In 1995, the Cal State Fullerton baseball program achieved an historic 57-9 record, winning their final 18 games of the season, culminating in their third NCAA championship under the tutelage of legendary head coach, Augie Garrido.  Baseball America, and many national pundits, consider that very special team to be the greatest in college baseball history. 

In Fullerton's June 10,1995 championship game against USC, listed on the Titan roster were 35 players (all from California), four coaches, and one athletic trainer.  However, not mentioned in the record books were three additional Titans, all under the ages of 12, who were in the Fullerton dugout that day.  Who were those kids?  

29 years ago, Heather Horton was the 11-year-old second-eldest daughter of then-associate head coach, George Horton.  Jonny Paris was Heather's first cousin, and coach Horton's nephew.  Born only a week apart, the two had always been, and have remained, very close.  The final member of the trio of kids was Joey Costner, the 7-year-old son of CSUF alum's Kevin and Cindy Costner, who were friends of head coach Garrido and the Titan baseball program.    

Heather remembered, "We were invited to be batboy and batgirl by my dad. I am not exactly sure how it came about, but I know Jonny loved baseball.  I think it was probably Jonny that wanted to (be) batboy and I wanted to have more time to hang out with Jonny, so I asked if I could be in the dugout as well. The team and coaches did a great job of being respectful with their language, as far as I can remember. That may have been because Jonny and I were just having fun being together in the dugout that we didn't notice the language going on around us.

"All of the players made us feel like we were part of the team. They talked to us, and they were grateful that we were in the dugout to help keep their gear organized."

Jonny added, "Being a batboy during those years was the highlight of my life, especially at that young age.  I loved baseball and still do.  The players were like super-heroes to me, and I badly wanted to play college baseball when I grew up.   

"I was lucky enough to be able to run on the field and pick up bats at (age 11).  It was like a dream come true running onto the field and picking up bats and gear in the on-deck circle.  Safety was definitely a big concern. and I was gently guided by my uncle (coach Horton) to be extremely careful.  I took that responsibility very seriously as Uncle George was very clear about it, and took responsibility for our safety." 

CBS video from that day shows a small, slender pair of white-socked legs peeking beneath an oversize Titan pinstripe jersey.  It was Heather, and she was standing on the Titan bench next to coach Garrido, who was sitting in a red, electric mobility scooter due to an Achilles injury. 

Per Heather, "The reason you see me standing on the bench in the dugout was because my dad was afraid a foul ball would hit me, so he told me to stay on the benches during the innings.  I could not see the game over everyone when I was sitting, so I stood on the benches instead.  

"Safety was a big concern for my dad, so our main job was to collect all the gear off the field in between innings."

When I asked coach Horton what his wife thought about the kids being in the dugout, he replied: "Francie always had great trust that I would never put them in harm's way."

Queried about their relationships with coach Garrido at the time, Heather replied first: "Augie was an intimidating guy to me at that age, mostly because I was very shy as a young girl."

Jonny added, "Augie was (also) intimidating to me, but he showed me kindness at times as well.  My perspective is that he would have objected to us, and stopped us from being in the dugout, if he didn't recognize the opportunity he and Uncle George were giving us.

"I think I felt intimidated (by Garrido), partially because his mood would change pretty drastically based on the situation and stress that was going on around him.  He definitely took his baseball very seriously, as did my Uncle, so I understood and was taught to respect that." 

Heather, Jonny, and Joey, being typically rambunctious kids, would get into minor trouble with the head coach earlier in the week, following an on-bus water fight.  Back-up catcher, Ryan Jara, remembered: "They were goofing off, and Augie wasn't having it."

"I don't have a very vivid memory of that day," said Heather.  Maybe I have pushed it out of my mind over the years because I do remember being embarrassed.  From what I remember, (we) were waiting on the team to get on the bus either after a game or after a practice.  It was a hot summer day in Omaha, so (we) decided to have a little water fight with our water bottles.  We ended up getting each other wet, and Augie said we were not allowed to ride on the bus since we were both wet from the water fight."  Joey Costner was allowed to stay on the bus.
 
"We ended up riding in the rental car with my dad (and assistant coach Rick Vanderhook).  I remember feeling very worried that we would not be allowed in the dugout anymore, and that my dad would get in trouble as a result of our actions.  (Fortunately), neither of those things happened.  We were still able to be batboy and batgirl."
 
Jonny remembered, "We were definitely upset and embarrassed a bit, but Uncle George (Horton) was so kind about it. and it definitely made us feel better when he reassured us it would be okay."  
 
George Horton commented, "Well, the truth is, I was a little disappointed in both of them, but they were 11-years-old, and kids will be kids sometimes.  I chose to be a parent and teach them that their actions were not acceptable.
 
"At the end of the day, they got to be in the dugout for the games, so Augie also had an understanding and forgiving side to him.  The fact that Augie allowed those three to be a part of the team in that environment speaks to his lifetime mission of educating youngsters."
 
Although she didn't grow up playing softball or baseball, Heather nevertheless grasped the significance of the College World Series: "I learned very quickly growing up and watching many of my dad's games that going to Omaha was a very special accomplishment." 

Inspired by their surroundings, Jonny and Heather developed a superstitious routine.  Said Heather: "We both had to eat two hot dogs before every game, and we had to kiss all the bats for good luck in between every inning.

"When we kissed the bats, we decided it would be gross to put our lips on the bats.  Instead, we would kiss our hand and touch each bat before each inning.  
"It was no easy task for me to eat two big hot dogs before every game.  I was a very skinny young girl.  I vividly remember Jonny talking me through eating every bite of those hot dogs before the game started.  We would be laughing so hard as I filled my cheeks with those hot dogs. I felt like one of those people in those hot dog eating competitions.  We felt like we were part of the reason that they won the championship, because we always made sure to eat those two hot dogs and kiss the bats for good luck."  Jonny agreed, "We definitely believed we had something to do with it."

A solid 7-innings of pitching from Ted Silva, and the fiery Titan bats would propel the Cal State Fullerton squad that chilly, breezy, Saturday afternoon at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.  Golden Spikes award-recipient, Mark Kotsay, would blast a 3-run home run in the first inning, clearing the right-centerfield backdrop.  Although the Trojans would quickly respond with three runs of their own, the Titans would score 4 additional runs in the bottom of the second inning, including a second Kotsay home run, putting Fullerton ahead for good, with the Titans eventually winning by a dominating final score of 11-5. 

As leftfielder Tony Miranda squeezed a fly ball for the final out, bedlam ensued with a massive dogpile near the pitcher's mound.  Fullerton players could be seen dangerously diving into the pile with their metal cleats.  Heather remembered, "We ran around the field having our own celebration, jumping up and down and cheering."

In the CBS video, Heather can be seen cautiously peering in at the periphery of the scrum, while Joey Costner rode atop someone's shoulders. 

Tony Miranda and Tony Martinez would hit back-to-back home runs, and eight of the nine Titan offensive starters would log at least one hit in the championship contest.  Kotsay would tally 5 RBI, and pitch the final 1-2/3'd innings for the Titans, proving that he was the best college baseball player in America that year. 

Heather continued, "Another fond memory I have of the CWS that year was the players being so entertaining and fun to be around.  They would play pranks on each other and it was very fun to watch. One particular prank that stood out to me was, I don't remember who it was, but I remember one of them blowing up a big bubble with bubble gum, and putting it on the top of another player's hat without him knowing.  That player, with the bubble gum on his hat, then had to take the field to be one of the outfielders, and we were laughing so hard that he went out there with that gum on his hat.

"We were extremely lucky to be in that dugout with those guys."

Finally, when asked about what they remembered about Kevin Costner, who had won dual Academy Awards in 1991 for Best Director, and Best Picture for Dances with Wolves, Jonny remembered: "I didn't know Joey or Mr. Costner previously, but got to know them briefly that year.  And if I remember correctly, I saw Mr. Costner a few times after that at baseball games.  I remember it being a lot of fun, and how kind and down to earth Mr. Costner was to us.  I remember specifically, Heather and I playing baseball with Joey for some time at one of the practices on a synthetic turf field in Omaha.  I loved the movie, Field of Dreams, too.  So, it was pretty awesome seeing Mr. Costner throwing some balls to his son with what I recognized as his iconic throwing style."

Per Heather, "Kevin became a good friend of my dad, and we were fortunate enough to be able to hang out with him from time to time.  Kevin is a very generous and down to earth man. He has offered up his houses in Santa Barbara and Aspen to us several times for family vacations." 

Heather (Horton) Leisle is a local preschool teacher.  She has been married for 16 years to Rodney Leisle.  Rodney was a defensive tackle at UCLA, and played for several seasons in the NFL and CFL, and is now an outside sales manager for Division Eight, a door and hardware company.

The Leisle's live in Yorba Linda, Calif., and have three children, Calise (13), Dakoda (9), and Gunner (7). Heather adds, "All three of our kids keep us very busy (by) playing various sports.  We love every minute of watching them compete."

Jonny Paris lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and works in agriculture for Plenty Inc., managing the R&D relationships and partnerships for the company.  Working there for the past year, he describes it as an "exciting departure from the previous 20 years where I worked in field grown agriculture."  Jonny has been married for "20 wonderful years" to his high school sweetheart, Cara, and they have five children: Ella (19), Emily and Jackson (16), Jude (11), and Elyse (6).

Joe Costner is a graduate of the University of Colorado, and works as an audio engineer and sound mixer.  He had minor acting roles in the films, Tin Cup, and The Postman. 

George Horton served at the helm of the Titan baseball program for 11 seasons, winning the NCAA national championship in 2004.  Horton is a member of four Halls of Fame, including the American Baseball Coaches Association, and CSUF Athletics halls. 

The Yorba Linda resident and his wife, Francie, have four adult daughters and nine grandchildren.  Coach Horton continues to keep his hand in the game, working occasionally with amateur baseball teams.