Show Time Arrives for 49ers’ Gonzalez

BATON ROUGE, La. — The irony would be enough to floor Izzy Gonzalez if only he wasn’t so downright excited.

Gonzalez almost can’t believe what’s happening around him, or just how far he has come so quickly. His baseball life is better than ever, and the icing is, Gonzalez gets to face his doubters on the field. He said he plans to show them what they’re missing.

Long Beach State certainly realizes what it has in Gonzalez. The senior third baseman has helped his team advance to the NCAA tournament, where it faces Oklahoma today in the South I Regional at Louisiana State at 9 a.m. (PDT)

The Sooners happen to be Gonzalez’s former team, so this showdown couldn’t be bigger for him.

“Pretty wild, huh?” Gonzalez said. “I sure didn’t expect this to happen. I think this could be a lot of fun. A whole lot.”

Gonzalez began his Division I career at Oklahoma after successful stops at Cypress College and Downey Pius X High. Gonzalez thought Oklahoma was exactly what he wanted: a big-time, tradition-rich program in which he could quickly add his name to the list of legends.

He also wanted to see a different part of America, and Norman, Okla., isn’t much like his family’s home in Huntington Park.

For a while, the plan developed nicely. As a junior last season, Gonzalez started at third for the Sooners. He was second on the team with a .362 average and made only five errors in 52 games.

But Gonzalez wasn’t happy. Life in Norman was too much of a culture change, and baseball wasn’t fun anymore.

“There was just so much pressure there every time I stepped on the field,” Gonzalez said. “I was always worried about what would happen if I made a mistake because the people, the fans, expect you to be perfect. I felt so much pressure just to stay on the field.”

Gonzalez walked into Coach Larry Cochell’s office after the season and asked to be released from his scholarship. Cochell granted his request, so Gonzalez needed a new baseball home.

“It was tough because I knew I played well,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t have a problem with [his coaches or teammates], but all the other stuff made it hard. I wanted to have fun playing again.”

Long Beach Coach Dave Snow needed players after losing much of last season’s team, and Gonzalez fit right in. Under NCAA transfer guidelines, baseball players don’t have to sit out a season after changing schools.

Gonzalez, 22, is third on the team with a .335 average. He has 18 doubles and 47 runs batted in, both ranking second on the 49ers.

“People say the best part of my game is my hitting, but I also work really hard on my defense,” said Gonzalez, who has committed 15 errors in 60 games.

Snow said Gonzalez’s leadership also has been invaluable. Long Beach (37-24) won the Big West’s Southern Division title and was the runner-up to Cal State Fullerton in the conference tournament.

“I love Long Beach,” Gonzalez said. “This is exactly the type of place for me, the type of program I’ve always wanted to be a part of. . . . Coach doesn’t want a bunch of superstars who don’t want to work. He wants the ‘no-name’ guys nobody else wanted. He wants fighters.”

Long Beach, which has lost six of its last 10 games, will have a fight on its hands in the South I Regional. Oklahoma (39-18) won the Big 12 tournament and is one of the nation’s best teams on defense.

South Alabama (40-17) and Houston (40-21) are peaking at the right time, North Carolina Greensboro (44-15) has been consistent all season and regional host LSU (48-12) won the College World Series in 1991, ’93 and ’96.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NCAA Baseball South I Regional

* FORMAT: Double-elimination tournament

* WHERE: Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.

* WHEN: Today-Sunday, if necessary

* FIRST-ROUND GAMES: Oklahoma (39-18) vs. Long Beach State (37-24), 9 a.m.; South Alabama (40-17) vs. Houston (40-21), 1 p.m.; North Carolina-Greensboro (44-15) vs. Louisiana State (48-12), 5:30 p.m. All times PDT.

* RADIO: KPLS-AM 830 for Long Beach State’s first two games.

* TV: KBCH (cable, audio only) for all Long Beach State games.

* WHAT’S NEXT: Regional winner qualifies for College World Series, May 30-June 7, Omaha, Neb.