Jason Moler

Jason Moler, once the man for every infield position at Esperanza High School, is now the man with no position at Cal State Fullerton. Moler, who played two seasons at Illinois before transferring to Fullerton last summer, has worked out with the Titans since last fall and takes pregame infield practice. But once the games start, Moler is banished to the bleachers and is forced to watch, wait and wonder if he will get to play competitive baseball this season.

No matter how Jason Moler looks at it, this hasn't been a good year. A year ago in July, his parents, who live in Yorba Linda, made the trip to spend some time with him in Reading, Pa., where he was playing for the Philadelphia Phillies' double-A franchise in the Eastern League. When they returned home a week later, Moler sent his two Labrador retrievers on the plane with them.

Cal State Fullerton catcher Jason Moler has been selected to try out for next year's U.S. Olympic baseball team. The tryouts begin in November in Homestead, Fla. The U.S. Baseball Federation announced Thursday that Moler was one of 90 players chosen to attend the first round of trials Nov. 1-10.

Through all of the 5 a.m. wake-up calls, airport layovers, meals on the run and the city-a-day, game-a-night pace of Team USA's pre-Olympic baseball tour, Jason Moler managed to absorb a little cultural education. Most of it came during the four days the team spent in Cuba last week.

Matt Luke, an El Dorado High graduate now a junior at California, had two of the West's four hits in a 15-1 loss to Florida Wednesday in the U.S. Olympic baseball trials in Homestead, Fla. Luke had singles in the sixth and eighth innings. Jason Moler of Cal State Fullerton went 0 for 3, striking out twice and walking once. Danny Lane, a junior from UC Santa Barbara and a Laguna Beach High graduate, was 0 for 2. All three players struggled defensively.

Jason Moler, a freshman from Esperanza High School, held Michigan to five hits in pitching Illinois to a 2-0 victory in the championship game of the Big Ten baseball tournament Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. The victory gave Illinois (41-14) its first NCAA tournament berth under second-year Coach Augie Garrido, who coached Cal State Fullerton to national championships in 1979 and 1984. It was the first conference baseball title for the Illini since 1963. Staked to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Moler (6-2)

Jason Moler, a former Esperanza High School baseball standout, has been released from his scholarship by Illinois Athletic Director John Mackovic and will join the Cal State Fullerton team as soon as he is cleared academically, Fullerton assistant coach George Horton said. Moler took courses at Fullerton College last summer, and Horton sent transcripts from those classes to Illinois on Wednesday.

Cal State Fullerton catcher Jason Moler, an Esperanza High School graduate, has signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but will not report to the organization until he has completed his commitment with the U.S. Olympic team. Moler, a fourth-round draft pick, is one of 33 finalists for Team U.S.A., which is holding tryouts at Millington, Tenn. He hit .

The longest day in Jason Moler's life as a cleanup hitter began in the third inning of last week's South I NCAA regional opener, Cal State Fullerton versus Ohio State. Ohio State intentionally walks Phil Nevin in order to pitch to Moler. Moler flies out on the first pitch to center. Fifth inning: Ohio State intentionally walks Nevin in order to pitch to Moler. Moler flies out on the first pitch to right. Seventh inning: Ohio State intentionally walks Nevin in order to pitch to Moler.

No matter how Jason Moler looks at it, this hasn't been a good year. A year ago in July, his parents, who live in Yorba Linda, made the trip to spend some time with him in Reading, Pa., where he was playing for the Philadelphia Phillies' double-A franchise in the Eastern League. When they returned home a week later, Moler sent his two Labrador retrievers on the plane with them.

Cal State Fullerton catcher Jason Moler, an Esperanza High School graduate, has signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but will not report to the organization until he has completed his commitment with the U.S. Olympic team. Moler, a fourth-round draft pick, is one of 33 finalists for Team U.S.A., which is holding tryouts at Millington, Tenn. He hit .

The longest day in Jason Moler's life as a cleanup hitter began in the third inning of last week's South I NCAA regional opener, Cal State Fullerton versus Ohio State. Ohio State intentionally walks Phil Nevin in order to pitch to Moler. Moler flies out on the first pitch to center. Fifth inning: Ohio State intentionally walks Nevin in order to pitch to Moler. Moler flies out on the first pitch to right. Seventh inning: Ohio State intentionally walks Nevin in order to pitch to Moler.

Matt Luke, an El Dorado High graduate now a junior at California, had two of the West's four hits in a 15-1 loss to Florida Wednesday in the U.S. Olympic baseball trials in Homestead, Fla. Luke had singles in the sixth and eighth innings. Jason Moler of Cal State Fullerton went 0 for 3, striking out twice and walking once. Danny Lane, a junior from UC Santa Barbara and a Laguna Beach High graduate, was 0 for 2. All three players struggled defensively.

Cal State Fullerton catcher Jason Moler has been selected to try out for next year's U.S. Olympic baseball team. The tryouts begin in November in Homestead, Fla. The U.S. Baseball Federation announced Thursday that Moler was one of 90 players chosen to attend the first round of trials Nov. 1-10.

Jason Moler, a former Esperanza High School baseball standout, has been released from his scholarship by Illinois Athletic Director John Mackovic and will join the Cal State Fullerton team as soon as he is cleared academically, Fullerton assistant coach George Horton said. Moler took courses at Fullerton College last summer, and Horton sent transcripts from those classes to Illinois on Wednesday.

Jason Moler, once the man for every infield position at Esperanza High School, is now the man with no position at Cal State Fullerton. Moler, who played two seasons at Illinois before transferring to Fullerton last summer, has worked out with the Titans since last fall and takes pregame infield practice. But once the games start, Moler is banished to the bleachers and is forced to watch, wait and wonder if he will get to play competitive baseball this season.

Through all of the 5 a.m. wake-up calls, airport layovers, meals on the run and the city-a-day, game-a-night pace of Team USA's pre-Olympic baseball tour, Jason Moler managed to absorb a little cultural education. Most of it came during the four days the team spent in Cuba last week.

It was a tumultuous freshman year at Esperanza High School for Rich Hills. His father, Rick Hills, died in a Blythe mining accident in the summer of 1987, just before Rich was to enroll at Moreno Valley Canyon Springs High School. Rich had to move from Riverside, where he lived with his father, to Yorba Linda to live with his mother and stepfather.

Jason Moler, a freshman from Esperanza High School, held Michigan to five hits in pitching Illinois to a 2-0 victory in the championship game of the Big Ten baseball tournament Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. The victory gave Illinois (41-14) its first NCAA tournament berth under second-year Coach Augie Garrido, who coached Cal State Fullerton to national championships in 1979 and 1984. It was the first conference baseball title for the Illini since 1963. Staked to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Moler (6-2)