MONARCHS PLAY BIG TEN CHAMPION ILLINOIS IN NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT FRIDAY

Old Dominion University (33-22-1) received an at-large bid to the NCAA Baseball Tournament as a number two seed and will play Big Ten Champion Illinois (40-21) on Friday, May 26 at 2 p.m. in Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, SC. The game can be seen on satellite television on Telstar 6C, Transponder 11.

This is the Monarchs first trip to the NCAA's since 1996 and their fifth in the last 11 years. This is also the Monarchs first at-large selection since 1990. The Monarchs were co-regular season champions of the Colonial Athletic Association with East Carolina (44-16). The Pirates, CAA Tournament Champions, are the #1 seed in Lafayette, La.

Old Dominion will be led by the CAA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Tim Hummel (Montgomery, NY.). Hummel, a junior hit .403 with eight home runs and a team leading 68 runs batted in. He ranked third in the CAA in hitting, and was named first team All-American shortstop by BASEBALL WEEKLY.

Sophomore first baseman Jared Musolf (Lakehurst, NJ.) ranked second in the CAA in hitting at .419 and knocked in 51 runs. He was a first team All-CAA selection. Other Monarchs hitting over 300 are sophomore thirdbaseman Jeff Eure (Pillow, Pa.) at .338 with 60 RBI and eight homers; freshman rightfielder Brent Sollenberger (Chambersburg, Pa.) at .307 and senior centerfielder Joe Troilo (Avondale, Pa.) at .301 with 50 RBI's and 29 stolen bases.

Pitching leaders are junior righthander Shawn Weaver (Logontan, Pa.) who is 9-4 on the season, while J.D. Jackson (Sallisaw, OK.) Is 5-5 and freshman Mike Hoover (Gloucester, Va.) is 4-2.