VSU TO FACE MOUNT OLIVE IN NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
May 14, 2007
It will be the Trojans facing the Trojans when Virginia State University takes the field in the NCAA Division II baseball tournament on May 17.
VSU, champions of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, will face 10th-ranked Mount Olive College, champions of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
VSU will enter the tournament as the sixth seed, while Mount Olive is the number-one seed.
VSU and Mount Olive met early in the 2007 season, with Mount Olive taking both games.
The tournament games will be played in Grainger Stadium in Kinston, N.C., home of the Kinston Indians, the Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.
The winner of the South Atlantic Regional joins the other seven regional champions at the national finals May 25 through June 1 at Montgomery, Ala.
Thursday's first round action also includes No. 2 seed Columbus State vs. No. 5 seed USC Aiken, and No. 3 seed Georgia College and State vs.
No. 4 seed Armstrong Atlantic State. Three games are scheduled Friday and Saturday, with the championship game slated for Sunday.
Game times for the first three days are 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The No. 1 vs. No. 6 game is listed as "Game 1" in the NCAA Tournament bracket, but as tournament host, Mount Olive may opt to play in the late game on Thursday. Official game times will be announced Monday.
Mount Olive (46-11) clinched an automatic bid in April after winning the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Tournament for the second year in a row. The Trojans are making their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA II Baseball Championship and their seventh appearance overall.
This week's regional marks the first time in school history that Mount Olive has hosted an NCAA regional in any sport.
Virginia State (23-33) is making its first-ever NCAA II baseball post-season appearance as the Trojans captured the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament championship. This marks the first year the CIAA has earned an automatic bid.
Nationally 25th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State (39-21) won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Sunday to secure an automatic berth. The Pirates are making their 15th NCAA II Baseball Championship appearance.
All three at-large berths went to members of the Peach Belt Conference.
Nationally 15th-ranked Columbus State (43-17) is making its fifth tournament appearance. The Cougars won the national championship in 2002. Fifth-ranked Georgia College and State (44-13) is making its seventh championship appearance. The Bobcats hosted last year's regional. USC Aiken (38-22) earned a bid to the NCAA Championship for the fifth tine in school history. The Pacers are in the South Atlantic Regional for the third consecutive year.
Tickets are $10 per day for adults and $5 per day for students with ID.
Four-day all-session passes are available for $35 for adults and $15 for students.
2007 NCAA II South Atlantic Regional Schedule:
Thursday, May 17, 2007*
11 a.m. Game 1: No. 1 Mount Olive vs. No. 6 Virginia
State
3 p.m. Game 2: No. 2 Columbus State vs. No. 5 USC
Aiken
7 p.m. Game 3: No. 3 Georgia College and State vs. No. 4
Armstrong
Atlantic State
*Game times may be adjusted to allow regional host to play in 7
p.m.
game
Friday, May 18, 2007
11 a.m. Game 4: Loser game 1 vs. Loser game 2
3 p.m. Game 5: Winner game 1 vs. Loser game 3
7 p.m. Game 6: Winner game 2 vs. Winner game 3
Saturday, May 19, 2007*
11 a.m. Game 7: Winner game 5 vs. Winner game 6
3 p.m. Game 8: Winner game 4 vs. Loser game 6
7 p.m. Game 9: Winner game 8 vs. Loser game 7
*Pairings will be adjusted if five teams remain after Game 6
Sunday, May 20, 2007*
1 p.m. Game 10: Winner game 7 vs. Winner game 9
5 p.m. Game 11: If necessary (same teams as Game 10)
*Pairings will be adjusted if three teams remain after Game 9