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BINGO! A SEASON EXTENDED
From staff and wire
reports
[ View complete field of 64
listing with team notes... ]
They didn't get an
invitation to the regional closest to home, but they got the next best
thing.
The next stop in the
East Carolina Pirates' quest for Omaha will be Atlanta instead of nearby
Wilson, where No. 1 seed N.C. State will host Western Carolina, Virginia
Commonwealth and Le Moyne.
Still, the Pirates
are not complaining. After an up and down season which saw them unseated as
Conference USA Tournament champion, ECU will relish its underdog role after
gaining its fifth straight NCAA postseason bid and the school's 19th overall
in a tradition-steeped baseball history.
The Pirates will be
the No. 3 seed at the regional in Atlanta hosted by ACC tournament champion
Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets will be the top seed in the event, which
will be played on their home field, Russ Chandler Stadium.
Altogether,
Conference USA schools were awarded four berths in the 2003 NCAA Baseball
Championships. ECU is joined by league champion Southern Mississippi, Tulane
and Houston in the playoffs, which will come to a climax in the College
World Series in Omaha, NE.
The 64-team field
was announced Monday by the NCAA's Division I baseball committee, which
happens to be chaired by Florida State Senior Associate Athletic Director
Charlie Carr, a former ECU athletic department administrator.
Southern Miss will
host the Hattiesburg Regional as the No. 2 seed, while Tulane will be the
No. 2 seed at the Baton Rouge Regional, Houston will play up the road in
College Station as the No. 3 seed and East Carolina will travel to Atlanta
as the No. 3 seed.
Only the SEC (8),
ACC (5) and Big 12 (5) had more selections than C-USA.
Southern Miss
(45-14) followed up its first-ever Conference USA regular season
championship by winning the conference tournament this past weekend in New
Orleans. The Golden Eagles will be hosting a regional for the first time in
school history and will face Southwestern Athletic Conference Champion
Southern (46-5) in its first game on Friday. Baylor of the Big 12 is the top
seed in the regional.
Tulane (43-17) will
making its sixth consecutive NCAA appearance and will participate in the
Baton Rouge regional, hosted by No. 1 seed LSU, for the second straight
year. The Wave will face UNC-Wilmington (38-21), a first-time selection out
of the Colonial Athletic Association. UNCW is the alma mater of Tulane head
coach Rick Jones.
Houston (32-27) is
in the field of 64 for the fifth consecutive season and will face SEC
Tournament champion Alabama (37-22), the No. 2 seed, in opening round play
on Friday. The Cougars defeated the Crimson Tide earlier this season, 7-2,
at the Astros College Classic on Feb. 15. Top-seeded Texas A&M is the host
of the College Station regional.
East Carolina
(35-22-1) received an NCAA bid for the fifth straight year and will open
play on Friday against South Carolina (39-20) of the SEC in Atlanta. The
Pirates received an automatic berth in last season's NCAA championship
playoffs by winning the C-USA Tournament Championship. ACC tournament
champion Georgia Tech is the region's host and No. 1 seed.
All four regionals
will be staged from Friday, May 30, through Sunday, June 1. Winners will
advance to two-team super-regionals, which will be played June 6-8 at sites
to be determined. The 54th College World Series will take place June 13-23
at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
The four bids to the
2003 NCAA Baseball Championships give Conference USA 23 NCAA appearances in
its first eight seasons. During that span, three C-USA teams have advanced
to Super Regional play and one of the programs, Tulane, reached the College
World Series in 2001.
NCAA regionals involving C-USA teams
Hattiesburg
Regional
Friday, May 30
No. 1 Baylor (41-21) vs. No. 4 Murray State (25-29)
No. 2 Southern Miss (45-14) vs. No. 3 Southern (46-5)
Baton Rouge
Regional
Friday, May 30
No. 1 LSU (40-19-1) vs. No. 4 Northeastern (27-23)
No. 2 Tulane (43-17) vs. No. 3 UNC-Wilmington (38-21)
College Station
Regional
Friday, May 30
No. 1 Texas A&M (43-17) vs. No. 4 Oral Roberts (41-18)
No. 2 Alabama (37-22) vs. No. 3 Houston (32-27)
Atlanta Regional
Friday, May 30
No. 1 Georgia Tech (44-16) vs. No. 4 Stetson (39-22)
No. 2 South Carolina (39-20) vs. No. 3 East Carolina (33-25-1)
[ View complete field of 64
listing with team notes... ]
Copyright 2003
Bonesville.net. All rights reserved. The Associated Press,
Conference USA and East Carolina University contributed
to this report. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 01:19:39 PM
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