From the Hartford Courant.....

By DOM AMORE


UConn's baseball team hopes to capitalize on its breakthrough season by bringing NCAA baseball back to Connecticut.

The Huskies (39-6) who will try to set a school season victories tonight at South Florida and have clinched a spot in the Big East tournament, are planning to submit a bid to host one of the 16 NCAA regionals the first weekend in June.

UConn wants to host the event at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, which is available until the New York-Penn League's first-year Connecticut Tigers begin their season in late June.

"We feel, with the season we've had, it's a good chance to showcase Northeast baseball," said UConn spokesman Mike Enright.

The NCAA tournament has 64 teams, assigned to 16 regional sites. The four teams at each site play a double-elimination tournament, and the 16 winners advance to eight super regionals, which are best two-of-three series.

The eight survivors advance to the College World Series in Omaha.

The Huskies (16-5 Big East), ranked between 19th and 22nd in four national polls, entered play on Saturday tied with No. 7 Louisville for first place in the Big East. The winner of the Big East tournament May 26-30 in Clearwater, Fla., gets an automatic bid. But the Huskies, with wins over Southern Cal, Ohio State and Boston College, will likely earn an at-large bid.

The bids to host the regionals are due Friday; the sites will be announced May 30. The NCAA tournament selection show is May 31.

UConn and the state last hosted an NCAA regional in 1990, at Waterbury's Municipal Stadium.