The Pacific-10 and Conference USA have four teams each. This marks the fifth time in the last six seasons the SEC has sent at least eight teams on the "Road to Omaha". The SEC sent an NCAA record-high nine teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2005.
Further solidifying its claim as the nation's premier baseball conference, Alabama and Georgia were awarded national top eight seeds. The SEC was also awarded five host sites on Sunday, an NCAA-record high, which the SEC also had in 2004.
Mississippi State became the fourth league team in as many years to earn an at-large birth to the NCAA Tournament despite not advancing to the league's annual conference tournament in Hoover, Ala. Florida became the first team from the SEC to accomplish that feat in 2003, followed by Mississippi State in 2004 and Auburn a year ago.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky and SEC Tournament Champion Ole Miss will all host opening-round regionals. South Carolina and Vanderbilt were also selected to participate the 2006 NCAA field. Alabama is the national No. 4 seed and Georgia is the national No. 7 seed.
Twenty-nine of the 64 teams were not in the field last year, including Lehigh (AQ), UNC Asheville (AQ), Prairie View (AQ), San Francisco (At-Large) and Sacred Heart (AQ), making the championship for the first time. Manhattan was last in the field in 1957, while St. Louis is in the field for the first time since 1966 and Ball State's last appearance was 1969.
Miami (Fla.) is in the field for the 34th consecutive year, extending its own record. Florida St. is making its 29th straight appearance, second all-time. Other long consecutive streaks: Clemson (20), Cal St. Fullerton (15), Stanford (13) and Rice (12).
Of the 285 championship eligible Division I institutions which sponsor baseball, Rice has the most Division I wins with 49. Twenty-five other teams won at least 40 Division I contests and 24 are in the field.
Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 2, to Monday, June 5. Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.ncaasports.com, Monday, June 5 at approximately Midnight (ET).
The 60th Men's College World Series begins play Friday, June 16, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.
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