Fruitful Sunday for UAB, Rice

From electronic and staff reports
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Senior righthanders Ryan Nance and Michael Busby pitched UAB into the NCAA postseason on Sunday, shutting out Memphis 5-0 in the title game of the Conference USA Championship tournament at Trustmark Park in Pearl, MS.

Nance fanned six and parceled out five hits over 6 1/3 innings before giving way to Busby with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 7th. Busby ended the threat with two strikeouts and limited the Tigers to one hit and one walk the rest of the way.

Freshman outfielder Jeff Schalk was the offensive hero with two hits and three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the top of the 7th.

Regular season champion Rice also picked up a plum prize on Sunday as the NCAA Division I baseball tournament selection committee announced that the Owls will be among 16 regional hosts. It will be the 10th time in the past 12 years that perennial powerhouse Rice has been picked as a regional host.

The NCAA regional sites and host schools:

• Baton Rouge - LSU

• Chapel Hill - North Carolina

• Charlottesville - Virginia

• College Station - Texas A&M

• Columbia - South Carolina

• Coral Gables - Miami (FL)

• Eugene - Oregon

• Gainesville - Florida

• Gary - Purdue

• Houston - Rice

• Los Angeles - UCLA

• Palo Alto - Stanford

• Raleigh - N.C. State

• Tallahassee - Florida State

• Tucson - Arizona

• Waco - Baylor

The rest of the 64-team field, including the eight national seeds, will be announced at noon Monday on ESPNU and ESPN3.

UAB is assured of a regional spot by virtue of its conference tournament title. East Carolina, Central Florida, Tulane and Southern Miss are among C-USA schools hoping to receive an at-large bid to the tournament.

PAGE UPDATED 05/28/12 02:46 AM.

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