May 5, 2009
SLIAC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT TO BEGIN THURSDAY

ST. LOUIS - The four team field is set for the 2009 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Baseball Tournament. Fontbonne University, Greenville College, Maryville University and Webster University will do battle in the double elimination tournament, which begins Thursday, May 7, at Glik Park in Highland, Ill.

Webster University earned the top seed in the Tournament after posting a perfect 24-0 record in SLIAC play. The Gorloks will face No. 4 Fontbonne in the first round of the tournament, while No. 2 Maryville and No. 3 Greenville will do battle in the first round.

Webster has claimed three consecutive regular season championships, and has won the SLIAC Tournament Championship every year since it was reinstated in 2005. Last season's tournament was called due to weather, but the Gorloks earned the Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the highest remaining seed in the field. Webster is 13-9 in 12 total conference tournament appearances.

Maryville was the No. 3 seed in last year's tournament. The Saints, who have won only one conference tournament championship (1992), are 11-13 all-time in the conference tournament.

Greenville has made eight tournament appearances but has yet to claim a tournament championship. The Panthers, who were the No. 4 seed in last year's tournament, are 7-14 overall in the SLIAC Tournament.

Fontbonne, who has one tournament championship (1998), hasn't qualified for the SLIAC Tournament since the 1999 season, when they were also the No. 4 seed. The Griffins are 10-6 in five total tournament appearances.

Tournament action will begin at 2:30 pm on Thursday, May 7. Admission for the 2009 SLIAC Tournament is $5 for adults and $2 for students of competing teams and children under 16. A complete schedule and other information on the tournament can be found on the tournament website.