Fans lined the road near Goodwin Field as Cal State Fullerton’s baseball team returned home from the College World Series in Omaha. The team battled their way to the series following an impressive run through the postseason — winning the Big West Conference, Fullerton Regional and the Louisville Super Regional.
Waving signs and cheering, more than 200 fans greeted the team members as they arrived on campus Wednesday.
“I know a few of the players who were in my classes,” said senior communications major Cheraya Williams. “They would talk about what they were going through and how frustrated they were at the beginning of the season.
“But they worked hard and it paid off,” Williams added. “To make it to the College World Series — to be among the best eight teams in the nation — that’s really great.”
“I’m so excited to be here and welcome the team back,” said Stacey Barlow ’14 (B.A. sociology). “It was so exciting watching them play in the College World Series.”
Patty Sexton, who worked in the Athletics Department for 30 years before retiring, talked about how proud she is of the team. “This is awesome,” she said. “It’s always great to go to the College World Series, and I love seeing the outpouring of support for the team and the University. You’d hear about it on the news or hear people talking in the community. I’m so proud of these boys.”
“They had a great season,” said senior health science major Nick Mantilla. “I loved watching all the games on TV.”
“I’m here today to support the team,” said junior Kaitlyn Tardaguila. “It was pretty exciting to see them get so far.”
More images of the Titans’ return to campus can be found on flickr.