Vanderhook Introduced As Titan's New Coach

The Cal State Fullerton Athletic Department introduced its newest head baseball coach, Rick Vanderhook, Monday morning at Goodwin Field in front of approximately 150 family members, friends, fans and alumni on Monday.

Vanderhook, an assistant to both Titan Head Coaches Augie Garrido and George Horton from 1985-2007, returns to Cal State Fullerton after a brief three-year stint as an assistant coach to UCLA's John Savage. This will be his 22nd season in a Titan uniform.

During his comments, Vanderhook announced his new coaching staff that will feature Mike Kirby, an assistant coach at Fullerton in 1991, 1995 and from 1997-99, and former Titan All-American and former major league pitcher, Kirk Saarloos, who will return from last year's staff to take over as the full-time pitching coach.

Kirby will be coming to Fullerton after three season's with Horton at the University of Oregon. Saarloos, an undergraduate assistant coach in 2011 with Dave Serrano's staff, moves into a paid position for 2012.

"Rick comes from a great baseball family and he has worked hard for this opportunity. He represents the essence of Titans baseball. He represents the spirit of the baseball program at Cal State Fullerton and I am very happy for him and his family."
-- University of Texas Head Coach Augie Garrido

"Cal State Fullerton baseball's administration has made a great selection in Rick Vanderhook as their new baseball coach. He is one of the top coaches in the country and has a very bright baseball mind. He is an exceptional coach, recruiter and mentor of players. He has been an ambassador at Fullerton and UCLA and the job he has done as an assistant coach at both universities has been exemplary. He has been an instrumental part of three decades of Titan baseball excellence and now gets the opportunity to sit in the head coach's chair. I'm sure Rick will continue the great heritage of Titan baseball into the future. I congratulate Rick and his family for an opportunity that they all deserve. I wish him well."
-- University of Oregon Head Coach George Horton

"Rick did an outstanding job for our program the last three years. I am very excited for him and his new opportunity, one that is well-deserved."
-- UCLA Head Coach John Savage

"Congratulations to Rick "Hooky" Vanderhook. It is a great day for Titan Baseball when a coach, friend and mentor for hundreds of players over the course of 20-plus years is hired to lead the Titan program. There is no doubt that Hooky represents what Titan Baseball is all about and will continue to teach these young players the hard work and traditions that makes TITAN BASEBALL what it is."
-- Former Titan catcher and U.S. Olympian Brian Loyd

"I am very excited about the decision the Cal State Fullerton administration has made to bring back Rick Vanderhook as its head coach. If anything is guaranteed from this hire it is that the Titans will be tough and competitive. Rick knows what it takes to be successful and he has instilled it in me and the hundreds of other players he has coached over the last 26 years."
-- Former Titan infielder and current New York Mets second baseman Justin Turner

Channeling The Spirit of Early Spielberg

Super 8
Currently Playing at AMC Fullerton
Directed by JJ Abrams
Produced by Steven Spielberg
Five Scoops of Bosco

Reviewed by Allen Bacon
The Daily Bosco

There were several reasons why I thouroughly enjoyed the film Super 8, a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Director JJ Abrams (Lost) which opened this past weekend at the AMC Fullerton.

First, the movie takes place in the late 70's. For me, it's like walking into a time warp with the music (who amongst us have not rocked out to the Knack's "My Sharona" or Blondie's "Heart of Glass") and the attention to detail on the set is amazing. This is what mid-America looked like in the late 70's, this is what we were watching on TV, these were the toys we played with (ie, Walkie Talkies and CB Radios)...these are the clothes we wore. One of my favorite scenes is when the kids want to get their film developed quickly and they ask the film dept. clerk if they could get the film back the same day. "That's impossible" says the clerk..."Three Days is the fastest"...and he stamps it rush.

Second, if you have ever had a junior high or high school age child that is obsessed with being a film maker (like I do), you are going to love this. All the enthusiasm, the excitement, the sense of accomplishing something when they make a movie...it's all in this film. We see the kids in this film, making their film about Zombies for a festival, during the movie. Stick around for the credits...because you get to see the finished product while the credits are running.

Third, this film is a collaboration between Producer Steven Spielberg and Director JJ Abrams. While Abrams can stand on his own as an exciting film maker, it seems he really channels the spirit of Steven Spielberg's movies from the late 70's/early 80's. Think about it. You have a misunderstood alien (ET, Close Encounters), a band of nerdy kids banding together to fight against the establishment (Goonies), exciting chase scenes and great special effects (Indiana Jones). I actually enjoyed this collaboration even more than Spielberg/Lucas. Throw all that in with the great "coming of age" films like "Stand by Me" or even "Sandlot"...well you get the idea.

And fourth, I really enjoyed the work of the actors in this film. I am a huge fan of Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Hometown) and he brings the same calmness he displays in FNL when he is asked to step into the roll of the town's Sheriff while his world crumbles around him.

And the young actors are wonderful. This reminded me of the cast of the Goonies or ET.

There are so many reasons to see this film, especially if you grew up in the 70's.

Hopefully we will see more work with Spielberg and Abrams in the near future.

The Synopsis: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Blues Advance to Second Round In US Open Cup

The Los Angeles Blues (who play home games in Fullerton) advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup Tuesday by beating local rivals Hollywood United Hitmen 3-1. The match had everything for the neutral soccer fan – from crunching tackles, controversy and four ejections to breathtaking suspense and four quality goals from the run of play, one of them an absolute stunner from midfield. In the end, two tallies from debutant Mehrshad Momeni and Gerardo Bravo’s beauty in stoppage time were enough for the USL PRO side to overcome Hollywood striker Jose Miranda’s goal in the second half.

The match was a chippy affair from the get-go, as the Hitmen did a good job of pressuring their favored opponents early and posing a physical challenge. The strategy very nearly paid off in the 5th minute, as the NPSL side won the ball in midfield and Rene Corona hit a perfectly timed long ball over the top that found a streaking Miranda. In all by himself, Hollywood’s leading scorer in league play should have had an easy finish but saw his attempt past onrushing goalkeeper Oscar Dautt come off the underside of the crossbar.

Just as a the Blues seemed to be settling into the game a little better, they were dealt a decisive blow, defender Leonard Griffin seeing a straight red card in the 19th minute for a sliding tackle against Hollywood’s Nick Blanco. Blanco would again be involved in the action just two minutes later, as he whipped a beautiful cross in from the left that found an open Miranda in the area. For the second time in the match, the striker missed out on the opening goal by mere inches, his close-range header whistling just past the near post.

The ten-man Blues nearly punished their opponents for the missed opportunities at the other end. Moments after Miranda’s header, Los Angeles forward Chukwudi Chijindu took it upon himself to create some offense for his side. The 25-year-old showed incredible footwork at the edge of the penalty box before laying the ball off perfectly to Momeni. The Iranian’s long-range effort with the outside of his right boot seemed destined for the upper ninety until it was tipped over in spectacular fashion by Hollywood netminder Raul Calderon.

However, Momeni’s right foot would not be denied from long distance in the 37th minute. Once again, Chijindu displayed great skill as he held the ball up on a counter-attack before threading it through to a streaking Tomislav Colic down the left flank. The Serbian cut back to his right foot and centered the ball to Josh Tudela at the top of the penalty area. After briefly surveying his options, the Blues captain laid it off to Momeni, whose cracker inside the right post had the home side’s bench erupting in joy.

Los Angeles nearly doubled the lead just before the halftime whistle. Midfielder Israel Sesay ran straight at the Hollywood backline before dribbling into the box on the left and cutting to his right foot, from where the ball sailed just wide of the far post on a wonderful curling effort.

The second half started with a huge opportunity for the visiting Hitmen that was made possible by a risky pass by Blues goalkeeper Dautt. The ball was intercepted by Brent Whitfield, who hit a dipping first-time half-volley that nearly found the back of the net, as Dautt had left his line on the play and barely managed to scramble back for a diving save.

After the Los Angeles shot-stopper showed some great positioning in the 54th minute to block a Jose Miranda effort from close range, his team would double the lead at the other end just two minutes later. Halftime substitute Edwin Miranda’s deft chip to Chijindu at the top of the box enabled the striker to lay it off to Momeni once again. As on his first tally, the 23-year-old used his magical right foot to find the back of the net from long range, this time beautifully placing the ball low and inside the near post to leave Calderon without a chance.

Still up a man, the Hitmen refused to surrender to the two-goal deficit, and they were rewarded in the 67th minute. Miranda came close yet again, his initial close-range shot being scraped off the line by a diving Dautt. However, the striker finally converted on the ensuing play, as Arturo Albarran chipped the ball back into the area and Miranda did a great job of meeting it low with his head to flick it inside the post.

The goal added an even greater sense of urgency to the Hitmen’s attacking efforts, and they came very close to equalizing on two separate occasions. First Albarran floated a nice free-kick into the area that nearly resulted in an own-goal, as Sesay headed the ball just wide of the post on a last-ditch effort to keep it from reaching a Hollywood attacker. Then Dautt made perhaps the save of the game to deny Jesus Flores in the 80th minute.

Flores was released in the area by Corona on a wonderful combination play. In all by himself, the striker seemed to have plenty of time to pick a corner but was surprised by the fantastic goalkeeping of Dautt, who sprinted off his line to deny the Honduran point-blank and preserve the lead for his side.

With the game on a razor’s edge, the emotions increasingly got the better of the two sides, with the culmination coming in the 87th minute of play. After Carlos Morales was issued a straight red card for a hard sliding challenge against the Blues’ Gerardo Bravo, almost all the players on the field got involved in a heated shoving match that resulted in two more ejections. Los Angeles’ Tudela and Hollywood’s Corona were each shown their second yellow card of the game.

With four fewer players on the pitch and Hollywood desperate to find the equalizer, spaces now opened up for the Blues whenever they won the ball defensively. In second-half stoppage time, Sesay found himself wide open down the left flank and passed the ball on to Chijindu, who laid it off to a streaking Edwin Miranda. The Salvadorian pulled the trigger from the top of the box, but Calderon did well to block the stinging drive and give his side a fighting chance.

However, the home side would deliver the knockout punch in spectacular fashion just moments later.

Dautt quickly released the ball to Gerardo Bravo, who found himself in acres of space at the halfway line with only one defender to beat and an on-side Sesay to his left. Unimpressed by the countless screams demanding he switch the ball over to his teammate, Bravo looked up and saw Calderon off his line to try and intercept a possible pass. In a moment of brilliance, the Peruvian decided to make the Hollywood goalkeeper pay and hit a perfect ball that found the net from nearly 50 yards out.

The goal sealed an emotional win for the Blues as well as the club’s participation in the U.S. Open Cup second round, which sees them traveling to take on the Ventura County Fusion this coming Tuesday, June 21.

Coach Serrano Hired Away From Cal Fullerton

KNOXVILLE — Needing to rescue its lowly baseball program from the bottom of the Southeastern Conference, Tennessee went out and hired a proven winner.

UT named Cal State Fullerton's Dave Serrano as Raleigh's replacement on Wednesday after he made the trip east for an interview. The school will introduce its 24th baseball coach at a news conference at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

The Volunteers hadn't reached the postseason in four years under Todd Raleigh, so they nabbed a coach who's been there in 16 of his 17 years in Division I and reached the College World Series, the sport's pinnacle, twice in the past five years with two different schools.

“After an overwhelming 24 hours of events, I have made the decision to leave a great program at Cal State Fullerton to take on the challenge of returning the University of Tennessee to a spot among the nation's elite,” the 46-year-old Serrano said in a university statement.

“While this decision was not an easy one, it makes it a little easier to say yes when you have an entire family completely in support for you. We hope to be proud and active members of the Knoxville community and will work hard to give Volunteer fans a baseball team that they can cheer on for years to come.”

One of just 11 coaches to take two schools to the CWS, Serrano led the four-time national champion Titans to the CWS in 2009, two years after taking California-Irvine to Omaha. In his seven seasons as a head coach, Serrano has won more than two-thirds of his games and averaged 41 wins per season.

“Dave is a proven winner and is a perfect fit as the head baseball coach at the University of Tennessee,” UT interim athletic director Joan Cronan said. “He has taken two programs to the College World Series as a head coach, and we are confident that he is the right coach to lead our program to national prominence.”

It won't be Serrano's first stop at UT. He was an assistant coach for UT for two seasons (1995-96), when current Major Leaguers Todd Helton and R.A. Dickey helped the Vols to 97 wins and the 1995 College World Series.

UT reached Omaha two more times (2001 and 2005) in the next decade under Rod Delmonico, who was fired after the 2007 season. The Vols struggled under Raleigh, who was fired in May after UT missed the eight-team SEC tournament in each of his four seasons.

The Vols won just seven league games this season, and Raleigh was just 42-78 in four years in the SEC, a league that's stacked with great baseball programs. Florida, Vanderbilt and defending-champion South Carolina — three teams from UT's division alone — clinched CWS berths last weekend.

“I have known him as a player, an assistant coach and competitively as an opposing head coach,” Oregon coach George Horton said in UT's release. “I think the world of him, not only as a baseball coach, but as a businessman and a people person.

“From the chair I sit in, Tennessee's search has been a very successful venture and will be putting a coach in a position to make a significant impact for the sport of baseball at that university. The SEC is already a great league and the addition of Dave only makes it even more competitive. He is simply one of the brightest young minds in college baseball.”

According to the Orange County Register, Serrano's salary at CSF was $140,244 not including equipment compensation and performance bonuses. When UT fired Raleigh, the school paid more than $330,000 for the final year of his contract.

Four area players signed with UT last fall: Polk County outfielder Jared Allen, McMinn County pitcher/outfielder Drew Masingale, Meigs County outfielder Jake Rowland and Walker Valley pitcher Brandon Zajac, who was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round (842nd overall) of the MLB draft last week.

All four told the Times Free Press last week they hadn't been contacted by UT since Raleigh was fired on May 23.

“I've heard the news,” Allen said Wednesday afternoon. “I'm glad that they got somebody named pretty quick. It's good to know you can talk to someone you know is going to be your coach. [Going to UT] is something to look forward to. I'm sure I'll get a phone call in the next day or two after the press conference.”

Allen, the Best of Preps male and all-area player of the year, said he will enroll in July for the second semester of summer classes. Nashville's Mookie Betts, who was selected by Boston in the fifth round, was UT's highest drafted signee.

South Carolina assistant coach Chad Holbrook interviewed for the job on Tuesday, according to a statement the school released on Sunday. Holbrook, however, withdrew his name from consideration earlier Wednesday.

By Patrick Brown

CSUF Basketball Team Finishes With High GPA

The Cal State Fullerton men's basketball team enjoyed a banner "season" in the classroom in the recently completed Spring semester, compiling an aggregate 3.19 grade point average, the highest in the program's history.

Three players - senior-to-be Omondi Amoke, graduating senior JerVaughn Johnson and junior-to-be Kwame Vaughn - all made the Dean's List with GPA's above 3.50. Nine more players made the honor roll with GPA's above 3.00. The three remaining players just missed that group, coming in at 2.99, 2.80 and 2.26.

"I want to congratulate our players -- they worked extremely hard in the classroom this past semester," said ninth-year Head Coach Bob Burton. "They know the importance of a college degree and are all striving to graduate on schedule. We should also credit Academics Advisor Mike Miles and Assistant Coach Scott Waterman, who coordinates academics, for their assistance in overseeing this tremendous effort on the part of our players."

Joining Johnson in 2011 commencement exercises were guards Devon Peltier and Eric Williams 9pictured). This trio gives the program 17 graduates in the past four years:

2008 - Kenneth Alexander, Marcus Crenshaw, Scott Cutley, Andrew Green, Marcus Morgan, Ray Reed and Frank Robinson
2009 -Josh Akognon, Marcio Lassiter and Adam Thomas
2010 - Gerard Anderson, Frank Granados, Papa Guisse and Aaron Thompson
2011 - Jer'Vaughn Johnson, Devon Peltier and Eric Williams

Source: Titan Sports

Summer Fun Coming To Fullerton

The annual Fullerton 4th of July Festival and Fireworks Show will be held from 5 pm to 9:30 pm on Monday, July 4, 2011, at Fullerton High School Stadium.

Fireworks begin at 9 pm and last for approximately 20 minutes.

There will be live music and additional entertainment. Nominal fees of approximately $2 to $4 may apply for some activities.

Games offered by Parks and Recreation will be free and will include small prizes.

Food will be available for purchase in the festival area. All food is reasonably priced, and is being offered by local charity organizations. No alcohol is served or allowed in the area.

All coolers will be checked. No glass containers, no smoking, no umbrellas, and no pets.

Fullerton High School Stadium is located at the Southeast corner of Berkeley and Lemon.

Families and friends can enjoy music concerts under the stars in Fullerton this summer. Each concert will be held on a Wednesday evening, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Fullerton Sports Complex.

Attendees can purchase food at the concert, or bring a picnic supper. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating too.

Admission is free.

Concert Schedule

July 13 – Southbound (70′s and Southern Rock)
July 20 – HELP (Beatles Tribute Band)
July 27 – The James Harman Band (Blues)
August 3 – The Mighty Cash Cats (Johnny Cash Tribute Band)
August 10 – Yard Sale (Classic Rock)
August 17 – The Lucky Stars (Country)

Fullerton Sports Complex is located at 560 E. Silver Pine St., Fullerton.

For more information on both events call (714) 738-3167.

Source: City of Fullerton

Evans Sets Record for 400 & 800 in Fullerton

Janet Evans hasn’t lost her touch for breaking world records, setting new Master’s marks in the 35-39 age group 15 years after her last competitive race.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist swam the 400-meter freestyle in 4 minutes, 23.82 seconds Saturday at the Janet Evans Invitational in Fullerton and four hours later she shattered the 800-freestyle record with a time of 8:59.06.

“I think it really shows me where my training is and it’s right about where I thought it was,” Evans said.

The 39-year old mother of two returned to the pool in October in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. The 400 Saturday was her first competitive race since the 1996 Atlanta Games, where she failed to qualify for the 400 freestyle and finished sixth in the 800 freestyle.

“It was really good. I wanted to go 4:30 so I was really happy,” she said after the 400.

Evans has been training under longtime coach Mark Schubert.

“I thought well, we’ll do it for three months and we’ll see how it’s going,” Schubert said. “She just always said, ‘Just be honest with me, if you don’t think I can do this tell me and I’ll stop.’

“Her practices just got better and better. She was surprising me all the time in practice and surprising herself.”

Evans tore through the water Saturday with the same voracious strokes that made her famous more than 20 years ago. She was 17 when she set the world record in the 400 freestyle in winning one of three gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Games, and later set world marks in the 800 and 1,500 freestyle.

“I was pleased with my time,” said Evans, who swam solo in the 800. “I know there’s some things I need to work on and I know exactly what they are, so I think it’s good.”

Despite a case of the jitters, Schubert jokingly warned her not to false start, Evans also beat training partner and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brian Goodell, who finished in 4:44.24.

“She hasn’t lost anything, I think with her age and everything she’s done and the time she’s taken off, it’s amazing that she’s still just as spry,” he said.

For Evans, the most difficult part of her comeback has been ignoring the naysayers.

“Physically, I feel great,” she said. “I just feel like I have it in me. I think I’m better focused.”

Janet Evans, the Olympic champion, who swims for the Fullerton Aquatic Swim Team (FAST) and competed with that team as a young girl, said she has been training hard for the last six months with an eye on qualifying for next year's Olympic trials and, if all goes according to plan, earning a spot on the U.S. team for the London Games.

"I have to believe it's realistic," Evans told the Associated Press before the meet. "I probably couldn't get through the workouts if I didn't. I'm sure there are going to be naysayers out there. That's OK. I certainly know how I feel when I'm in the water. I know what I'm capable of. You can never count me out."

She picked an appropriate venue for her first competition since 1996: the Janet Evans Invitational, a Masters meet held at the Janet Evans Swim Complex at Independence Park in Fullerton. Evans swam in four events, including the two that made her famous: the 400- and 800-meter freestyles (the 200 free and 200 back were also on the agenda, but more for training purposes).

"These are my first races in a long time," Evans said. "There's not a lot of expectations. I'm just kind of getting back in there and seeing if I remember how to do a start and all that kind of stuff."

Comebacks are nothing new, especially in swimming. Ian Thorpe returned to the water hoping to qualify for London. Dara Torres shook off a couple of retirements, winning three silver medals in Beijing at age 41. But Evans is a little different. No one has ever tried to get back to the top after such a long layoff.

She's ready for the challenge.

"You can't really take away my competitive spirit," she said. "If I do this, I want to do it well. Over the last few months, I've seen I can manage my life and my schedule while doing this. It has fulfilled my expectations on every level. I feel like I can be back in the game."

The Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and Allen Bacon, Daily Bosco contributed to this story. Photo from the LA Times

A Return To Woody Allen's Golden Years

Midnight in Paris
Currently showing at AMC Fullerton
Show times and theater
location in the Sidebar
Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams,
Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen
Written and directed by Woody Allen
Rated PG-13
Five Scoops of Bosco

Every so often, amid the watchable squiggles dominating his late-career output, Woody Allen produces a jewel, and “Midnight in Paris,” a comedy about a dissatisfied contemporary Californian who time-travels to 1920s Paris, achieves that distinction.

The film, which is currently playing in Fullerton, is mere pastry, and an ill-conceived major character dims the spark in spots. But an inspired confection, as this movie richly demonstrates, is itself a precious thing.

Basically, the movie is Allen in Wonderland, elevated by a clever premise and a vibrant execution. The setting and star — Paris and Owen Wilson — are fresh Allen terrain. The story is a supernatural fable, a la Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” and a romantic comedy, with Paris as the love interest.

Wilson plays Gil, a Hollywood screenwriter with novelist aspirations who is visiting Paris with his material-minded fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams), and her conservative parents. In these environs where Monet painted and great modern minds philosophized, Gil pines for the scene of the 1920s.

Enter a vintage car, which transports Gil to that famed era.

Suddenly, a bowled-over Gil is partying with Scott (Tom Hiddleston) and Zelda (Alison Pill) Fitzgerald, drinking with Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), and receiving writing tips from Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates). At Stein’s salon, Picasso is at the easel!

L’amour happens when Gil meets Adriana (Marion Cotillard), a fashion designer and serial artist’s mistress.

Back in the present, Gil clashes with Inez. While she shops or socializes with insufferably pompous friend Paul (Michael Sheen), Gil repeatedly returns to the past.

Allen’s message kicks in when Adriana reveals that she, too, yearns for a golden age, the Belle Epoque. Nostalgia is delusion, Gil realizes. Perhaps those weren’t the days, after all.

The film falters somewhat in the present-day scenes, especially with Inez, a tedious rich-girl caricature. McAdams deserves better.

The 1920s material, however, effervesces, and while Paris-in-the-’20s junkies will have the most fun, it’s a kick to see one cultural notable after another popping up, portrayed by top-notch actors.

Bates shines as a down-to-earth Stein. Adrien Brody is hilarious as Salvador Dali, seen in a witty surrealism sequence. Stoll’s manly Hemingway, too, is a hoot, though his screen time seems excessive when you consider how little we see of Pill’s potential-rich Zelda.

Wilson, meanwhile, doing a laid-back but not shabby job of channeling Woody, provides a solid anchor presence and keeps the nutty premise going strong.

Fluff this all may be, but when Allen, never one for big-picture spiritual questing, wonders, via Wilson’s Gil, whether Paris might just be the center of the universe, this bright fantasy has viewers delighted to play along.


Reviewed by Anita Katz
Ms. Katz reviews movies for the San Francisco Examiner

Short Finishes Strong At NCAA Track Finals

Des Moines, Iowa - Cal State Fullerton senior Ciara Short placed fifth in the women's 400 meters Friday night at the 2011 NCAA Track and Field Championships at Drake University to earn All-American status.

Short was clocked in 52.35 seconds. She trailed champion Jessica Beard of Texas A&M (51.10), Joanna Atkins of Auburn (51.50), Diamond Dixon of Kansas (51.85) and Shelise Williams of Arkansas (51.94) but became the Titans' second female track and field All-American, joining distance runner Heather Killeen.

Short, the two-time Big West Conference female track athlete of the year, scored 4 points, placing the Titans in 38th place with one day to go.

In Fullerton Baseball news, The Big West Conference Player of the Year Nick Ramirez was the first of eight Cal State Fullerton players drafted, and the first of three Titans to be selected in the fourth round of the 2011 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft Tuesday afternoon in New York.

Junior first baseman and left-handed pitcher Nick Ramirez (Anaheim, Calif., Katella HS) was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers as the 131st overall pick just one spot above junior right-hander Tyler Pill (Covina, Calif., Covina HS) who was taken by the New York Mets as the 132nd player. Junior right-hander Noe Ramirez (East Los Angeles, Calif., Alhambra HS) followed at 142, being drafted by the Boston Red Sox to complete the fourth-round trifecta.

Jake Floethe (Martinez, Calif., Fresno State) was taken by Tampa Bay Rays in round six (210 overall) and Colin O'Connell (Riverside, Calif, Arlington HS) became the fifth Titan taken in the draft, an eighth-round pick by the Oakland A's at 256 overall.

Seventeen rounds passed before the next Titan player was chosen. The Chicago White sox took Chris Devenski (Santa Ana, Calif., Golden West College) in the 25th round with David Hurlbut (Concord, Calif., Diablo Valley College - 28th round, Minnesota) and Joe Terry (Long Beach, Calif., Cerritos College - 30th round, Cincinnati) wrapping things up on day two of the 50-round selection process.

Third-team All-American utility player Nick Ramirez, who will likely be considered as a position player as a professional, hit .291 and led the Titans in home runs (9) and RBI (49), hits (62) slugging (.507) and fielding percentage (.992) in 2011.

He backed his plate presences with a dominant performance from the rubber, making him a semifinalist for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award. Ramirez was a perfect 16-for-16 in save opportunities and tied former Titan All-American and former big league All-Star Chad Cordero as the Titans' career saves leader with 34. He finished the season 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 22 appearances on the mound.

Pill was another steady two-way player for Cal State Fullerton, going 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA and a conference-leading 110 strikeouts, all the while hitting .323 with homer and 30 runs batted in. Pill compiled a 110-to-22 (5-to-1) strikeout-to-walk ratio over a team-leading 98.2 innings. He too, was up for a national player of the year award, the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Dick Howser Award. He will be looked at primarily as a pitcher.

Pill earned the only Titan win in the recent Fullerton Regional with a gutsy 8-inning, 11-strikeout performance on the mound, and was 2-for-3 with two-RBI at the plate in the Titans' tournament opener against Illinois.

Pill, comes from good baseball genes that has seen his father, Michael (2nd round out of high school), and his brother, Brett (7th round of the 2006 draft), spend time in the professional ranks. Brett, also a former Titan, is in his sixth season in the San Francisco Giants organization and is currently excelling at the Triple-A level with the Fresno Grizzlies.

This is the second time PIll has been drafted. He was also a 38th round pick for Colorado back in 2008.

Second-team All_American Noe Ramirez led the Titans with eight wins while posting a minuscule 1.69 ERA over 90.2 innings. The righty struck out 103 batters on the year propelling him into fourth place on the Cal State Fullerton career Top 10 list.

The soon-to-be Red Sox prospect, Ramirez, talked to MLB.com's Jason Mastodonato on Tuesday.

"It was a surreal feeling, man," Ramirez said about being drafted by Boston.

"The Red Sox, it's a great organization, great tradition, great history. I'm real pumped to be part of that now.

"I still feel pretty bad about being eliminated [from last weekend's NCAA Regional], because I definitely had bigger expectations for our team. It's tough, but this definitely brought me up."

After sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, the right-hander Floethe compiled a 6-3 record with two saves in 19 appearances as both a starter and reliever for the Titan pitching staff. A national champion with Fresno State in 2008, Floethe made four weekend starts for the Titans in 2011, with his most impressive coming on Apr. 1 against UC Davis (8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R).

Floethe was a 29th round pick for Arizona back in 2010.

O'Connell's compiled a 7-3 record with a 2.44 ERA and was among the best strikeout to walk ratios in the nation, striking out 55 and walking just 8. He made 16 appearances with 12 of those coming as starts. In his four relief appearances, the lanky right-hander turned 11.1 innings of scoreless innings including a 5-inning, 9-strikeout effort over UC Santa Barbara on Apr.16.

Despite working just 21.2 innings in 2011, Devenski compiled a 2-0 record with two saves 15 appearances. He struck out 26 and walked 8.

Hurlbut, a 35th-round draft pick for Minnesota back in 2009, was 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 10 appearances for the Titans in 2011. His best outing of the year resulted in his first win, a 5-inning, 3-hit start at Hawaii on Mar. 27.

Terry was drafted for the third time in his collegiate career on Tuesday. He was a 17th round pick by Seattle in 2009 and an 8th round pick by Chicago (AL) in 2010 while at Cerritos College. He was the everyday third baseman for Fullerton the first half of the season before a hamate-bone injury sidelined him the rest of the way.

Terry batted just .257 with no home runs and nine RBI in 26 games.

2011 Cal State Fullerton Draftees
Nick Ramirez - Milwaukee, 4th round, 131 overall
Tyler Pill - New York Mets, 4th round, 132 overall
Noe Ramirez - Boston, 4th Round, 142 overall
Jake Floethe - Tampa Bay, 6th round, 210 overall
Colin O'Connell - Oakland, 8th round, 256 overall
Chris Devenski - Chicago White Sox, 25th round, 771 overall
David Hurlbut - Minnesota, 28th round, 868 overall
Joe Terry - Cincinnati, 30th round, 925 overall

Source: Titan Sports

Fox Fullerton Renovation Back on Track

The Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation and the City of Fullerton celebrated progress this week as renovations to the historic Fox Fullerton Theater moved forward with the dismantling of the marquee on top of the theater.

The classic “Fox” lettering from the sign was taken down and will be repaired and stored until work on the theatre and its surrounding buildings is complete. A new and historically accurate marquee will be given a prominent place on the landmark theater as part of Phase 2 of the renovations.

“This was a huge moment for everyone who has supported the revival of the Fullerton Fox and its rightful place as the center of our local arts community,” said Leland Wilson, former Fullerton mayor and president of the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation.

Wilson has been one of many community members leading efforts to promote the theatre’s presence in the community and its promise to rebuild a thriving motion picture and performing arts space in the heart of Fullerton.

“The City of Fullerton has been very supportive of the Fox Theatre's renovation and is extremely excited to be a partner in such a milestone event for the Fox,” said Ramona Castaneda, acting director of the Fullerton Redevelopment and Economic Development Department.

“The historic renovation of the theater complex will make a wonderful addition to our vibrant downtown.”

The Fullerton Redevelopment Agency is funding a portion of the $26 million renovation cost.

Wilson said residents might be surprised to learn the current marquee was not an original part of the Fox’s architecture. The theater’s original design featured an open courtyard entrance with a flat marquee advertising the theater’s offerings. The current marquee was added in the 1950s to take advantage of the increasing traffic on Harbor Boulevard (then called Spadra Road).

Restoration plans call for a historically accurate two-dimensional marquee that more closely resembles the marquee in use at the theatre in the 1930s.

The Fox was built in 1925 by C. Stanley Chapman, son of Charles C. Chapman, Fullerton’s first mayor. Then named the Alician Court Theatre after Chapman’s wife Alice, the theater was designed by the renowned architectural firm of Meyer and Holler, which also designed the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

In addition to the Fox itself, renovations will also include more than 17,000 square feet of retail property in the Firestone and Tea Room buildings surrounding the theater, which are also owned by the Historic Theatre Foundation. The Fullerton Redevelopment Agency is funding restoration of those two buildings.

Wilson said the renovated commercial space is expected to generate upwards of $500,000 per year for the restoration, as well as funding of operations once Phase 1 of the project is completed.

As part of the ongoing fund-raising efforts, the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation is offering naming rights to the new marquee. Wilson said interested donors can contact the Foundation at info@foxfullerton.org.

Additionally, this September, the Foundation will host its annual “Hollywood in Fullerton ”that celebrates the theater’s future and diverse uses.” Proceeds from the event will go to continued restoration efforts at the theater.

Source: City of Fullerton

84-Year Old Fullerton Community Bank Sold

RMG Capital Corp., the Fullerton parent company of Fullerton Community Bank, has agreed to sell to Opus Bank in Irvine for $50 million in cash.

Fullerton Community Bank was established in 1927. It is a federally chartered savings bank with $681.9 million in assets. It has eight offices in Anaheim, Brea, Fullerton, Garden Grove and Yorba Linda.

Opus Bank is a state-chartered commercial bank with $708 million in assets and branches in Manhattan Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes/San Pedro, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, and Torrance.

It changed its name from Bay Cities National Bank last fall upon a $460 million recapitalization and ownership change in which headquarters remained in Redondo Beach but administrative and executive offices moved to Irvine. It had been founded as a national bank in 1982.

Since the reorganization, Opus has made moves toward its strategy to become a “strong, super-regional banking franchise,” according to Chairman Stephen H. Gordon.

It has announced the purchase of Cascade Financial Corp. in Washington for $21.8 million. It recently said it was signing leases for new banking offices in Encino, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Corona del Mar, Newport Coast, Irvine, and La Jolla.

Fullerton Community Bank has an active small-business lending department under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s guaranteed loan programs. And Opus recently won approval as a preferred SBA lender, a designation that is supposed to expedite the federally guaranteed loan process.

At year-end, with the Cascade and RMG purchases, Opus Bank expects to have nearly $3.0 billion of total assets and 42 banking offices on the West Coast.

“As we opportunistically acquire financial institutions to complement our organic growth, we look to partner with those institutions that have a long and respected heritage and a philosophical approach to banking consistent with that of Opus Bank,” Gordon said. “The founders, board members, executive management teams and employees of both Fullerton Community Bank and Opus Bank share a common mission to provide much needed capital funding and liquidity into our local economies, thereby enabling revenue, income, and job growth. We believe that this liquidity is the critical addition that is necessary to drive the revitalization of our communities.”

The boards of directors for Opus and RMG have approved the transaction, which values RMG common stock at $17.47 a share. Opus Bank will assume obligations for trust preferred securities and RMG preferred stock. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

Opus said that at the close of the transaction, the Opus Community Foundation intends to award grants to local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by Fullerton Community Bank.

By Jan Norman
Ms. Norman is the business reporter for the OC Register

The Fullerton NCAA Regionals In the Rear View

Matt Dittman's two-out single in the eighth drove home Brandon Hohl with the go-ahead run and Davis Hendrickson (pictured) followed with a two-run double two batters later as fourth-seeded Illinois scored six times in the final three innings to eliminate host and top-seeded Cal State Fullerton, 7-5, in game five of the 2011 NCAA Baseball Regionals on Sunday evening at Goodwin Field.

The Titans (41-17) out-hit the Fighting Illini, 12-7, on the night, but were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight on base - six of those at second base or closer. Fullerton's season ends in regional play for the first time since 2002 when the Titans finished 1-2 in the postseason at Palo Alto with losses to Stanford and Long Beach State sandwiched around a win over San Jose State.

Illinois (30-26) advanced to the regional final to face unbeaten and second-seeded Stanford on Sunday night and lost. Stanford advances to face North Carolina in the Super Regionals next weekend. The series will be played in North Carolina.

Trailing, 4-1, entering the sixth, the Fighting Illini closed to within two on an RBI single by Hohl and tied the game one inning later in a messy seventh as a one-out error on a ball hit by Willie Argo prolonged an inning that would have ended on a ground ball to the bag at first by Hendrickson in the very next at-bat.

Illinois then got one run closer after a hit batter and wild pitch as Argo scored from third to make it 4-3, and Pete Cappetta's single to left drove home Josh Parr to make it 4-4.

That set the stage for the big eighth inning two-out rally as Hohl scored from second base on Dittman's only hit of the day, a single to left, to make it 5-4 and, after a walk to Argo, Hendrickson sent a drive to the gap in left centerfield, scoring both runners for a 7-4 advantage.

Now down to its final three outs, Fullerton mounted a rally in the ninth after Ivory Thomas reached first on a dropped third strike passed ball and moved to third on Richy Pedroza's double down the right field line. Casey Watkins then drove him home with an RBI ground out to make it 7-5 and bring up slugger Nick Ramirez as the potential tying run. However, Illinois closer Chris Pack shut the door, inducing Ramirez into a game-ending foul out to catcher Adam Davis on a 1-1 pitch.

Pack (8-1) earned the win, allowing an unearned run on two hits in two innings of work in relief of starter Corey Kimes, who surrendered three earned on 10 hits, walking four and striking out three in seven innings.

Nick Ramirez (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing three earned on two hits, walking two and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings of relief of starter Colin O'Connell, who was touched for two earned runs on five hits while striking out six in 6 2/3 innings. O'Connell cruised early, retiring 13 consecutive batters at one point until Josh Parr singled to lead-off the sixth.

Fullerton jumped out early as Nick Ramirez's RBI double in the first made it 1-0 and, after Illinois tied it on an RBI fielder's choice by Casey McMurray, added three more runs in the third on another RBI single by Ramirez, a run-scoring ground ball double play, and an infield hit by Greg Velazquez to make it 4-1.

Ramirez was 3-for-5 at the plate, tying the Fighting Illini's Cappetta, who was 3-for-4, for game honors. Eight different Titans finished with hits, including two apiece from Carlos Lopez and Velazquez.