In a Men's College World Series where much was made of champion Cal State Fullerton's "Lucky 13," the real story may have been a couple of numbers that the Titans rendered meaningless.

In claiming their fourth Division I Baseball Championship title, the Titans demonstrated that starting the season with sub-.500 record (15-16) meant nothing except this is a team that doesn't quit.

And when senior catcher Kurt Suzuki delivered the CWS-winning hit in the seventh inning of the second game of the championship series against Texas, the 21,000-plus fans in Rosenblatt Stadium and an ESPN television audience learned that Suzuki's .100 batting average in 20 plate appearances meant nothing except that the Titans' leading hitter fully deserves his nickname of "Kurt Klutch."

Cal State Fullerton beat Texas, 3-2, on Suzuki's RBI single to left field and pitcher Jason Windsor's second complete game of the tournament, finishing off a best-two-of-three sweep of the top-ranked Longhorns and former Titans coach Augie Garrido.

"I still have chills, and it's not just from the cold water that was just dropped on my head," said Cal State Fullerton coach George Horton, who took the reins of the Titans program when his mentor Garrido departed for Texas in 1996, after leading the program to national championships in 1979, 1984 and 1995.

The victory came in Cal State Fullerton's 13th straight appearance in the Division I championship. Windsor's victory was his 13th of the season (after starting 1-4). In fact, 13 became the Titans' favorite number, as the team's traveling party took note of oddities ranging from the distance of the squad's hotel from Rosenblatt Stadium (13 miles) to the number on the Cal State Fullerton radio team's broadcast booth (take a guess).

But in the end, it was the same tenacity that Cal State Fullerton has displayed since its slow start that carried the day, as the Titans survived a loss to South Carolina in bracket play and pitchers Windsor and Ricky Romero willed themselves to a total of three complete-game victories, then the team came from behind in both games in the finals against Texas' outstanding pitching staff.

Perhaps seven actually is the Titans' number, as the team staged decisive rallies in both games against the Longhorns in the seventh inning.

In the first game, sophomore Danny Dorn smashed a double over the head and off the wrist of diving Texas left-fielder Carson Kainer to drive in two runs and claim the lead, 5-4. Dorn then scored on Felipe Garcia's fourth hit of the game for the final 6-4 margin of victory over the previously unbeaten Longhorns.

"We're elated to get this first game," Horton said after the contest. "It was like a heavyweight championship bout. I feel worn out and I know these guys next to me feel that way."

That feeling may have carried over to the next afternoon, when Texas scored a pair of runs off Windsor in the first inning of Game 2 and then pitcher Sam LeCure held the Titans scoreless entering the bottom of the seventh.

But a run-scoring triple by Brett Pill followed by a wild pitch by Texas reliever Buck Cody tied the game, then Ronnie Prettyman reached base on an error and advanced to second on Justin Turner's infield hit, setting the stage for Suzuki.

"There was never a doubt in my mind that he was going to get a hit right there," Titans first-baseman P. J. Pilittere said. "I saw a smile on his face before he went up there, and I hadn't seen that in a couple of weeks. He's been under a lot of pressure, but there's no one else we wanted up there."

"It's no mystery that I had nothing to show for the series before that," Suzuki said. "I knew that I just wanted to hit the ball somewhere. This is why I came to Cal State Fullerton, to be in this type of game and this type of situation."

Windsor took over from there. In all, he threw 322 pitches in an eight-day stretch in which he also earned a save in the bracket championship game against South Carolina in addition to his two nine-inning victories.

"I didn't think this was possible early in the season," Windsor said. "It wasn't because we didn't have a good team. We didn't seem to have much chemistry. Once we bonded and came together as a team, there was no stopping us."

Windsor was named the most outstanding player of the tournament after giving up only the two runs to Texas in his 21 innings on the mound. Teammates Garcia and Romero also were named to the all-tournament team.

Total CWS attendance this year was 256,730, down slightly from last year's record 260,091 fans. But the per-session average of 23,339 bettered the 2002 record of 22,376, and a Wednesday night session featuring Texas' bracket-clinching victory over Georgia and South Carolina's win over Cal State Fullerton drew a single-session record of 28,216 fans.

Game No. 1

Koley Kolberg, Brad Mills (7), Mark Melancon (8) and Nick Hundley; Paul Lubrano, Johnny Dobbs (4), Will Startup (7) and Clint Sammons. W -- Dobbs. L -- Kolberg. S -- Startup. T -- 3:07. A -- 14,697.

Game No. 2

Charley Boyce, Daryl Maday (6), Caton Hall (7) and Brady Toops; J. P. Howell, J. Brent Cox (7), Buck Cody (9) and Taylor Teagarden. HR -- Scott Bridges (Arkansas). W -- Howell. L -- Boyce. T -- 3:07. A -- 22,487.

Game No. 3

Jason Windsor and Kurt Suzuki; Matt Campbell, Jason Fletcher (6) and Landon Powell. W -- Windsor. L -- Campbell. T -- 3:09. A -- 23,976.

Game No. 4

Nate Bumstead, Jason Determann (3), Greg Smith (8) and Matt Liuzza; Cesar Carrillo, Danny Gil (9) and Erick San Pedro. HR -- Adam Ricks [Miami (Fla.)], Ryan Braun [Miami (Fla.)]. W -- Carrillo. L -- Determann. T -- 2:43. A -- 26,530.

Game No. 5

John Meloan, Mark Melancon (7) and Nick Hundley; Clint Brannon, Jay Sawatski (4), Boyd Goodner (8), Trey Holloway (9) and Brady Toops. HR -- Moises Duran (Arizona), Jason Donald (Arizona), Jordan Brown 2 (Arizona). W -- Meloan. L -- Brannon. S -- Melancon. T -- 3:23. A -- 21,000 (estimated).

Game No. 6

Texas 500 102 010 -- 9 13 1

Georgia 100 020 000 -- 3 8 1

Sam LeCure, J. Brent Cox (5), Huston Street (8) and Taylor Teagarden; Sean Ruthven, Mitchell Boggs (5), Josh McLaughlin (6), Bo Lanier (7), Brooks Brown (9) and Clint Sammons. W -- Cox. L -- Ruthven. T -- 3:14. A -- 26,480.

Game No. 7

South Carolina 100 006 062 -- 15 19 1

LSU 001 200 010 -- 4 16 4

Aaron Rawl, Chad Blackwell (7), Cliff Donald (9) and Landon Powell; Lane Mestepey, Jordan Faircloth (6), Justin Meier (8), Clay Dirks (8) and Mike Liuzza. W -- Rawl. L -- Mestepey. T -- 3:15. A -- 19,000 (estimated).

Game No. 8

Miami (Fla.) 000 100 200 -- 3 9 4

Cal St. Fullerton 031 100 10x -- 6 13 0

J. D. Cockroft, Alex Blanco (4), Marcelo Albir (7) and Erick San Pedro; Ricky Romero and Kurt Suzuki. W -- Romero. L -- Cockroft. T -- 3:10. A -- 24,857.

Game No. 9

Michael Hyle, Will Startup (7) and Clint Sammons; Kevin Guyette, Koley Kolberg (7) and Richard Mercado. W -- Hyle. L -- Guyette. S -- Startup. T -- 3:07. E -- 18,000 (estimated).

Game No. 10

Brandon Camardese, Dan Touchet (2), Ricky Orta (4), Chris Perez (7), Chiqui Chirino (8) and Erick San Pedro, Eddy Rodriguez; Billy Buckner, Cliff Donald (8), Zac McCamie (9) and Landon Powell. HR -- John Jay [Miami (Fla.)], Steven Tolleson (South Carolina), Steve Pearce (South Carolina), Brendan Winn (South Carolina). W -- Buckner. L -- Camardese. T -- 3:08. A -- 25,240.

Game No. 11

Johnny Dobbs, Bo Lanier (4), Mitchell Boggs (6), Matt Woods (6), Will Startup (7) and Clint Sammons; Justin Simmons, J. Brent Cox (3), Huston Street (7) and Curtis Thigpen, Taylor Teagarden. HR -- Seth Johnston (Texas), Teagarden (Texas), David Maroul (Texas), Michael Hollimon (Texas). W -- Street. L -- Woods. T -- 2:47. A -- 17,500 (estimated).

Game No. 12

South Carolina 012 000 200 -- 5 12 1

Cal St. Fullerton 200 100 000 -- 3 5 1

Jason Fletcher, Chad Blackwell (7) and Landon Powell; Mike Martinez, Ryan Schreppel (7), Vinnie Pestano (8) and Kurt Suzuki. HR -- Bryan Triplett (South Carolina). W -- Fletcher. L -- Martinez. S -- Blackwell. T -- 3:08. A -- 28,216.

Game No. 13

Scott Sarver, Jason Winsdor (7) and Kurt Suzuki; Matt Campbell, Zac McCamie (7), Arik Hempy (9) and Landon Powell. HR -- Ronnie Prettyman (Cal St. Fullerton). W -- Sarver. L -- Campbell. S -- Windsor. T -- 3:06. A -- 16,251.

Championship Game No. 1

E -- Andrews, Walton, Johnston, Thigpen, Maroul. DP -- Cal St. Fullerton 1, Texas 1. LOB -- Cal St. Fullerton 9, Texas 7. 2B -- Dorn, Prettyman, Hollimon. HBP -- Pilittere, Harris. SH -- Hardman, Maroul. SF -- Thigpen. SB -- Suzuki, Pilittere, Prettyman. CS -- Prettyman, Reininger.

W -- Romero. L -- Cox. S -- Martinez. HBP -- by Howell (Pilittere), by Pestano (Harris). Umpires: Home -- Gus Rodriguez, 1st -- Scott Graham, 2nd -- Dave Buck, 3rd -- Paul Guillie T -- 3:47. A -- 26,604.

Championship Game No. 2

E -- Thigpen, Maroul, Hollimon, Hardman. LOB -- Texas 5, Cal St. Fullerton 7. 2B -- Prince. 3B -- Pill. HBP -- Thigpen. SH -- Harris. SB -- Stubbs.

W -- Windsor. L -- Cody. WP -- Cody. HBP -- by Windsor (Thigpen). Umpires: Home -- Tony Walsh, 1st -- Dave Buck, 2nd -- Paul Guillie, 3rd -- David Rogers. T -- 2:52. A -- 21,392.