By LOU PONSI
Call it the most fortuitous dentist’s appointment of Colton Eastman’s life.
The Cal State Fullerton pitcher threw just nine innings early in the 2017 season before being sidelined with elbow tightness in his pitching arm.
“It wasn’t fun,” Eastman recalls. “I didn’t like it. I wasn’t used to sitting out a whole year before. It was my first major injury I ever had.”
The right hander visited the dentist roughly two months later to have his wisdom teeth removed.
Voilà.
His arm was healed.
“The nerves were connected somehow, and after that, my arm was feeling good,” said Eastman, who returned to the mound just in time to make a huge contribution down the stretch and in the postseason.
Eastman went to 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 37 strikeouts in eight appearances.
He allowed just three hits over 13 2/3 innings to win the clinching games over Stanford in the NCAA Regional ending June 3 and then over Long Beach State on June 11 in the NCAA Super Regional at Blair Field.
“After I was done with my outing, I was so nervous that I couldn’t watch the eighth inning and then I came out in the ninth to watch us win it,” Eastman said. “It was just cool to beat our rival at their place in front of a sold-out crowd.”
Eastman, a junior, is the Titans’ No. 1 starter this season.
He was listed on USA Baseball’s 55-player preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list, Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list and Collegiate Baseball’s Preseason All-American Second Team.
In the season opener, Eastman allowed five runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings as the Titans lost to Stanford, 5-1.
The Fresno native rebounded in his second start however, striking out six and allowing four hits over six shutout innings, but had a no-decision.
Jacob Pavletich scored on a wild pitch in the 15th inning to give the Titans a 2-1 victory over No. 24 Houston in the contest.
As a team, Fullerton is off to a slow start.
The Titans were ranked as high as 10th in preseason polls, but after a 1-7 start, have dropped off the top-25 rankings.
Through eight games, the Titans have a team batting average of .207, have scored 22 runs and have one home run.
In Sunday’s loss to Houston, Fullerton collected a season-high 15 hits, but left the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth innings and wound up losing, 10-5, in the series finale at Goodwin Field.
Junior outfielder Ruben Cardenas (.286) went 2-for-4 with an RBI to extend his team-best hitting streak to seven games.
Sahid Valenzuela went 3-for-5, collecting three hits for the second consecutive game.
Despite a loss Tuesday to UCLA, Valenzuela boasts a three-game hit streak with seven hits over the last three contests.
The Titans travel to Tulane for a three-game series Friday through Sunday.
Source: Oc Register
Cal State Fullerton pitcher Colton Eastman could help lift team past slow start
More from Cal State FullertonMore posts in Cal State Fullerton »
- CSUF professor is digitally mapping the history of gay spaces in America
- CSU universities expected to choose a new chancellor next week
- Cal State Fullerton and business school donor Steven Mihaylo cut ties
- $10 million gift to CSUF will help students discover ‘absolute wonders’ of science
- UC Irvine’s Thuy Vo Dang is the Newest Member of the John Wayne Airport Arts Commission
More from Cal State Fullerton sportsMore posts in Cal State Fullerton sports »
More from College SportsMore posts in College Sports »
- McKeever’s bullying led to lifelong issues, more former UC Berkeley swimmers allege
- UC Berkeley AD: Teri McKeever investigation could take 6 months
- Ex-UC Berkeley swimmer on McKeever: ‘I honestly didn’t know how far she would go’
- USA Swimming told of Teri McKeever’s alleged bullying in 2015
- Stanford’s star soccer goalie Katie Meyer died by suicide, authorities confirm
More from NewsMore posts in News »
- CVS and Rite Aid limiting purchases of emergency contraception
- Feds working to maintain abortion pill access, says HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra
- Probation for California admissions scandal parents who aided FBI
- When to watch the surprise January 6 committee hearing on Tuesday, June 28
- Long Beach nonprofit, run by homeless people for homeless people, closes
More from Orange County NewsMore posts in Orange County News »
More from SportsMore posts in Sports »
- WNBA star Brittney Griner ordered to trial Friday in Russia
- Sha’Carri Richardson remains true to herself
- Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson dies at age 26
- NBA’s Jaxson Hayes sentenced in Woodland Hills misdemeanor case
- McKeever’s bullying led to lifelong issues, more former UC Berkeley swimmers allege
Be First to Comment