OU Selected to host Regional & Year of the Fan Event

2010 NCAA NORMAN REGIONAL
Date	Friday, June 4 - Monday, June 7
Location	Norman, Okla. \| OU Athletics Visitor's Guide
Year of the Fan	Meet and Greet on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Facilities	L. Dale Mitchell Park \| OU Facilities
Tickets	Online at SoonerSports.com
Maps & Directions	University of Oklahoma Campus \| City of Norman
Additional Info	NCAA Norman Regional Central

NORMAN, Okla. -- The NCAA announced Sunday that the University of Oklahoma was selected as one of 16 sites for next week's NCAA Baseball Regional. In addition, the baseball program will be hosting a "Year of the Fan" event on Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park to give fans that have purchased tickets for the regional a behind-the-scenes look at a Sooner practice.

The event will run from 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. and will feature a meet and greet with players and coaches, autographs, an opportunity to be on the field during batting practice and a tour of the Sooners' clubhouse and indoor practice facility. Interactive games, food and drinks will also be available.

"We are obviously excited to host again this year, but even more excited to be hosting this event on Tuesday night for our fans," said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. "We are looking forward to welcoming Sooner Nation to one of our practices and for them to be involved with the movement that this program is making."

In order to attend Tuesday night's event, fans will have to purchase an all-session ticket for the NCAA Regional in advance or on Tuesday at the gate. A single game general admission or outfield ticket for OU's Friday game is also available for sale at the gate on Tuesday and will grant admission to the "Year of the Fan" event.

Click here or the link above to purchase all-session tickets or call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 800-456-goOU.

The 2010 NCAA Norman Regional, a double-elimination format, begins on Friday, June 4, with two opening round games and runs through Monday, June 7 (if necessary) at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The Sooners will be making the program's 33nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and fifth under Golloway.

"To host three out of our five years since I have been here is an accomplishment," said Golloway. "However, it can't just be about hosting. It has to be about winning. That is where we need our fans because what creates a home-field advantage for our student athletes is the crowd. It's playing in a hostile environment for the visiting teams."

This season marks the third time in the last five years that the Sooners' home has been chosen to host an NCAA Regional in Norman. In 2006, the Sooners won the Norman Regional en route to the program's first Super Regional appearance. Last season, OU was the nation's No. 7 national seed, a program first.

Oklahoma also hosted regionals in Norman in 1975 and 1977 before L. Dale Mitchell Park opened in 1982. On three different occasions, the Sooners have hosted a regional in Oklahoma City at the Bricktown Ballpark (1995, 2000 and 2004).

The No. 12 Sooners (44-15) finished the 2010 regular season with a 22-6 mark at L. Dale Mitchell Park. In the four prior NCAA Regional appearances in Norman, OU owns a combined 11-6 record with a trip to the 1975 College World Series and a 2006 Super Regional appearance. Overall, the Sooners are 18-10 when hosting an NCAA Regional.

Along with Oklahoma, Texas is the other host school from the Big 12 Conference.

By virtue of being awarded a regional, all 16 host institutions have also been selected to the 64-team field. Arkansas, Auburn, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (Florida), Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, UCLA and Virginia, have made the field as at-large selections. Arizona State (Pacific-10), Cal State Fullerton (Big West), Coastal Carolina (Big South) and TCU (Mountain West) have clinched automatic berths by virtue of winning their conference tournament championships.

The remaining at-large teams, top-eight national seeds, first-round regional pairings and site assignments will be announced at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, Monday, May 31, during a live, half-hour program on ESPNHD. The committee will set the entire 64-team bracket through both the super regionals and the first round of the Men's College World Series, and will not reseed the field after play begins.

Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.NCAA.com/cws, Monday, June 7 at approximately 11 p.m. (ET). There are 30 Division I conferences which will receive an automatic berth in the field of 64, along with 34 at-large selections. The 64th Men's College World Series begins play Saturday, June 19, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.

Tentative 2010 NCAA Norman Regional Schedule (all times subject to change)
Friday, June 4
1 p.m. Game 1
7 p.m. Game 2

Saturday, June 5
1 p.m. Game 3 (Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2)
7 p.m. Game 4 (Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2)

Sunday, June 6
1 p.m. Game 5 (Winner Game 3. vs. Loser Game 4)
7 p.m. Game 6 (Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5)

Monday, June 7
7 p.m. Game 7 (if necessary same teams as Game 6)