49ers Enter College World Series

Red-hot Cal State Long Beach opens play in the College World Series on Friday in Omaha against Louisiana State.

Game time is 4:30 p.m. It will be shown live on ESPN.

At one point in the season the 49ers (43-17) were 12-12. But Long Beach enters the series with a 15-game winning streak and has won 31 of its last 36 after sweeping to the championship of the East Regional in Tallahassee, Fla., last weekend.

Long Beach was led by first baseman John Swanson, who hit three home runs and was named the most valuable player at the regional.

Pitcher Daniel Choi, who got the win in a 4-1 regional victory over Florida State, leads the nation with a 16-1 record. He has won 14 consecutive games.

This is the third time in five years that the 49ers have advanced to the world series.

Louisiana State (49-16-1) is making its sixth appearance in the series. The Tigers, 1991 national champions, advanced by winning the South Regional in Baton Rouge, La.

They are led by second baseman Todd Walker, who is batting .398 with 19 home runs and 90 RBIs.

Texas A&M; (52-9) plays Kansas (45-16) at 1 p.m. in Friday’s other opener.

On Saturday, top-ranked Arizona State (46-18) meets Wichita State (55-16) at 10 a.m., and Texas (50-14) plays Oklahoma State (43-15) at 4:30 p.m.

The double-elimination tournament runs through June 12.