Franklin Pierce University will host the 2008 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Baseball Championship this weekend, May 15-18.

Joining Franklin Pierce in the Northeast Regional at Dr. Pappas Field are second-seeded Bryant University (39-19, 25-5 NE-10), regular season champions of the NE-10, and third-seeded Southern Connecticut State University (36-17, 24-6 NE-10) of the NE-10. Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) automatic qualifier Caldwell College (32-17, 19-8 CACC) is seeded fourth, while East Coast Conference representatives Dowling College (28-17, 17-10 ECC) and LIU-C.W. Post (29-25, 16-11 ECC) are seeded fifth and sixth, respectively. Dowling were regular season champions of the ECC, while C.W. Post captured the Conference's automatic bid by claiming the tournament title from the four-seed.

The regional gets underway Thursday, with Franklin Pierce facing C.W. Post at 11 a.m., Bryant against Dowling at 2:30 p.m., and Southern Connecticut State playing Caldwell at 6 p.m. The complete regional schedule follows at the bottom of the release.

Admission for each day of the regional is $7 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and students with a valid ID and $3 for children under age 12.

Eight regional competitions will be played May 15-18, at eight on-campus sites.  Regional champions will advance to the double-elimination championship finals, May 24-31, at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., which will be hosted by Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and the University of Missouri, St. Louis. It marks the first time Sauget will serve as host of the Division II Baseball Championships after a long run in Montgomery, Ala. Franklin Pierce has made three appearances at the championships, reaching the semifinal round in 2003 and 2006.

2008 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional
Hosted by Franklin Pierce University
Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field
May 15-18

Thursday, May 15
Game 1: #6 C.W. Post (29-25, 16-11 ECC) at #1 Franklin Pierce (39-12, 20-10 NE-10), 11 a.m.
Game 2: #5 Dowling (28-17, 17-10 ECC) vs. #2 Bryant (39-19, 25-5 NE-10), 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: #4 Caldwell (32-17, 19-8 CACC) vs. #3 Southern Connecticut State (36-17, 24-6 NE-10), 6 p.m.
 
Friday, May 16
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11 a.m.
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 17
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 9: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 winner, 10 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 11: if necessary, 5:30 p.m.

If five teams remain after game six and two after game nine
Saturday, May 17
Game 7: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 3 p.m.
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 11: if necessary, 5:30 p.m.
 
If five teams remain after game six and three after game nine

Saturday, May 17
Game 7: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 3 p.m.
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 10: Game 9 loser vs. Game 8 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 5:30 p.m.