For the second year in a row, Conference USA will be sending four teams to the NCAA Baseball Championship. East Carolina will host the Kinston (N.C.) Regional as a No. 1 seed, Southern Miss will play in the Baton Rouge Regional as a No. 2 seed, TCU will be in the Austin Regional as a No. 3 seed and Tulane will compete in the Oxford (Miss.) Regional as a No. 3 seed. C-USA will be attempting to send a team to the Super Regionals for the fifth consecutive season.

C-USA SENDS FOUR TEAMS TO THE NCAA'S
Conference USA has received four bids to the 2004 NCAA Baseball Championship, as announced by the Division I baseball committee on Monday. East Carolina will host the Kinston Regional as the No. 1 seed, while Southern Miss will be the No. 2 seed at the Baton Rouge Regional, Tulane will be the No. 3 seed in Oxford, Miss. and TCU will travel down Interstate 35 to Austin where it will compete as the No. 3 seed. Only the SEC (9), ACC (6), Big 12 (6) and Pac 10 (5) had more selections than C-USA.

East Carolina (48-11) owned the best record in college baseball for a month before dropping a pair of games at the Conference USA Tournament. The Pirates won the regular season C-USA title by four games, the largest margin in league history. The Pirates will be hosting a regional for the first time since they won the 2001 regional in Wilson, N.C. ECU will face America East champion Stony Brook (29-25) in its first game on Friday at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Pirates will then play either No. 2 seed Tennessee (37-22), an at-large selection from the Southeastern Conference, or No. 3 seed UNC Wilmington (41-18), which is making its second straight NCAA appearance, in the next round. Tennessee is where East Carolina coach Randy Mazey, the 2004 Conference USA Coach of the Year, served as an assistant coach for four years prior to getting the ECU job prior to the 2003 season.

Southern Miss (44-17) will be making back-to-back NCAA appearances for just the second time in school history. The Golden Eagles will be the No. 2 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional and will open play against College of Charleston (45-14), an at-large selection from the Southern Conference, at 6:30 p.m. CDT on Friday night. Host LSU (41-17) will play Patriot League champion Army (37-13) in the first game on Friday at 2:00 p.m. CDT.

Tulane (38-19) is in the NCAA field for the seventh consecutive season and will participate in the Oxford regional. The third-seeded Green Wave will face Washington (37-18-1), an at-large selection out of the Pac-10 Conference. No. 1 seed Mississippi (39-19) will be hosting a regional for the first time ever and will open play against Sun Belt Conference champion Western Kentucky (34-26), which is in the field for the first time since 1980.

TCU (38-24) is making just its third all-time NCAA appearance after winning the Conference USA Tournament on Sunday. The Horned Frogs are in the field for the first time since 1994 and will play Mid-Continent Conference champion Oral Roberts (48-9), owners of the best record in Division I, on Friday. Top national seed Texas (50-13) will play Horizon League tournament champion Youngstown State (22-30) in the other game in that regional.

All three regionals will be held between Friday, June 4 and Sunday, June 6. Winners will advance to two-team super-regionals, which will be played June 11-13 at sites to be determined. The 55th College World Series will take place June 18-28 at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

The four bids to the 2004 NCAA Championship gives Conference USA 24 NCAA appearances in its first eight seasons. Four straight years a C-USA team has advanced to a Super Regional and once a team has reached the College World Series.


C-USA TEAMS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
TCU becomes the eighth different school to represent Conference USA in the NCAA Tournament, joining Charlotte, East Carolina, Houston, Louisville, USF, Southern Miss and Tulane. Here's a look at C-USA's all-time results:

2003
Houston Super Regional
Saturday., June 7
(1) Rice 5, Houston 2
Sunday, June 8
(1) Rice 10, Houston 2
Monday, June 9
Houston 5, (1) Rice 2

Hattiesburg Regional
Friday, May 30
(3) Southern U. 5, (2) Southern Miss 3
Saturday May 31
Southern Miss 18, Murray State 0
Southern Miss 18, Southern U. 1
Sunday, June 1
Baylor 3. Southern Miss 2

Atlanta Regional
Friday, May 30
(2) South Carolina 4, (3) East Carolina 0
Saturday, May 31
East Carolina 10, Georgia Tech 3
Stetson 9, East Carolina 4

Baton Rouge Regional
Friday, May 30
(2) Tulane 8, (3) UNC Wilmington 3
Saturday, May 31
LSU 13, Tulane 5
UNC Wilmington 9, Tulane 8 (10 innings)

College Station Regional
Friday, May 30
(2) Alabama 9, (3) Houston 3

Saturday, May 31
Houston 4, Oral Roberts 2
Houston 16, Alabama 8

Sunday, June 1
Houston 7, Texas A&M 6
Houston 7, Texas A&M 6 (10 innings)


2002
Austin Super Regional (Austin, Texas)
Sun., June 9
Texas 5, Houston 2
Sat., June 8
Texas 17, Houston 2
Fri., June 7
Houston 2, Texas 0

Atlanta Regional (Atlanta, Ga.)
Sat., June 1
(4) Coastal Carolina 9, Louisville 1
Fri., May 31
(2) Georgia 7, (3) Louisville 1

Baton Rouge, Regional (Baton Rouge, La.)
Fri., May 31
(2) Louisiana-Lafayette 6, (3) Tulane 3


Sat., June 1
Tulane 10, (4) Southern 2
(1) LSU 4, LSU 2

Clemson Regional (Clemson, S.C.)
Sun., June 2
Clemson 21, East Carolina 1
Sat., June 1
(1) Clemson 4, East Carolina 2
East Carolina 7, (4) Georgia Southern 3
Fri., May 31
(2) East Carolina 13, (3) Elon 7

Mesa Regional (Mesa, Ariz.)
Sun., June 2
Houston 7, Arizona State 3
Sat., June 1
Houston 8, (2) Arizona State 4
Fri., May 31
(1) Houston 9, (4) New Mexico State 0

Tallahassee Regional (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Sun., June 2
(1) Florida State 13, South Florida 6
Sat., June 1
South Florida 14, (4) Stetson 13
South Florida 7, Central Florida 2
Fri., May 31
(2) Central Florida 6, (3) South Florida 1


2001
College World Series (Omaha, Neb.)
Tuesday, June 12
(4) Cal St. Fullerton 11, (5) Tulane 2
Sunday, June 10
(5) Tulane 6, (3) Nebraska 5
Friday, June 8
(4) Stanford 13, (5) Tulane 11

New Orleans Super Regional (Metairie, Louisiana)
Friday, June 1
(9) Louisiana State 4, (5) Tulane 3 (13 innings)
Saturday, June 2
(5) Tulane 9, (9) Louisiana State 4
Sunday, June 3
(5) Tulane 7, (9) Louisiana State 1

New Orleans Regional (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Friday, May 25
(5) Tulane 22, Southern 9
Saturday, May 26
(5) Tulane 13, Oklahoma State 10
Sunday, May 27
(5) Tulane 9, Oklahoma State 8

Houston Regional (Houston, Texas)
Friday, May 26
(25) Baylor 7, Houston 1
Saturday, May 26
Texas-Arlington 7, Houston 6

Wilson Regional (Wilson, North Carolina)
Friday, May 25
South Florida 7, Winthrop 2
Saturday, May 26
(10) East Carolina 12, South Florida 8
Sunday, May 27
Winthrop 6, South Florida 1

2000
Houston Super Regional (Houston, Texas)
Fri., June 2
San Jose State 5, Houston 3
Sat., June 3
Houston 5, San Jose State 2 (14 innings)
Sun., June 4
San Jose State 3, Houston 2

Houston Regional (Houston, Texas)
Friday, May 26
(1) Houston 7, (4) Princeton 6
Saturday, May 27
(1) Houston 5, (2) Rice 2
Sunday, May 28
(2) Rice 5, (1) Houston 4
(1) Houston 9, (2) Rice 5

Starkville Regional (Starkville, Mississippi)
Friday, May 26
(3) Notre Dame 8, (2) Tulane 4
Saturday May 27
(2) Tulane 4, (4) South Alabama 3
(3) Notre Dame 10, (2) Tulane 6


1999
Houston Regional (Houston, Texas)
Friday, May 28
(1) Houston 6, Southwest Texas State 4
Saturday, May 29
(2) Southwestern Louisiana 5, Houston 3
Houston 8, Texas 5
Sunday, May 30
Southwestern Louisiana 19, Houston 8

Auburn Regional (Auburn, Ala.)
Friday, May 28
(4) Winthrop 8, (1) Tulane 7 (11 inn.)
Saturday, May 29
Tulane 11, (3) North Carolina State 5
Tulane 15, (4) Winthrop 8
Sunday, May 30
Tulane 7, (1) Auburn 5
Auburn 13, Tulane 9

Tuscaloosa Regional (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Friday, May 28
(3) Southern Miss 20, (2) South Alabama 13
Saturday, May 29
(1) Alabama 10, Southern Miss 4
Southern Miss 10, South Alabama 9
Sunday, May 30
(1) Alabama 7, Southern Miss 6

1998
South II Regional (Baton Rouge, La.)
Thursday, May 21
(3) Tulane 11, (4) Southwestern Louisiana 5
Friday, May 22
Cal. State Fullerton 10, Tulane 6
Saturday, May 23
Harvard 14, Tulane 11

Central Regional (College Station, Texas)
Thursday, May 21
(2) Texas A&M 17, (5) Charlotte 0
Friday, May 22
(6) Oral Roberts 20, Charlotte 13

1997
East Region (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Thursday, May 22
(4) South Florida 5, (3) Central Florida 4
Friday, May 23
(2) Auburn 9, South Florida 0
Saturday, May 24
South Florida 9, (5) Western Carolina 4
(1) Florida State 6, South Florida 5

South I Region (Baton Rouge, La.)
Thursday, May 22
(2) South Alabama 12, (5) Houston 6
Friday, May 23
(6) UNC Greensboro 9, Houston 5


1996
East Regional (at Gainesville, Fla.)
Thursday, May 23
(4) South Florida 12, (3) N.C. State 3
Friday, May 24
South Florida 14, (5) UMass 8
Saturday, May 25(1) Florida 6, South Florida 4 (13 inn.)Massachusetts 13, South Florida 12

South II Regional (at Baton Rouge, La.)
Thursday, May 23
(4) Tulane 10, (3) UNLV 7
Friday, May 24
(5) New Orleans 13, Tulane 5
Saturday, May 25
(2) Georgia Tech 7, Tulane 4


YEAR BY YEAR SELECTIONS

2004 East Carolina, Southern Miss, TCU
Tulane
2003 East Carolina, Houston, Southern Miss, Tulane
2002 East Carolina, Houston, Louisville, USF, Tulane
2001 Hosuton, USF, Tulane
2000 Houston, Tulane
1999 Houston, Southern Miss, Tulane
1998 Charlotte, Tulane
1997 Houston, USF
1996 USF, Tulane


CHARLOTTE
Senior IF JAMIE RUSCO and senior C/DH RANDALL POPLIN were the first teammates to connect on double-figure home runs in the same season since Bo Robinson and James Matan in the school's record-breaking 1998 campaign. Rusco's 14 round-trippers is the fifth-best single-season total in school history, while Poplin went yard 10 times. Freshman RHP ADAM MILLS tied for the team lead in wins with four and recorded 37 strikeouts with only 14 walks. With three strikeouts in his final game at Charlotte, senior RHOP ZACHARY TREADWAY moved past his brother, Brion, for fifth place on the school's all-time strikeout list with 232.

CINCINNATI
The Bearcats opened the brand new UC Baseball Stadium during the final weekend, of the regular season, drawing a crowd of 2,200 for the first game on May 20 against UAB. Redshirt freshman BRIAN BELTZ got the honor of picking up the first-ever hit in the stadium with a first inning single to center. Senior AARON MOLL hit the Bearcats' first homer with a second inning blast to left center the next night night. JOSH KAY made the first start of his UC career against Akron on May 18, earning the win with six scoreless innings of work. With his homer on May 21, Moll ended his career with 26 long balls, good for a share of seventh place in school history. He shares the spot with teammate STEVE PICKERELL, a second team All-Conference USA selection.

EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina won its first regular season Conference USA title and will be hosting an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2001 when it hosts the Kinston Regional this weekend. The Pirates will be making their league-high 20th trip to the NCAA Tournament, including their sixth consecutive selection. Senior DH RYAN JONES, the Conference USA Player of the Year, has led the nation in slugging percentage most of the season (currently .834) with 46 of his 80 hits going for extra-bases. Junior 1B RYAN NORWOOD leads the nation with a school record 29 doubles and was the top hitter in the league in conference play, batting .432 against C-USA opponents. Sophomore 2B TREVOR LAWHORN is second in the league with 21 home runs and needs just one more to tie the school record of 22 set by Winfred Johnson in 1985. As a team, the Pirates have established a new single-season record with 96 home runs. The 48 wins by East Carolina this season has broken the school record of 47, set by the 2001 team.

HOUSTON
The Cougars posted a winning season for the eighth time in the last nine years, but did not receive an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, snapping a string of five consecutive NCAA trips. The Cougars closed out the season with wins in 16 of their last 23 games. Sophomore DH KEVIN ROBERTS was named to the C-USA All-Tournament team after batting .400 (6-for-15) with a pair of RBI. Junior C/OF ROB JOHNSON ended the season on a 17-game hitting streak, while senior IF THANOS PAPAVASILIOU closed out his collegiate career with at least one hit in his last 14 games. Senior IF COLE BRUCE hit safely in his final 18 Conference USA games. Senior BRANDON ROZNOVSKY finished with nine saves on the year, the third-best single-season total in UH history. Houston played 27 games against nationally-ranked opponents this season, posting wins in nine of those outings.

LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals earned a spot in the Conference USA Tournament for the ninth straight year, making Louisville one of only three programs to play in each tourney. Senior OF MARK JURICH finished his career at Louisville ninth in games played (193), seventh in hits (234), seventh in at-bats (714), first in doubles (58), sixth in triples (12), fourth in home runs (47) and seventh in RBI (178). His 19 doubles this season tied for seventh all-time and his 19 home runs tied for the eighth highest total in a single season. Six freshmen, including four position players, played key roles on the Cards youthful squad this season. OF/IF DANIEL BURTON earned a spot on C-USA's All-Freshman team after leading the team's freshmen in hitting at .294 with 13 doubles. SS CHRIS CATES batted .279 with a league-high 165 assists.

MEMPHIS
The Tigers made their first trip to the Conference USA Tournament since they advanced to the semifinals of the 2001 tourney. Senior JARRETT GRUBE and junior DEREK HANKINS became the first duo in school history to register 100 strikeouts in a season. Grube owns a league-low 2.82 ERA and was 9-4 with 110 strikeouts. Hankins recorded 10 or more strikeouts in a game four times and owned an 8-5 record with a league-high 114 K's. Junior SS BRENT DLUGACH hit safely in 24 of 29 league games and hit a team-best .357 in Conference USA play. Twenty-one of his 40 hits in league play were extra-base hits (12 doubles, two triples and seven home runs). In all games, he led the team in doubles (16) and homers (9), while driving in 37.

SAINT LOUIS
The Billikens dropped two of three to Memphis, but did close out the season with a victory in the series finale. Saint Louis got at least one hit from every position player in the lineup, including a pair of three-run home runs from seniors KYLE WORT and BRAD DAUBACH in an 8-3 win in the season finale. Freshman RYAN BIRD picked up his third win as he allowed just two earned runs and struck out five in 6-2/3 innings. Senior JOE BUEHLER made his school record 26th appearance of the season to close down the Tigers in the top of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts. The win also marked the 300th career victory for head coach BOB HUGHES.

USF
For the first time ever, the Bulls failed to qualify for the Conference USA Tournament. At 31-24, USF did win 30 or more games for the fourth year in a row. In the series finale against Louisville on Saturday, senior SS MYRON LESLIE broke the school's all-time record for hits with his 312th career hit. Leslie led the team in batting at .361 and ranks in the top 10 of the conference in doubles with 23. Freshman RHP CASEY HUDSPETH won eight games this year, the most by a USF freshman since Mark Roberts and Pat Ryan each won eight in 1994. He also led the team in ERA (3.45) and strikeouts (74). Junior OF BRYAN HIERLMEIER was the only USF player this season to post double figure totals in doubles (10) and home runs (11).

SOUTHERN MISS
The Golden Eagles will be making back-to-back NCAA appearances for just the second time in school history. With 44 wins, Southern Miss is just three victories of the school record of 47 wins, set by last year's club. The Golden Eagles reached the championship game of the Conference USA Tournament for the second straight year and set tourney records for home runs (13) and RBI (55) along the way. Southern Miss hit grand slams in three different games, with JARRETT HOFFPAUIR, RYAN FRITH and CARLOS VELASQUEZ each hitting one. Hoffpauir and MATT SHEPHERD became just the fifth and sixth players in school history to top 100 hits in a season. Hoffpauir currently has 104 hits (two shy of the record set by Michael Artman in 1999), while Shepherd has 102. Hoffpauir has also tied the school record for RBI with 86 and his 25 doubles are just five shy of the USM record. Freshman RHP PATRICK EZELL pitched 9 1/3 scoreless innings in the C-USA Tournament, picking up a seven-inning complete-game win over Memphis and throwing in relief in the championship game.

TCU
TCU defeated Southern Miss, 3-1, to earn its first-ever conference tournament championship on Sunday. The Horned Frogs became only the second team to lose in the opening round of the tournament and then win five consecutive games to capture the tournament crown. With a victory in the championship game, senior RHP CLAYTON JEROME moved into second place on the school's all-time wins list with 28. He also moved into sole possession of third place on the school's all-time strikeout chart with 311. After opening the year as a starter, senior RHP ROBBIE FINDLAY has performed very well as the Horned Frogs closer. In 31 appearances, he is 5-1 with a league-high 11 saves and 59 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings pitched. The 11 saves are a new TCU single-season record, breaking the old record of 10, set by Tim Grieve in 1994. OF/DH CHAD HUFFMAN was named C-USA freshman of the Year after leading all C-USA freshmen in batting (.395) and on-base percentage (.491), while leading the circuit in being hit by pitched with 22. SHELBY FORD leads all freshmen in home runs with 16 and has hit two homers in a game three times this season. TCU pitchers have allowed a league-low 44 home runs this season.

TULANE
The Green Wave will be making their seventh consecutive NCAA appearance and 16th trip overall. Tulane has placed first or second in C-USA in eight of the league's first nine seasons. Sophomore P/OF BRIAN BOGUSEVIC may be the most successful two-way player in the league this season. On the mound, he is 8-5 with a 3.84 ERA and 79 strikeouts with just 21 walks. At the plate, he is batting .342 with 13 doubles, nine home runs and a team-best 62 RBI. The Wave's top two hitters are both transfers from Miami (Fla.). Junior OF MATT BARKET is hitting .385 with 17 doubles, seven home runs and 50 RBI. He has reached base safely via a walk or a hit in 51 of 57 games. Junior C GREG DINI is batting .364 with 16 doubles, 11 homers and 48 RBI. Tulane's pitchers have struck out 394 batters, while walking only 148.

UAB
UAB earned spot in the Conference USA Tournament for the first time since reaching semifinals of the 2000 Tourney in St. Petersburg, Fla. and once again advanced to the semifinal round before being eliminated by Southern Miss. The Blazers posted their second straight winning season and their 30 victories was their highest total since 1997. UAB closed out its season by winning 11 of its last 16 road contests, including nine of 13 against C-USA opponents on the road. UAB was 15-2 this season when scoring 10 or more runs. Head coach LARRY GIANGROSSO notched his 700th career coaching victory in the come-from-behind win over Memphis in the C-USA Tournament. He now owns a 700-446-1 (.611) record in 26 seasons as a head coach.


THE POLLS

Baseball America (May 31)
1. Stanford (44-12)
2. Miami (Fla.) (44-11)
3. Texas (50-13)
4. Rice (43-12)
5. Notre Dame (49-10)
6. South Carolina (45-15)
7. Georgia Tech (41-19)
8. EAST CAROLINA (48-11)
9. Cal State Fullerton (36-20)
10. Arkansas (39-21)
11. Georgia (38-20)
12 Louisiana State (41-17)
13. Oral Roberts (48-9)
14. Washington (37-18-1)
15. Mississippi (39-19)
16. Florida State (42-20)
17. Arizona State (40-16)
18. Long Beach State (36-19)
19. Vanderbilt (42-17)
20. Oklahoma (37-22)
21. Florida (40-20)
22. SOUTHERN MISS (44-17)
23. Virginia (42-13)
24. Oklahoma State (37-22)
25. Wichita State (47-14)

Collegiate Baseball (May 31)
1. Miami (Fla.) (44-11)
2. Stanford (44-12)
3. Texas (50-13)
4. Rice (43-12)
5. Georgia Tech (41-19)
6. Notre Dame (49-10)
7. EAST CAROLINA (48-11)
8. Virginia (42-13)
9. Arkansas (39-21)
10. Georgia (38-20)
11. Washington (37-18-1)
12 Louisiana State (41-17)
13. Cal State Fullerton (36-20)
14. Mississippi (39-19)
15. Oral Roberts (48-9)
16. South Carolina (45-15)
17. Florida State (42-20)
18. Arizona State (40-16)
19. Long Beach State (36-19)
20. UCF (44-16)
21. Oklahoma (37-22)
22. Clemson (36-24)
23. North Carolina (41-19)
24. Wichita State (47-14)
25. SOUTHERN MISS (44-17)
26. Vanderbilt (42-17)
27. Oklahoma State (37-22)
28. Florida (40-20)
29. TULANE (38-19)
30. Texas A&M (39-19)


Sports Weekly/ESPN (May 31)
1. Stanford (44-12)
2. Texas (50-13)
3. Miami (Fla.) (44-11)
4. Rice (43-12)
5. South Carolina (45-15)
6. Notre Dame (49-10)
7. EAST CAROLINA (48-11)
8 Louisiana State (41-17)
9. Arizona State (40-16)
10. Georgia Tech (41-19)
11. Arkansas (39-21)
12. Long Beach State (36-19)
13. Mississippi (39-19)
14. Texas A&M (39-19)
15. Wichita State (47-14)
16. Cal State Fullerton (36-20)
17. Florida State (42-20)
18. Virginia (42-13)
19. North Carolina (41-19)
20. Georgia (38-20)
21. Washington (37-18-1)
22. Oral Roberts (48-9)
23. Vanderbilt (42-17)
24. Florida (40-20)
25. TULANE (38-19)

NCBWA (May 31)
1. Miami (Fla.) (44-11)
2. Texas (50-13)
3. Stanford (44-12)
4. Rice (43-12)
5. Notre Dame (49-10)
6. EAST CAROLINA (48-11)
7. South Carolina (45-15)
8. Wichita State (47-14)
9. Georgia Tech (41-19)
10. Cal State Fullerton (36-20)
11 Louisiana State (41-17)
12. Oral Roberts (48-9)
13. Virginia (42-13)
14. Arkansas (39-21)
15. Washington (37-18-1)
16. Georgia (38-20)
17. Oklahoma (37-22)
18. Mississippi (39-19)
19. Florida (40-20)
20. Arizona State (40-16)
21. SOUTHERN MISS (44-17)
22. Lamar (41-14)
23. TULANE (38-19)
24. Florida State (42-20)
25. Vanderbilt (42-17)
26. Texas A&M (39-19)
27. Long Beach State (36-19)
28. UCF (44-16)
29. Florida Atlantic (45-15)
30. College of Charleston (45-15)
31. Texas Tech (38-19)
32. North Carolina (41-19)
33. Oklahoma State (37-22)
34. Tennessee (37-22)
35. Birmingham-Southern


TWO USM PLAYERS EARN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Two Southern Miss players have been named All-Americans by USA Today/Sports Weekly. Infielder JARRETT HOFFPAUIR and outfielder RYAN FRITH were each named second team All-Americans by the publication.

TITLE HOLDERS
East Carolina is the fifth school to win a regular season championship in the league's first nine seasons. TCU became the fifth different school to win the conference tournament in nine years. Here's a look at C-USA's champions:

Year Regular Season Tournament
2004 East Carolina TCU
2003 Southern Miss Southern Miss
2002 Houston East Carolina
2001 Tulane Tulane
2000 Houston Houston
1999 Houston Tulane
1998 Tulane Tulane
1997 Tulane Houston
1996 USF Tulane

LEADING THE WAY
East Carolina set a new league record for conference victories in a season with 25. The team's four-game win margin was the first time that a team won the regular season title by more than two games.

25 EAST CAROLINA 2004
23 Southern Miss 2003
22 TCU 2003
22 Houston 2002
22 Tulane 1998

AMONG THE BEST
After owning the best record in college baseball for four weeks in a row, East Carolina (48-11) now ranks third among Division I schools. Here's a look at the top marks:

1. Oral Roberts 48-9
2. Notre Dame 49-10
3. EAST CAROLINA 48-11
4. Miami (Fla.) 44-11
5. Texas 50-13
6. Stanford 44-12
7. Rice 43-12

BEATING THE BEST
Conference USA teams combined to defeat 10 regular season champions during the 2004 season. Included were the champions of the Atlantic Sun (UCF), Big South (Birmingham-Southern), Big West (Cal State Fullerton), Horizon (Illinois-Chicago), Metro Atlantic (LeMoyne), Ohio Valley (Austin Peay), Patriot (Army), SWAC (Mississippi Valley State), Sun Belt (Middle Tennessee) and WAC (Rice).


C-USA AWARDS
Here's a look at the 2004 Conference USA postseason awards:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ryan Jones, East Carolina

PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Greg Bunn, East Carolina

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Chad Huffman, TCU

KEITH LeCLAIR COACH OF THE YEAR
Randy Mazey, East Carolina

FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Jarrett Hoffpauir Southern Miss
IF Trevor Lawhorn East Carolina
IF Ryan Norwood East Carolina
IF Matt Shepherd Southern Miss
OF Matt Barket Tulane
OF Ryan Frith Southern Miss
OF Mark Jurich Louisville
C Devin Ivany USF
DH/UT Ryan Jones East Carolina
P Greg Bunn East Carolina
P J.R. Crowel Tulane
P Jarrett Grube Memphis
P Casey Hudspeth USF
RP Austin Tubb Southern Miss

SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
IF Brent Dlugach Memphis
IF Shelby Ford TCU
IF Myron Leslie USF
IF Jamie Rusco Charlotte
OF Chad Huffman TCU
OF Jamie Paige East Carolina
OF Darryl Lawhorn ECU
OF Travis Tully Houston
C Steve Pickerell Cincinnati
DH/UT Brian Bogusevic Tulane
P Anthony DeWitt Southern Miss
P Derek Hankins Memphis
P Cory Hahn Tulane
P Clayton Jerome TCU
RP Robbie Findlay TCU

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Daniel Burton, OF/1B/DH, Louisville
Mike Cashion, P, Southern Miss
German Duran, SS, TCU
Patrick Ezell, P, Southern Miss
Shelby Ford, 3B, TCU
Casey Hudspeth, P, USF
Chad Huffman, DH/IF, TCU
Daniel Latham, P, Tulane
Brad Lincoln, P, Houston
Shane Matthews, P, East Carolina
Zac Ward, IF, UAB