Hanlon Is Ready When Titans Call

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Cal State Fullerton’s Marco Hanlon didn’t start pitching regularly until he walked on at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo in 1995.

He had pitched only 10 innings as a senior at Woodbridge High and had been a two-year starter at shortstop.

But Cuesta needed pitchers, and Hanlon decided it was just as well. “I couldn’t hit very well anyway,” Hanlon said, smiling.

Hanlon pitched well for two seasons at Cuesta and now finds himself in a key role for the Titans in this week’s NCAA regional tournament at Notre Dame.

“He’ll be our first guy out of the bullpen now if we need help early,” Titan pitching coach Dave Serrano said.

Hanlon, 5-1 with a 3.88 earned-run average, moved into the starting rotation when Jon Smith was sidelined with arm troubles, and in his senior season has provided pitching depth Fullerton needed badly.

Smith (6-0, 2.59 ERA) appears to be healthy again, however, and is listed as Fullerton’s probable starter for the Titans’ third game. Adam Johnson is scheduled to pitch today’s second game.

“I love starting, but I hope Jon is ready because we’re stronger as a pitching staff that way,” Hanlon said.

Hanlon posted 8-4 records in each of his two seasons at Cuesta before transferring to Fullerton.

Hanlon said he went to Cuesta hoping to earn a scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. But Hanlon said Cal Poly wasn’t interested.

Hanlon joined the Titans instead and posted a 5-2 record with a 4.58 ERA in 35 1/3 innings last season, primarily as a middle-inning relief pitcher.

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Fullerton’s 6-5 victory over Michigan Friday was disappointing to Wolverine catcher David Parrish, a former Esperanza High player, but he wasn’t surprised about the way the Titans came back.

“I felt confident going into the ninth, but I know how Fullerton plays,” Parrish said. “I didn’t think they’d give up. Things just didn’t go our way in the ninth inning.”

Parrish said he played against several of the Titan players in high school.

“We had the game in our hands to win or lose, and it meant a lot to our team, but hopefully we won’t give up, and will come back and play well in our next game.”

Parrish is the son of former major leaguer Lance Parrish, who is now third base coach for the Detroit Tigers.

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Titan Coach George Horton said he thought a layoff of nearly two weeks affected his team in Friday’s game.

“I thought the first game might be our most difficult game,” Horton said. “I told our players that we had to get emotional at the right level, but they weren’t quite there most of the game.”