CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
POOL PLAY BRACKET

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –  After finishing the regular-season with a two-game lead in the conference standings, Louisville has earned the No. 1 seed in the 2014 American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship, which begins Wednesday, May 21, at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida.
 
The top eight teams in the final regular-season standings qualified for the inaugural American Championship, which consists of an eight-team pool-play schedule. Teams in each four-team pool will play a round-robin set of three games through the first four days of the championship, with all 12 of those games carried on The American Digital Network.
 
The winners of each pool advance to Sunday’s final, which will be televised at noon ET on ESPNU. The winner of Sunday’s final will be the American Athletic Conference’s automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division I Championship.
 
The tournament’s opening ceremonies and awards presentations will be Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at Bright House Field, followed by the American Athletic Conference Home Run Derby at 8 p.m.
 
Louisville, ranked No. 6 nationally in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, won its third consecutive conference championship and its fifth regular-season title in the last six years as the Cardinals went 43-13 overall and 19-5 in The American. In addition to claiming the first regular-season crown in the American Athletic Conference, Louisville won Big East regular-season titles in 2009. 2010, 2012 and 2013.
 
Louisville will begin play in Pool A Thursday at 3 p.m. ET against No. 8-seeded Memphis (28-27, 8-15 American). Rutgers (29-23, 14-9), which earned the No. 4 seed, joins No. 5-seeded USF (26-29, 10-14), along with the Cardinals and Tigers in Pool A.
 
UCF went 34-22 overall and 17-7 in The American to earn the No. 2 seed in the championship and the top seed in Pool B. The Knights join No. 3-seeded Houston (41-14, 14-9 American), No. 6 Temple (14-30, 9-14) and No. 7 UConn (26-29, 9-14). UCF will play in the first game of the tournament when the Knights face UConn Wednesday at 11 a.m.
 
Houston, ranked No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches’ poll, finished the regular season tied with Rutgers at 14-9 in conference play, but the Cougars earned the tiebreaker by virtue of their series win against the Scarlet Knights. Temple and UConn both finished in sixth place at 9-14 in The American, but the Owls were awarded the higher seed thanks to their series win.
 
All-session and single-session ticket packages are available through the Clearwater Threshers online ticket service.

2014 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Bright House Field • Clearwater, Fla.
 
Pool A
No. 1 Louisville (43-13, 19-5 American)
No. 4 Rutgers (29-23, 14-9 American)
No. 5 USF (26-29, 10-14 American)
No. 8 Memphis (28-28, 8-16 American)
 
Pool B
No. 2 UCF (34-22, 17-7 American)
No. 3 Houston (41-14, 14-9 American)
No. 6 Temple (14-30, 9-14 American)
No. 7 UConn (26-29, 9-14 American)
 
Tuesday, May 21 (American Digital Network) – Opening Ceremonies
6 p.m.                     Gates open
6:45 p.m.               Parade of Teams
7 p.m.                     Awards Presentation
8 p.m.                     Home Run Derby
8:50 p.m.               Fireworks display
                               
        Home Run Derby Participants
        UCF – Tommy Williams (.265, 11 HR, 44 RBI)
        UConn – Blake Davey (.319, 10 HR, 31 RBI)
        Houston – Jake Lueneburg (.265, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
        Louisville – Jeff Gardner (.340, 8 HR, 61 RBI)
        Memphis – Chris Carrier (.156, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
        Rutgers – Lou Clemente (.267, 2 HR, 19 RBI)
        USF – Austin Lueck (.278, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
        Temple – Frank D'Agostino (.203, 0 HR, 14 RBI)
 
Wednesday, May 21 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
11 a.m.                  No. 7 UConn vs. No. 2 UCF
3 p.m.                     No. 6 Temple vs. No. 3 Houston
7 p.m.                     No. 5 USF vs. No. 4 Rutgers
 
Thursday, May 22 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
11 a.m.                  No. 3 Houston vs. No. 7 UConn
3 p.m.                     No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 1 Louisville
7 p.m.                     No. 2 UCF vs. No. 6 Temple
 
Friday, May 23 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
11 a.m.                  No. 4 Rutgers vs. No. 8 Memphis
3 p.m.                     No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 5 USF
7 p.m.                     No. 3 Houston vs. No. 2 UCF
 
Saturday, May 24 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
11 a.m.                  No. 7 UConn vs. No. 6 Temple
3 p.m.                     No. 4 Rutgers vs. No. 1 Louisville
7 p.m.                     No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 5 USF
 
Sunday, May 25 – Final (ESPNU)
Noon                      Pool A winner vs. Pool B winner
 
all times Eastern