Issue date: 3/10/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: File Photo [Click to enlarge]

The Texas A&M baseball team will face five former national champions during the 2009 season.

No. 9 Cal State Fullerton, which won national championships in 1979, 1984, 1995 and 2004, will meet the No. 6 Aggies today at Olsen Field for a showdown of Top 10 teams.

"It's going to be a great challenge for us," said A&M Head Coach Rob Childress. "They're a traditional powerhouse."

Texas Head Coach Augie Garrido coached the Titans when they won its first three championships. Garrido later took Texas to national championships in 2002 and 2005.

The game is the first time the Aggies have played Cal State Fullerton since A&M lost to the Titans 4-2 in an elimination game at the 1999 College World Series. The Aggies have failed to return to the College World series since.

Cal State Fullerton is 9-2 in 2009. After losing three games to Texas Christian to open the season, the Titans have won eight consecutive games with sweeps of Stanford and Southern Mississippi.

After the performance against Southern Miss, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll moved the Titans up three spots.

"They had a great weekend over at Southern Miss and they're coming in here feeling pretty good about themselves," Childress said. "The last two weeks they've played really well. It should be a great crowd, great night and it ought to be a lot of fun."

Titans' freshman right-hander Noe Ramirez will take the mound. Ramirez was a highly touted recruit out of Alhambra, Calif., when he was signed by Cal State Fullerton.

He was a four-time first-team all-league selection, led his high school to four league championships, was named the CalHi Sports Freshman of the Year in 2005 and was a two-time Almont League Most Valuable Player.

The game will be Ramirez's second collegiate start of his career, but he has made four relief appearances in 2009, pitching 13.2 innings while striking out 10 batters and recording a 1.98 ERA.

Ramirez's first start was against San Diego State on March 3. In a 7-2 win, the freshman struck out four Aztec batters and gave up two runs in seven innings.

Childress will send junior right-hander Clayton Ehlert to face Ramirez. In Ehlert's two starts this season he's struck out 14 in 12.1 innings of work while recording a 3.65 ERA. The junior was a weekend starter in 2008 but has since been bumped to mid-week status because of junior pitcher Alex Wilson's return from surgery.

Freshman designated hitter and pitcher Nick Ramirez leads the Titans at the plate. Ramirez, who was named Big West Player of the Week after batting .500 and hitting three home runs against San Diego State and Southern Miss this past week, is batting .486 with a .946 slugging percentage.

One of the characteristics of West Coast baseball is small ball. This includes plays like sacrifice bunts, hit and run plays and stealing bases. The Titans lead the Big West conference in sacrifice hits with 19 and have stolen 20 bases.

Who and when
No. 9 Cal State Fullerton
vs. No. 6 Texas A&M
6:35 p.m. Today
TV: COX Sports TV

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