Episode 41: Blake Hawksworth

1544 Miles to Omaha

Although he only coached for the Cal State Fullerton Baseball program for one season, Blake Hawksworth's impact on the program goes beyond the 2017 year, a year the Titans would reach Omaha for the 18th time in program history.
Now a pitching coach at the high school level, Blake Hawksworth coached at the Division 1 college level in 2020, coaching at Grand Canyon University before COVID-19 shut-down the season. In this conversation, Hawksworth speaks candidly about the one year he coached the Titan pitchers in 2017, the Palo Alto Regional and the dramatic Super Regional series vs. Long Beach State.
Hawksworth answered the tough questions regarding the decision to throw Colton Eastman in relief in Game 1 of the 2017 CWS and also opened up about the real and very personal reason why he excused himself from the team following the College World Series.
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Highlights:
🎙️ Working for Scott Boras (2:45)
🎙️ Always a Titan without being a Titan (6:50)
🎙️ Getting the job at Fullerton (9:25)
🎙️ Being the outsider of the Titan coaching tree (12:15)
🎙️ Transition from pro to college game (14:40)
🎙️ Working with pro arms in college (16:30)
🎙️ Pressure to get Colton Eastman back from injury (20:35)
🎙️ Losing the regular season series with Long Beach (22:47)
🎙️ Pressure in 2017 to make the Regionals (25:15)
🎙️ Revenge is sweet on the Dirtbags (30:35)
🎙️ Reaction after losing Game 1 of 2017 Super Regional (32:46)
🎙️ Winning Game 2 in a blow out to set up Game 3 (36:00)
🎙️ 2017 Super Regional Game 3 Dramatic finish (38:20)
🎙️ Super Regional Champs! (43:05)
🎙️ Respect for the Rivalry (46:00)
🎙️ 18th trip to Omaha for the Titans (47:05)
🎙️ CWS Game 1 decision to pitch Colton Eastman as a reliver (52:55)
🎙️ CWS Game 2 vs. Florida State (57:10)
🎙️ Why Hawk only coached 1 year for Titan Baseball (1:02:10)
🎙️ Coaching in college for GCU in 2020 (1:07:05)
🎙️ Still coaching but at JSerra HS (1:10:15)