Hudgins drives in four in win at Supers
- Updated: June 10, 2017
Hudgins at the plate against Long Beach State on Friday. / photo by Matt Brown
2017 EAST COUNTY FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE BASEBALL STANDOUTS
By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com
LONG BEACH – Former Valhalla High catcher CHRIS HUDGINS went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and a two-run double for a four RBI night to help the Cal State Fullerton Titans to a 12-0 victory over the host Long Beach State 49ers to even their NCAA Division I Super Regional series on Saturday.
Hudgins bounced a double over the wall for two runs in the bottom of the third, giving the Titans a 5-0 lead. He added a two-run home run to left field in the eighth, as Fullerton extended its lead to 12-0.
CHRIS HUDGINS! 💣
Titans lead is up to 12-0 after this 2-run HR in the 8th! #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/P0jv3pRyXa — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 10, 2017
It proved to be a bit of relief to Hudgins, who fanned with the bases loaded with two out in the ninth the previous evening, as The Dirtbags took the opener, 3-0. Earlier in the game, the veteran backstop dropped a foul pop.
The victory by CSUF on Saturday forced a third and deciding game Sunday at noon on ESPN2.
Even with the big night in the Titans’ blowout, Hudgins biggest blast of the season – literally – may have come in Cal State Fullerton’s regional-clinching win over host Stanford last Saturday (June 3) when he blasted a big bomb to left in the top of the ninth to help secure a 4-2 win over the Cardinal.
Chris Hudgins with no-doubter in 9th; @BaseballTitans lead @StanfordBSB 4-1 #scscore pic.twitter.com/6J2nO8cl9g
— Jim Seimas (@AiringItOut) June 4, 2017
Hudgins, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior, is hitting .245 this season with five home runs and 31 RBI through Saturday. As a sophomore, he played in 35 games, making 33 starts at catcher, despite missing a month of the season with a finger injury on his throwing hand. As a freshman, he appeared in 33 games making nine starts, six behind the plate and three at designated hitter.
Hudgins played one season at Grossmont High before moving east to Valhalla for his junior year.
He was an All-East County first team selection as a senior with the Norsemen after batting .405 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI. He was named Valhalla High’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2014.
