The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Baseball Receives NCAA Regional Bid
5/26/2003 | Baseball
May 26, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss will return to the NCAA Tournament after a year absence as the Rebels received an at-large bid to the field of 64, and will be the No. 2 seed at this upcoming weekend's four-team, double-elimination NCAA Houston Regional, hosted by Rice University.
Ole Miss (34-25) will meet the No. 3 seed Wichita State (47-25) Friday evening at 7 p.m., at Rice's Reckling Park. The Shockers received the Missouri Valley Conference's automatic bid after winning the MVC Tournament this past weekend.
In the opening game Friday afternoon at 3 p.m., No. 1 seed Rice (48-10) will meet the No. 4 seed McNeese State (34-25). The Owls, champions of the Western Athletic Conference, are also the No. 5 national seed. The Cowboys won this past weekend's Southland Conference tournament to receive that conference's automatic bid.
The losers of Friday's games will meet in an elimination game at 11 a.m., on Saturday, while the two winners from Friday will play at 3 p.m., with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship game. A second elimination game, between the winner of Saturday's first game and the loser of the second game will take place at 7 p.m., Saturday evening.
The winner of Saturday's third game will advance to Sunday's championship game, scheduled for 1 p.m. A second championship game, if necessary, is set for approximately 4:30 p.m.
For ticket information, fans can call the Ole Miss ticket office at 662-915-7167, or the Rice University ticket office at 713-348-4068.
This will be the Rebels' second NCAA Tournament appearance under third-year head coach Mike Bianco. Ole Miss also earned a berth in the 2001 NCAA New Orleans Regional in Bianco's first year. All-time, this will be Ole Miss' ninth NCAA appearance.
Ole Miss played at Rice back on February 22 and dropped a 6-0 decision to the Owls during the Crowne Plaza/Rice Invitational. The Rebels also hosted McNeese State in a two-game series, March 4-5, dropping a pair of one-run games to the Cowboys, 9-8 and 4-3.
Friday's game with Wichita State will be the first-ever between the two schools.
Friday, May 30
3:00 pm -- Game #1: No. 4 McNeese State vs. No. 1 Rice
7:00 pm -- Game #2: No. 3 Wichita State vs. No. 2 Ole Miss
Saturday, May 31
11:00 am -- Game #3: Game #1 loser vs. Game #2 loser
3:00 pm -- Game #4: Game #1 winner vs. Game #2 winner
7:00 pm -- Game #5: Game #3 winner vs. Game #4 loser
Sunday, June 1
1:00 pm -- Game #6: Game #4 winner vs. Game #5 winner
4:30 pm -- Game #7: same teams (if necessary)
Ticket Information
Reserved -- $11 (adults and senior citizens)
General Admission/Outfield Bleachers -- $9 (adults and senior citizens); $7 College students and younger
* NOTE: children 2-years-old and up will need a ticket for admission
