UCSB was awarded a home site for the NCAA baseball regionals, the NCAA announced Sunday. The Gauchos will host three teams in a double-elimination format at a minor league ballpark in Lake Elsinore, beginning Friday, May 29.
UCSB secured the off-campus site last week. The school’s home facility, Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, doesn’t meet NCAA standards to host a regional tournament. Sites must have lights and seating capacity for at least 3,000.
Yet, despite it’s inadequate facility, UCSB was named a regional host for the first time in program history based on its outstanding regular season. Coach Andrew Checketts guided the Gauchos to a record of 40-15-1, and they had a RPI ranking as high as No. 11.
“I’d like to thank the UCSB Administration for supporting us in our bid to be a host in this year’s tournament,” said Checketts in a statement. “This is a unique opportunity as a program, and we’re proud to be able to take advantage of it. This obviously wouldn’t be possible without the hard work put in by our players and staff over the past couple years. Finally, I would like to thank the selection committee for recognizing our high level of play this season and selecting us among a field of very worthy hosting candidates.”
The Lake Elsinore Diamond, home of the Class-A California League team Lake Elsinore Storm, is one of three regional sites in southern California. Big West champion Cal State Fullerton and Pac 12 champion UCLA also are host teams.
The NCAA picked 16 sites for the first rounds of the 64-team tournament.
Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 29 to Monday, June 1 (if necessary).
The remaining 48 teams for the tournament will be announced Monday.
The 16 regional sites, with host institutions and records are as follows:
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana – LSU (48-10)
• Champaign, Illinois – Illinois (47-8-1)
• College Station, Texas – Texas A&M (45-11)
• Coral Gables, Florida – Miami (Fla.) (44-14)
• Dallas, Texas – Dallas Baptist (43-13)
• Fort Worth, Texas – TCU (43-11)
• Fullerton, California – Cal State Fullerton (34-22)
• Gainesville, Florida – Florida (*43-16)
• Houston, Texas – Houston (42-18)
• Lake Elsinore, California – UC Santa Barbara (40-15-1)
• Los Angeles, California – UCLA (42-14)
• Louisville, Kentucky – Louisville (43-16)
• Nashville, Tennessee – Vanderbilt (*42-18)
• Springfield, Missouri – Missouri State (45-10)
• Stillwater, Oklahoma – Oklahoma State (37-18)
• Tallahassee, Florida – Florida State (41-19)
(*record through Saturday, May 23, 2015)
By virtue of being awarded a regional, all 16 host institutions have also been selected to the 64-team championship field.
