Utah Utes baseball: Titans crush Utes' Cinderella bid

FULLERTON, Calif. — It wasn't as much about false hope as it was maybe just too much to ask of Utah's baseball team to accomplish an improbable feat once again.

Dramatics and miracles aside, the Utes didn't stand a real chance against No. 4 Cal State Fullerton.

Eighteen consecutive postseason appearances vs. a program making its first postseason appearance in 49 years netted the same result as before, as Utah's dream season came to its conclusion on Sunday night. Fullerton thumped the Utes, 16-3, at Goodwin Field to win its home regional and move on to the super regionals of the NCAA Tournament.

It was Utah's second shellacking in three days at the hands of the Titans, who rolled to an 18-2 rout Friday.

"Fullerton's a tremendous club," Utah coach Bill Kinneberg said. "They've got the makings of winning it all, and hopefully they do that."

In two games against the four-time national champion Titans, Utah (28-31) was outscored 34-5 and outhit 45-17. Getting steamrolled again by Fullerton (45-14) was a tough pill to swallow, especially since the Utes went into the game with delusions of grandeur after they upset No. 19 Gonzaga, 9-7, roughly 45 minutes earlier to keep hope alive.

"I was visualizing all (last) night how this would work out," said freshman pitcher Stephen Streich, who, in his first collegiate start, gave up nine runs and 10 hits in four innings after pitching four relief innings the night before. "I wasn't nervous or anxious to get out there. They just got me tonight."

The Titans scored in the first inning, but a two-run third by Fullerton could have been avoided. An error with one out from first baseman Austin Jones — who overthrew second base attempting a double play — kept the inning alive and made it 3-0.

Utah's trouble continued in the fourth, when a monstrous lead-off solo homer by Fullerton's Khris Davis sparked a four-run inning, extending the lead to 7-0. The Titans added insult by hitting through their lineup and busting the game open with a five-run fifth to go up 12-1.

"Cal State Fullerton is a great ball club," senior Corey Shimada said. "They do everything right. If you don't have your 'A' game and play mistake-free baseball, they'll take advantage of you."

Which is exactly what the Titans did, leaving no doubt that Utah's season would come to an end.

But given the fantastic voyage he and his team had just been on, Kinneberg was optimistic about where his program could go from here.