INDIANAPOLIS --- For a third straight year and the fifth time in the last seven, the Tusculum College baseball team has earned bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament announced officials Sunday night. The Pioneers (36-16) will be the No. 5 seed in this year's Southeast Regional and will face second-seeded Francis Marion University this Thursday.

The Southeast Regional will be hosted by USC Aiken and held at Roberto Hernandez Stadium on the Aiken, S.C. campus. The regional will be held this Thursday through Sunday (May 14-17). Game times will be announced on Monday.

Host USC Aiken is the top seed and will face sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey College, who earned an automatic bid by winning the Conference Carolinas Tournament title. USC Aiken was the Peach Belt Conference regular season champion. Francis Marion claimed the Peach Belt's automatic bid by winning the PBC Tournament title Sunday night. Georgia College & State University captured an at-large berth and is the No. 3 seed and will face No. 4 seed and South Atlantic Conference Tournament Champion Catawba College.

Tusculum captured its fourth SAC Championship in the last five years this season and has clinched its fifth straight campaign with at least 35 victories and seventh in a row with 30 wins.

Tusculum and Francis Marion have met only one time previously as the Pioneers posted a 5-1 win over the Patriots, March 7, 2000 in Florence, S.C.

- NCAA -

NCAA Division II Southeast Regional
Aiken, S.C.
Rk. Team Record
1 USC Aiken 39-17
2 Francis Marion 36-13-1
3 Georgia College 37-17
4 Catawba 35-16
5 TUSCULUM 36-16
6 Belmont Abbey 34-24