History repeats itself as the Big West Conference sends four teams to the 2008 NCAA Baseball Tournament for the second consecutive year, as the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee announced the 64-team field earlier today. Big West co-champions Long Beach State (automatic qualifier) and Cal State Fullerton, both regional hosts, are joined by 2007 College World Series participant UC Irvine and first-year member UC Davis.

After learning they would be one of 16 schools to host the 2008 regionals, Cal State Fullerton (37-19, 16-8 Big West) received another honor Monday with a No. 5 national seed. The Titans, who own an impressive 19-5 record when playing in front of its home crowd during regional competition, are set to entertain Pac-10 at-large selection No. 2 UCLA (31-25), ACC at-large pick No. 3 Virginia (38-21) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Champion No. 4 Rider (29-26). The Fullerton Regional will be one of two televised by ESPNU with Clay Matrick and Kyle Peterson providing play-by-play and analysis. This regional matchup provides two new opponents and one very familiar foe for the Titans. Cal State Fullerton has never meet Virginia or Rider on the diamond, but has faced UCLA on a nearly annual basis, which includes a three-game sweep of the Bruins this season. Just a year ago, the Titans knocked the Bruins out of the postseason during a super regional matchup at Goodwin Field. UCLA will meet Virginia in the regional’s first game on May 30 at 4:00 p.m. The nightcap will see Rider take on Cal State Fullerton at 8:00 p.m. The Fullerton Regional is paired with the Palo Alto Regional that features Stanford, Pepperdine, Arkansas and Big West member UC Davis. The Titans are making their 30th overall postseason appearance in their 34-year Division I history and their 17th in-a-row.

Long Beach State (37-19, 16-8 Big West) will host the lone California-only regional as the top-seeded 49ers welcome West Coast Conference Champion No. 2 San Diego (41-15), Pac-10 at-large pick No. 3 California (33-19) and Western Athletic Conference Champion No. 4 Fresno State (37-27) to Blair Field this weekend. The 49ers played all three regional opponents during the 2008 season, producing a 1-6 record among the field. Long Beach State, who owns an impressive 23-7 home record, dropped five of the six contests away from Blair Field. Their lone win was a 2-1 victory against Fresno State on May 6. The winner of the Long Beach Regional will battle the winner of the Tempe Regional which features Arizona State, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Stony Brook.

UC Irvine (38-16, 14-10 Big West), is making its third-straight NCAA postseason appearance and fourth overall as it heads to the midwest for the Lincoln Regional, joining Big 12 at-large pick No. 1 Nebraska (40-14-1), Summit League Tournament Champion No. 3 Oral Roberts (38-16) and Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champion No. 4 Eastern Illinois (46-12). The second-seeded Anteaters face Oral Roberts on Friday, May 30 at 5:00 p.m., while host Nebraska opens play with Eastern Illinois in the first game of the doubleheader at 11:00 a.m. The Anteaters did not face any of their upcoming opponents this season but they do lead the all-time series against Oral Roberts (5-4) and Eastern Illinois (1-0). The Lincoln Regional winner advances to the super regional and faces the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional, which includes top-seeded LSU, No. 2 Southern Miss, No. 3 New Orleans and No. 4 Texas Southern.

The UC Davis Aggies (34-22, 13-11 Big West), who are in their first official season as D-I members, are set to travel to the Bay Area for the Palo Alto Regional as the fourth-seed. Joining the Aggies are Pac-10 at-large pick No. 1 Stanford (33-21-2), West Coast Conference selection No. 2 Pepperdine (36-19) and Southeastern Conference at-large choice Arkansas (34-22). The Aggies open play against top-seeded Cardinal, marking the third time the two teams have met this season. UC Davis won both previous midweek contests against Stanford by scores of 9-8 (12) and 10-8, and are currently 4-1 against the Cardinal dating back to 2006. The Aggies have never faced the Waves or the Razorbacks. The winner of the Palo Alto Regional faces the victor of the Fullerton Regional.

Each of the 16 regionals feature four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 30, to Monday, June 2 (if necessary). Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.ncaa.com, Monday, June 2 at approximately 11 p.m. (ET). The 62nd Men’s College World Series begins play Saturday, June 14, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.

Fullerton Regional
(televised on ESPNU)
1. Cal State Fullerton - No. 5 seed
2. UCLA
3. Virginia
4. Rider

Long Beach Regional
1. Long Beach State
2. San Diego
3. California
4. Fresno State

Palo Alto Regional
1. Stanford
2. Pepperdine
3. Arkansas
4. UC Davis

Lincoln Regional
1. Nebraska
2. UC Irvine
3. Oral Roberts
4. Eastern Illinois

FIELD BY CONFERENCE
Southeastern: 9 (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Vanderbilt)
Atlantic Coast: 6 (Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia)
Big 12: 6 (Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M)
Pacific-10: 5 (Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA)
Conference USA: 5 (East Carolina, Houston, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Tulane)
Big West: 4 (UC Davis, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State)
Big East: 2 (Louisville, St. John's [N.Y.])
Colonial: 2 (UNC Wilmington, James Madison)
Sun Belt: 2 (New Orleans, Western Kentucky)
West Coast: 2 (Pepperdine, San Diego)
Atlantic Sun: 1 (Lipscomb) v Atlantic 10: 1 (Charlotte)
America East: 1 (Stony Brook)
Big South: 1 (Coastal Carolina)
Big 10: 1 (Michigan)
Horizon: 1 (Ill.-Chicago)
Independent: 1 (Dallas Baptist)
Ivy: 1 (Columbia)
Metro Atlantic: 1 (Rider)
Mid-American: 1 (Eastern Michigan)
Mid-Eastern: 1 (Bethune-Cookman)
Missouri Valley: 1 (Wichita State)
Mountain West: 1 (TCU)
Northeast: 1 (Mt. St. Mary's)
Ohio Valley: 1 (Eastern Illinois)
Patriot: 1 (Bucknell)
Southern: 1 (Elon)
Southland: 1 (Sam Houston State)
Southwestern: 1 (Texas Southern)
Summit: 1 (Oral Roberts)
Western Athletic: 1 (Fresno State)