Three Big Ten Teams Earn Bid to NCAA Championship

Bracket

Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State selected to 2009 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State all received invitations to the 2009 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, the NCAA announced on Monday. This year’s field marks the second time in the last three years the Big Ten has placed three teams in the bracket.

Indiana earned the conference’s automatic bid after capturing the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament title on Saturday. The Hoosiers are making their second NCAA appearance overall and the program’s first since 1996. Indiana is the No. 4 seed in the Louisville Regional and will open competition with the host Cardinals (44-15) on Friday. Indiana enters NCAA action with a 32-25 overall record and finished third in the Big Ten standings with a 16-7 mark during conference play.

The No. 2 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional, Minnesota is making its Big Ten-leading 29th NCAA appearance and earns the program’s sixth bid over the last 10 years. The Golden Gophers finished second in the Big Ten standings with a 17-6 record and enter regional competition with a 38-17 overall mark after advancing to the championship contest of the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota faces No. 3 Baylor on Friday in the first round of regional play.

Ohio State earns its 19th trip to the NCAA Championship and its sixth in the last nine years. The Big Ten Champion Buckeyes posted an 18-6 mark during conference action and enter regional play with a 40-17 overall mark. Ohio State is the No. 3 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, and will open NCAA action on Friday against second-seeded Georgia (37-22).

The opening weekend of the NCAA Championship features 16 four-team regionals playing double-elimination format. Regional play runs from May 29-June1, with the 16 winners advancing to super regionals. The eight two-team super regional sites will be determined on Monday, June 1, with play scheduled for June 5-7 or June 6-8 in a best-of-three series. The Men’s College World Series will take place June 13-23, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

The complete NCAA Championship bracket can be found by clicking the link at the top of the story.

Louisville Regional
#1 Louisville (44-15) vs. No. 4 INDIANA (32-25)
#2 Middle Tennessee (43-16) vs. #3 Vanderbilt (34-25)

Tallahassee Regional
#1 Florida State (42-16) vs. #4 Marist (31-26)
#2 Georgia (37-22) vs. #3 OHIO STATE (40-17)

Baton Rouge Regional
#1 LSU (46-16) vs. #4 Southern (30-15)
#2 MINNESOTA (38-17) vs. #3 Baylor (29-24)