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Music City, here we come…
 
Eastern Illinois baseball will be making its third NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level and first since the 2008 season as they Panthers will play in the Vanderbilt Regional in Nashville, Tenn., this weekend.
 
EIU won five games last weekend in Marion, Ill., to win the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title after finishing in fifth place in the OVC regular-season standings, just one game out of second place in a tightly bunched finish at the top of the conference.
 
The Panthers opening round opponent will be the host Commodores who won the SEC Tournament title and are ranked No. 4 in the nation with a 41-18 record heading into the Regional.
 
The Vanderbilt Regional features four conference tournament champions with Pac-12 Conference Champion Oregon (37-20) facing Big East Champion Xavier (37-23) in the other regional game.  
 
EIU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 38-19 record, the 38 wins ranking as the most in program history.  EIU's previous two trips to the NCAA Tournament at the NCAA Division I level were in 1999 at the Waco Regional (hosted by Baylor) and 2008 at the Lincoln Regional (hosted by Nebraska).  EIU is 1-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level.
 
The Panthers had success at the NCAA Division II and NAIA level making four College World Series appearances placing 2nd (1981), 5th (1978) and 3rd (1973) at the D2 level and making the NAIA series in 1964.
 
Friday Schedule
12 pm – Xavier vs. Oregon (ESPN+)
7 pm – Eastern Illinois vs. Vanderbilt (SEC Network)
 
Ticket information will be published when available for the weekend event.