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Tuesday, May 20, 1997

Four Texas teams in tournament, Longhorns fail to make the field

By DOUG TUCKER AP Sports Writer

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - Defending champion Louisiana State and top-ranked Alabama were made No. 1 seeds Monday in an NCAA baseball tournament dominated by four conferences and five states.

The Southeastern Conference landed six berths in the 48-team field, which begins play at eight regional sites on Thursday. Five bids went to the Pac-10 while the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences each got four.

Twenty-six berths - more than half the field - went to schools in California, Florida, Texas, Alabama and North Carolina.

Miami, the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Regional and last year's runnerup to LSU, extended its NCAA record with a 25th consecutive bid. Marist and Southwest Texas State will be making their first appearance in the 51-year-old tourney while Tennessee Tech, seeded sixth in the Mideast Regional, returns for the first time since 1956.

Other Texas teams in the tournament are Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Rice. Texas (29-22) failed to make the field for the first time since 1977.

"Competition for the 48 slots is incredible," said Ron Maestri, chairman of the selection committee. "We had 70 teams with 30-plus wins and eight with 40-plus wins."

Maestri said this year's tournament strengthens the growing argument to expand the field to 64 teams.

The six-team regional tournaments will run Thursday through Sunday and the eight regional winners will advance to the College World Series May 30-June 7 in Omaha, Neb. Six of the regonal hosts, all selected last week, drew No. 1 seeds.

In the Atlantic Regional at Coral Gables, Fla., No. 1 seed Miami (44-15), will meet No. 6 seed Richmond (33-24). No. 2 seed Florida (38-22) meets No. 5 St. John's 35-15) and No. 3 Arizona State (36-20) plays No. 4 Florida International (42-19).

In the Central Regional at Lubbock, Texas, it's No. 1 seed Texas Tech (46-12) vs. No. 6 Southwest Texas State (36-24); No. 2 Rice (43-14) vs. No. 5 Southwest Missouri State (33-23) and No. 3 Clemson (40-21) vs. No. 4 Nevada (38-19).

The East Regional at Tallahassee, Fla., has No. 1 Florida State (46-15) vs. No. 6 seed Marist 32-17), No. 2 Auburn (45-14) vs. No. 5 Western Carolina (41-18) and No. 3 Central Florida (40-22) vs. No. 4 South Florida (37-22).

In the Mideast Regional at Mississippi State, it's No. 1 seed Georgia Tech (44-13) vs. No. 6 Tennessee Tech (38-21), No. 2 Mississippi State (41-18) vs. No. 5 Ohio State ( 42-16) and No. 3 Southwestern Louisiana (43-16) vs. No. 4 Washington (43-18).

The Midwest Regional at Stillwater, Okla., pits No. 1 UCLA (40-18-1) vs. No. 6 Harvard (32-14), No. 2 Tennessee (41-17) vs. No. 5 Ohio (43-16) and No. 3 Oklahoma State (43-17) vs. No. 4 Stetson (37-24-1).

LSU (48-12), the NCAA champion in 1991, '93 and '96, meets No. 6 North Carolina Greensboro (44-15) in the South I Regional at Baton Rouge, La. No. 2 South Alabama (40-17) will meet No. 5 Houston (40-21) and No. 3 Oklahoma (39-18) draws No. 4 Long Beach State (37-24).

The South II Regional at Tuscaloosa, Ala., has Alabama (48-12) No. 1 seed. The Crimson Tide, who beat LSU 12-2 Sunday in the SEC tournament and replaced the Tigers as No. 1 in the Baseball America poll, will meet No. 6 Troy State (36-22). No. 2 Southern Cal (39-18) will meet 5 Virginia Tech (33-26) and No. 3 North Carolina State (41-18) plays No. 4 Wichita State (51-16).

Kyle Peterson, whose 337 stikeouts broke Jack McDowell's career school record, will lead No. 1 Stanford (39-18) against No. 6 Northeastern (33-17) in the West Regional at Stanford, Cal. No. 2 California State-Fullerton (38-22-1) will meet No. 5 Santa Clara (39-18), and No. 3 Texas A&M (39-20) draws No. 4 Fresno State (37-26). Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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