Former Barons, best friends, square off in Super Regional

As Big West Conference and regional baseball rivals, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State are obviously familiar with one another heading into the best-of-three Super Regional that begins Friday at 3 p.m. at Blair Field in Long Beach.

But the bond between Titans junior first baseman Dillon Persinger and Dirtbags junior right fielder Brock Lundquist is more than circumstantial.

“Oh, man, me and Brock have grown up together,” said Persinger, a first-team All-Big West performer in his first year at Fullerton after two sparkling seasons at Golden West College that included Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year honors and a trip to the state final four in 2016.

“We’re actually best friends,” said Lundquist, a second-team all-conference honoree this season who played alongside Persinger at Fountain Valley High.

Long Beach State (41-18-1), which won its first Big West title since 2008 and went 4-1 to win its own regional completed Monday, has won five of six games from the Titans (37-21) this season.

But Lundquist and Persinger acknowledged that the ultimate bragging rights are on the line this weekend.

Even so, there is no communication embargo between the two players, who spent time together within the last 10 days, Lundquist said.

“[Persinger] has been my best friend since I was a little kid,” said Lundquist, who is batting .274 with four home runs, 26 RBIs and 10 stolen bases entering Friday. “His dad was my coach for six or seven years before high school. We remained best friends at Fountain Valley, where I hung out with him almost every day. Still to this day we hang out with each other. We went hitting together just the other day, and I went to his house just to hang out. Both families are really close, too. I love playing against him. It’s pretty cool.”

Persinger, who is batting .304 with three homers, 29 RBIs and a team-best 18 stolen bases, said the two exchange text messages regularly and conversation will flow easily, should Lundquist arrive at first base.

“I’ll be talking to him on the bases,” Persinger said of Lundquist. “It’s pretty funny to have two Fountain Valley kids [in a Super Regional], so one of us is going to make it [to the College World Series]. It’s going to be a story for each of us and a great memory.”

Streaking Seabold starts

Cal State Fullerton junior right-hander Connor Seabold will start on the mound Friday. The Newport Harbor High product and first-team All-Big West performer has won his last nine starts. He allowed eight hits and two runs, struck out eight and did not walk a batter in seven innings to defeat BYU in the first of three straight Titans victories at the Stanford Regional last week.

Seabold is 1-0 this season in two starts against the Dirtbags. He struck out 11 in a complete-game seven-hitter to help the Titans win 6-3 on May 25, their lone triumph in the series this season.

“I’ve been excited for [Friday’s start] all week,” Seabold said. “I’ve played [at Blair Field] before and there was some great energy, and it’s going to be even better energy this weekend. I know how to pitch to them. I just need to execute my pitches.”

Seabold, who is 11-4 with a 2.91 ERA, has three complete games this season and has struck out 116 and allowed just 19 walks in 117 1/3 innings.

“After my first five starts this season, I feel like it has been a different season for me at least,” said Seabold, who is 21-14 in three seasons with the Titans. “I’ve just been feeling a lot more comfortable on the mound and I’ve found a routine that works on the road. I’ve just been feeling good in general.”

Seabold, who was drafted in the 19^th round (No. 571 overall) by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school, is expected to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft that begins Monday.

“If this is my last [collegiate] start, I want to make it a good one,” he said.

Lundquist expects a supreme effort from Seabold.

“He throws a 92- to 94-mph fastball and he is a really good pitcher who is very competitive on the mound,” Lundquist said. “Honestly, it’s pretty tough to get a hit off him. We just have to stick with our approach and hopefully we can do some damage against him.”

Hunter’s homers a trend

Cal State Fullerton senior outfielder Hunter Cullen, a Corona del Mar High product, has done some damage against the Dirtbags this season. He is six for 20 in six games against Long Beach State, with two home runs, a double, three walks and four runs.

Cullen enters the Super Regional batting .278 with six homers, 29 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 11 attempts this season.

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5