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Michigan Opens NCAA Play on Friday
May 28, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
Michigan was selected to its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship on Monday and will open regional competition at home against Kentucky at 7 p.m. ET. The Wolverines earned a No. 2 seed in the tournament after finishing the season as Big Ten Champions on the heels of a record-setting 26-5 performance in the conference season. Michigan also claimed the Big Ten Baseball Tournament title to earn the conference's automatic bid. U-M will face No. 3 seed Kentucky to open NCAA action and could also face No. 1 seed Arizona and No. 4 seed Eastern Michigan in regional play. NCAA Championship notes can be found below and by clicking the link at the top of the story. MICHIGAN IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP - Michigan is making its fourth consecutive and 21st overall apperance in the NCAA Championship. - The Wolverines are hosting regional action for the first time since 1986 and for the eighth time overall. - Entering the weekend's competition, Michigan boasts a 58-41 overall record in 20 NCAA appearances, good enough for a .586 winning percentage. The winning percentage and the wins total are both the best by any Big Ten team. - Michigan advanced to the super regionals of the 2007 NCAA Championship by virtue of an upset win over Vanderbilt, the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket, on the Commodores' home field. The regional title was the eighth in school history and the first in the Big Ten since 2003. - The Wolverines fell in the 2007 super regionals to defending and eventual NCAA Champion Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. THE BIG TEN IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP - Big Ten squads have combined to win six NCAA Championships. Michigan has won the crown twice (1953, 1962), while Minnesota owns three titles (1956, 1960, 1964) and Ohio State has one (1966). - Michigan is the last Big Ten team to advance to the Men's College World Series. The Wolverines last moved on to the final series in 1984. - The last Big Ten team to host regional action was Ohio State in 2001. The Buckeyes are also the last conference squad to advance through a regional in which they hosted, as the squad opened regional action at home in 1999 and also moved on to host super regional competition. - Since the NCAA began naming regionals after host sites in 1999, the Big Ten has served as a regional host four times including this season. Ohio State hosted in 1999 and 2001, and Minnesota hosted in 2000.
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