giving up six hits, walking three, striking out none and giving up eight earned runs while only recording one out before being lifted for Michael Flores. Flores did not do much better, walking two, allowing a hit, striking out none and a wild pitch that allowed Thomas Green to score while giving up two earned runs and recording the second out of the inning.
The silver lining is that after the disastrous top of the first inning, the Titans went on to score three runs to Purdue’s one run, Again, there are no moral victories but there is a reason you play all nine innings and need to record 27 outs in college baseball.
Looking Ahead
The Titans finish up the last weekend of non-conference play when the Jacksonville Dolphins come to Goodwin Field. The Dolphins are 5-7 on the year and the Dolphins and Titans have not played any common opponents in this early season.
The Titans and Dolphins will play one game on Friday and a double header on Saturday. We assume that with the travel back to Florida, the Dolphins requested a double header.
For those that follow the Titans closely, this weekend should have been a weekend series vs. Saint Mary’s. You may recall that the Gaels posted their schedule online and showed next weekend as the series vs. the Titans and this weekend .vs the Florida Gators. The big problem? The Big West had already announced the conference schedule months prior, and the titans were scheduled to play UCSD that weekend.
In asking around, the Titans originally thought they would host SMC this weekend. It appears that SMC would rather travel to Gainesville than to Fullerton which left the Titans scrambling for a weekend series opponent. Enter the Jacksonville Dolphins and here we are for a three-game set.
Series History
Believe it or not, the Titans are 1-1 all-time vs. the Dolphins, dating back to 1991. Both games were played in Jacksonville, and this will mark the first time the Dolphins travel west to play the Titans.
At the Plate
Of the seven Dolphins with 30+ at-bats on the season, five of them are batting .300+. Justin Nadeau leads the team in average (.486), hits (17), doubles (5), on-base percentage (.571) and hit-by-pitches (4).
Josh Steidl remains the power threat the Titans pitchers need to remember. Steidl has started 11 games this season and has three home runs in 41 at-bats, 12 RBI and a .707 slugging percentage.
On the bases, the Dolphins like to run and have stolen 25 bases in 28 attempts. Nadeau leads the team with six stolen bases while Will Gale is a close second with five swiped bags.
On the Bump
It appears that Head Coach Chris Hayes has not settled on a set weekend starting rotation. Peyton Prescott, Richard Long, Tommy Allman, Blake Barquin and Evan Chest all have started games for the Dolphins either on the weekend or mid-week games. None of them have consistently started on the same night so it is hard to get a bead on who will go on which night.
Of the four that have thrown 12 innings or more this season, Peyton Prescott (2.45) and Richard Long (2.84) both have sub-3 earned run averages. Opponents are batting .176 against Prescott and have struck out 18 times. Long has held batters to a .159 average and has not let up a home run this season.
Outlook
Both teams enter the weekend with almost identical records. The Titans come in at 4-7 while the Dolphins come to Godwin with a 5-7 record. Both teams opened the season with a series win over a Power-5 opponent but have faced most mid-major programs since.
With both teams entering the weekend under .500, the winner of the series could point to this weekend as the potential turning point to getting their season back on track.
Weekend Probables
Friday, March 8: RHP – Christian Rodriguez (1-2, 6.75 ERA) vs. RHP – Richard Long (1-1, 2.84 ERA)
Saturday, March 9: LHP Mikiah Negrete (1-0, 3.31 ERA vs. RHP – Peyton Prescott (1-0, 2.45 ERA)
Saturday, March 9: RHP – Chad Gurnea (0-2, 8.71 ERA) vs. RHP – Tommy Allman (0-1, 10.50 ERA)
Times listed are Pacific time:
March 8, 2024 (Friday) vs. Jacksonville – 6:00 PM
March 9, 2024 (Saturday) vs. Jacksonville – 2:00 PM
March 9, 2024 (Saturday) vs. Jacksonville – 5:00 PM