HOUSTON, TEXAS (May 25, 2009) The Rice Owls, champions of Conference USA, will welcome Kansas State, Xavier and Sam Houston to Reckling Park this weekend for regional action in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Baseball Championship.
Tickets for the Houston (Rice) Regional are on sale online at RiceOwls.com, or through the Rice Athletic Ticket Office at Rice Stadium. All-session passes are available for $55. Tickets for single games will go on sale on Thursday, May 28. Tickets can be purchased in person or over the phone by calling (713) 522-OWLS during normal business hours from Tuesday through Thursday.
This is the Owls 15th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Baseball Championship, which ranks as the fourth longest active streak in the country. Miami (FL) is in the field for the 37th consecutive year, extending its own record, followed by Florida State (32) and Cal State Fullerton (18),
The Owls (39-15) will open NCAA play against Sam Houston State (36-22) for the second consecutive year when they meet at 6:00 on Friday at Reckling Park. The Owls defeated the Bearkats 3-2 last year in the opener. Kansas State (41-16-1) will take on Xavier (38-19) in the regional opener at 2:00 on Friday.
Kansas State and Xavier are making their first appearances in the NCAA tournament and are two of 29 teams who were not in the 2008 field Binghamton, Cal Poly and Georgia St. are also making the championship for the first time. Utah last was in the field in 1960, Boston College last made it in 1967.
For the first time in four years, the Owls did not receive one of the eight national seeds and their regional has been matched with the LSU (#3 national seed) regional in the bracket.
The field of 64 teams competing for the 2009 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.
The national top eight seeds are Texas (41-13-1), Cal State Fullerton (42-14), LSU (46-16), North Carolina (42-16), Arizona St. (44-12), UC Irvine (43-13), Oklahoma (41-18) and Florida (39-20).
The Big 12 and Southeastern Conference lead all conferences in the number of teams in the championship field with eight, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven. The Big Ten, Big West, Conference USA and Pacific-10 each have three teams each.
Of the 288 championship eligible Division I institutions that sponsor baseball, Coastal Carolina and LSU have the most Division I wins with 46. Twenty-five other teams won at least 40 Division I contests, and all of which but New Mexico St. and San Jose St., are in the field.
Each of the 16 regionals feature four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 29, to Monday, June 1 (if necessary). Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on NCAA.com, Monday, June 1 at approximately 11 p.m. (ET).
The 63rd Men's College World Series begins play Saturday, June 13, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.
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