CONNECTICUT, USA — For the second time ever, Connecticut will be represented by three teams in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. Each program will look to take home its first-ever national championship and New England’s first in Division I since 1952.
UConn Huskies 33-17, 13-4 Big East (1st)
As New England’s premier college baseball program, the Huskies are a mainstay in the tournament as they’ll be making their third straight appearance and their 22nd all-time.
After spending seven seasons in the American Athletic Conference, UConn returned to the Big East in dominant fashion, winning the conference tournament as the number one seed and living up to its preseason prediction.
If UConn survives a tough weekend in a field featuring Michigan and sixth-ranked Notre Dame, the program will reach its first Super Regional appearance since 2011, when they were led by future World Series MVP George Springer.
First pitch against Michigan is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Fairfield Stags – 37-3 Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (1st)
The Fairfield Stags have been a contender in the MAAC over the past five years, but in 2021 they took the country by storm. They started the season by winning their first 28 games, a program record, and were ranked as high as 21st in the country.
The Stags went on to set the NCAA all-time record for team winning percentage (.925), but their tournament hopes took a blow last Sunday when they lost in their conferences’ championship game.
However, their resume bolstered by a pitching staff that currently leads the nation in earned run average and WHIP was enough to earn Fairfield’s first-ever at-large bid to the tournament.
First pitch against #21 Arizona State is scheduled for 7 p.m.
CCSU Blue Devils 28-13, 21-7 Northeast Conference (2nd)
Central Connecticut State is making its second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, but their road to repeat as NEC champions was not easy.
The Blue Devils had six of their first seven games cancelled this year due to COVID. But the team showed remarkable resiliency all year long beating number one overall seed Bryant in back-to-back elimination games to return to the postseason.
First pitch against #10 Oregon is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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