May 20, 2008

FRISCO, Texas - For the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years, the Lamar Cardinals are the No. 2 seed in the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament. The second-seeded Cardinals will meet No. 7 seed Southeastern Louisiana in Wednesday's first round at Noon at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville.

Winning consecutive SLC East Divison crowns, LU is making its eighth straight appearance in the conference post season tournament. The Cardinals took two of three from the Lions in the regular season.

UTSA clinched the top spot for the second-consecutive season. UTSA locked up the number one seed defeating league rival Nicholls State, 5-2 on Sunday, May 11, marking the program's second regular-season title in school history, and the first team to win consecutive titles since Lamar in 2003-04. UTSA makes its fourth straight league tournament appearance and won 38 games this season, the most since joining the Southland Conference in 1992.

The first round opponent for UTSA was not decided until the last day of the regular season as SE La. took two of three at Nicholls State giving the Lions the seventh overall seed, moving Texas A&M-Corpus Christi into the eighth seed to face UTSA in the opening round in the Islanders first Southland Conference Baseball Tournament appearance.

Coming in as the third seed the Texas State Bobcats are making their 13th consecutive tournament appearance and are looking to reclaim their first tournament title since 2000. The Bobcats currently lead the active conference teams with three tournament titles (Trinity 1964, 65, 66). After a one year absence UT Arlington returns to the conference tournament as the six seed. Texas State won two of three from their West Division rival in the regular season.

Tournament host and defending champion Sam Houston State (No. 4 seed) returns from an NCAA Regional finals appearance in 2007 with plans of making a return trip. Up first for the Bearkats are the five seed Northwestern State Demons who have made the conference tournament 15 out of a possible 16 times since the tournament was reinstated in 1993. The Bearkats swept the Demons in the regular season.