NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The Little East Conference earned three berths into the 2008 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament as the NCAA Division III Baseball Selection Committee announced the championship pairings on NCAASports.com early this morning. Keene State College and the University of Southern Maine are seeded third and fourth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Region, while Eastern Connecticut State University claimed the fifth seed in the Auburn, N.Y. Region.

The Little East Conference is just one of four conferences to earn at least three bids into the national tournament. The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) collected four berths, while the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin joined the Little East Conference with three selections. The 54-team field is comprised of 34 conference champions that earn automatic qualification and 20 at-large selections.  

Keene State College is making its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament after capturing the program's first Little East Conference Championship Tournament this past weekend. The Owls established a new single-season standard for wins with a 33-9 record, putting an additional victory between the previous record holders, the 2007 squad. Under the direction of Head Coach Ken Howe, Keene State College won the conference's regular season championship and earned the right to host the annual tournament.  Senior outfielder/relief pitcher Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) was named the 2008 Little East Conference Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player after leading the Owls to a 5-1 record. He hit .348 (8-for-23) from the dish with two home runs, five runs scored, and eight RBI. Keene State College faces sixth-seeded St. Joseph's (Maine) in the quarterfinal round in Harwich, Mass. The Monks edged the Owls in extra innings earlier this season in the clubs lone meeting.

Southern Maine (32-12) is making the program's 17 appearance in the national field and first since 2006. Under the leadership of Head Coach Ed Flaherty, the Huskies advanced to the championship round of the 2008 Little East Conference Championship Tournament this past weekend. Flaherty led his charges to his 11th season with at least 30 victories in his 23-year tenure. Junior outfielder Ryan Pike (Saco, Maine) was a one-man wrecking crew at the conference tournament, batting .706 (12-for-17) with 23 total bases, including five extra-base knocks. He blasted three homer runs and a pair of doubles, while driving in five RBI in five contests this past week. Southern Maine squares off against the Commonwealth Coast Conference Champion, Western New England, on May 14.

Eastern Connecticut State University accepted its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and 29th overall in the program's history.  The Warriors have advanced to the past two NCAA Division III National Championship Rounds, including winning the Auburn Region in 2006 with a 6-1 mark. Head Coach Bob Holowaty and his club placed third in the 2008 Little East Conference Championship Tournament with a 2-2 mark. Senior starting pitcher Joe Esposito (East Haven, Conn.) struck out eight and did not allow an earned run in eight and two-thirds of an inning in his lone appearance. Eastern Connecticut meets fourth-seeded Montclair State University in its opening round game. The Warriors are 0-3 all-time against the Red Hawks in the regional tournament.

The winners of the eight first-round tournaments qualify for the double-elimination championships at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin, May 23-27.

Hosted by Eastern College Athletic Conference, Harwich, Massachusetts (May 14-18)

1. Trinity (Connecticut) (37-0)
2. Wheaton (Massachusetts) (32-8)
3. Keene State (33-9)
4. Southern Maine (32-12)
5. Western New England (31-11)
6. St. Joseph's (Maine) (28-16)
7. Worcester State (23-16)
8. Castleton State (20-10)

Hosted by Ithaca College, Auburn, New York (May 14-18)

1. Cortland State (38-3)
2. Ithaca (28-11)
3. Rensselaer (30-10)
4. Montclair State (26-18)
5. Eastern Connecticut State (29-13)
6. Farmingdale (23-13)
7. Ohio Wesleyan (28-17)
8. Grove City (18-16)