The University of Mount Olive baseball program earned the fourth seed as an automatic qualifier in the upcoming Southeast Regional of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.
The Trojans will be making their 19th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and will face the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Champion No. 5 seed Georgia Southwestern (34-17) in the opening game on Thursday, May 18, at 3:30 p.m. Both teams will be traveling to Tigerville, South Carolina, as No. 1 seed North Greenville (44-8) earn hosting rights in the two-pod regional. The Crusaders secure an opening-round bye as the top-seed and will face the loser of Mount Olive/Georgia Southwestern at 7:30 p.m. on May 18. Under head coach Rob Watt, UMO enters the NCAA Tournament with a 36-15 record this season after winning four-straight elimination games in the conference tournament to win the league title.
Newberry (41-13), the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Champion, earned hosting rights in the other pod after being awarded the second seed. The Wolves will face seventh-seeded UNC Pembroke (38-15) in the opening-round contest. In the other first-round game, No. 3 Belmont Abbey (38-16) meets sixth-seeded Columbus State (36-15).
The winner from each pod will face off the following week in the Super Regional in a best-of-three series to determine who advances to the championship site in Cary, North Carolina.
