NCAA East Regional Championship Central

Archived NCAA Selection Show video
NCAA.com selection announcement

RINDGE, N.H. (May 15, 2016) – The No. 1/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team has been named as the top seed and host of the NCAA Championship East Regional, as announced Sunday night by the NCAA. The Ravens, the Northeast-10 Northeast Division champion, earned an at-large bid in the seven-team, double-elimination tournament, which will run Thursday, May 19 through Monday, May 23 at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge. Franklin Pierce will open pursuit of its seventh regional crown on Friday against either fourth-seeded Felician or fifth-seeded Bridgeport.

It is the second straight season as host for Franklin Pierce, who will host the tournament for the eighth time in the 12 seasons since Pappas Field opened to start the 2005 campaign, as the institution also hosted regional play in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2015. The Ravens are a six-time NCAA Regional champion (2013, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2003), including four regional titles the team won on its home field. For Franklin Pierce, it is the 13th NCAA Championship berth in program history and marks the 12th straight trip to the national tournament.

Each of the other six teams will play its first game on Thursday, with games slated for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Fourth-seeded Felician (33-19) and fifth-seeded Bridgeport (27-22-1) will open the tournament at 11 a.m. on Thursday, with the winner drawing Franklin Pierce (45-6), which receives a Thursday bye. The Golden Falcons and Purple Knights will be followed by second-seeded Southern New Hampshire (45-5) against seventh-seeded Dowling (27-23) at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and third-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas (35-15) against sixth-seeded Molloy (31-21) will be the opening day's nightcap, at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the weekend will be sold on a day-by-day basis at the main entrance to Pappas Field. Daily ticket prices will be $8 for adults, $5 for seniors/children and $5 for students (with valid ID). Children under two-years-old will be admitted free of charge. Per NCAA policy, no complimentary admissions will be issued.

Franklin Pierce will provide live stats and live video throughout the duration of the tournament. Details and links are available at the Championship Central web page, which is live as of 4 p.m. Monday here: http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/sports/bsb/2015-16/NCAAeastregional/ChampCentral

From there, three games will be played Friday and Saturday, with one team being eliminated Friday and two on Saturday. Both games on Sunday will be elimination contests as well, which will set the stage for Championship Monday, which will feature either one two games, pending the outcome of the first contest. Game times for Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., while game times are set for noon and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

Southern New Hampshire, Felician and Dowling all received automatic bids to the tournament as champions of the Northeast-10 Conference, Central Collegiate Athletic Conference and East Coast Conference, respectively. Meanwhile, Franklin Pierce and from the Northeast-10, along with Bridgeport, Molloy, St. Thomas Aquinas from the ECC, all earned at-large selections. Four of the seven teams also participated in last year's East Regional, as Franklin Pierce, SNHU, St. Thomas Aquinas and Dowling all qualified for the 2015 edition of the event at Pappas Field. Felician returns to the East Regional field after a one-year hiatus, while Bridgeport and Molloy have each secured the first NCAA berth in program history.

The winner of the East Regional will advance to the NCAA Championship National Finals, scheduled for May 28 through June 4 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Seven other regional tournaments will be conducted this week, with each sending its champion to Cary as well; the East Region champion will square off against the South Region champion in its opener.

2016 NCAA Baseball Championship East Regional
Hosted by Franklin Pierce University
Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field (Rindge, N.H.)
Double Elimination

Thursday, May 19
Game 1: (4) Felician vs. (5) Bridgeport -- 11 a.m.
Game 2: (2) Southern New Hampshire vs. (7) Dowling -- 3 p.m.
Game 3: (3) St. Thomas Aquinas vs. (6) Molloy -- 7 p.m.

Friday, May 20
Game 4: Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser -- 11 a.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 5: Game 1 Winner at (1) Franklin Pierce -- 3 p.m.
Game 6: Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner -- 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 21
Game 7: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Loser -- 11 a.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 8: Game 6 Loser vs. Game 1 Loser -- 3 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner -- 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 22
Game 10: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner -- Noon (loser eliminated)
Game 11: Game 10 Winner vs. Game 9 Loser -- 3:30 p.m. (loser eliminated)

Monday, May 23
Game 12: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner -- Noon
Game 13: Game 12 rematch* -- 40 minutes after conclusion of Game 12
* Game 13 only necessary if Game 11 Winner wins Game 12.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).