By Juan Saucedo
Daily Titan Staff Writer

It’s often said that college sports programs are only as good as the student-athletes they recruit.

If that’s the case, then the Cal State Fullerton baseball program has something to look forward to in years to come.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Titan’s recruiting class for the upcoming 2010 season was ranked fifth in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, a long-time running baseball publication.

“We’re excited,” said Head Coach Dave Serrano. “I think that this is another great collection of players that will fit into the great nucleus of players that are returning from last year’s squad.”

Earlier this year, the Titans had been hit hard by the Major League Baseball draft, and the recruits added depth to important positions on the team, Serrano said.

The Titans added five catchers, five infielders, two outfielders, four right-hand pitchers and one lefty. These recruits will fill spots left vacant by seven CSUF players taken in the draft and three departing seniors.

This year’s recruiting class consists of 17 players, including 12 freshman, four junior college transfers and one four-year college transfer. Five of these recruits were also prospects who were selected in the 2009 MLB First-Year Players Draft, according to the CSUF athletics Web site.

The recruits drafted were right-hand pitcher Dylan Floro (Tampa Bay Rays), catcher Geno Escalante (Milwaukee Brewers), left-hand pitcher David Hurlbut (Minnesota Twins), outfielder Anthony Hutting (Texas Rangers) and utility player Ivory Thomas (Houston Astros).

“There are numerous guys who could come in and help the team,” Serrano said, adding that he doesn’t like to focus on one player.

Yet Serrano said it was important for the team to pick up a left-handed pitcher since that’s a spot that has lacked depth in past years.

Assistant coaches Sergio Brown and Greg Bergeron did an extraordinary job of recognizing, evaluating and recruiting players who will help the team continue to compete at a high level, Serrano said.

“As a whole, it is a very exciting class,” Serrano said. “The early signs show that this class will help us continue the excellence of CSUF baseball.”

Right now, the recruits are doing some conditioning and weight training. “We’re slowly trying to get them acclimated with the system,” Serrano said.

Sergio Brown, who is the recruiting coordinator/assistant coach, said the coaching staff started the recruiting process early this year.

“We always try to find good kids who are good players and who will fit into our system,” Brown said. “We look for kids who would be fun to coach.”

Brown said he initiated the relationships with the recruits early so that he could get a feel for their personalities.

After the coaches get to know the recruits off the diamond, then they start to watch them play. All the players recruited showed they had what it takes to be a part of Titan baseball, he said.

“We like the make up. We like the personalities, and we like the enthusiasm,” Brown said.

He added that it’s always easier to coach players who have the abilities like ones the recruits have exhibited.

“It’s going to be a class that’s going to be the foundation for years to come,” Brown said. “They’ll keep us as one of the top five teams in the country.”

Junior Gary Brown, a returning CSUF infielder and outfielder, said it is not going to be hard for the recruits to fit in with the rest of the team.

“We all got along with them,” Gary Brown said about working out with the recruits. “They all blended in.”

Last year, the Titans were ranked fourteenth in recruiting and finished with a 47- 16 overall record, which concluded with CSUF playing in the College World Series for the sixteenth time.

The Titans will begin fall practice on Oct. 5, and will open the season against University of Oregon on Feb. 19, 2010, at Goodwin Field.