The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team makes its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, opening against the hosts at Franklin Pierce University. First pitch is set for 11:00 am, and you can follow all the action HERE.

St. Thomas Aquinas won its third straight ECC Championship and takes the #6 seed into this year's regional opener in Rindge, NH. The Spartans enter with a 27-17-1 overall record and the #6 seed, looking to defend their 2014 East Regional Championship title. FPU has been a powerhouse this season with a 46-2 overall record and stand as the reigning Northeast-10 champs and #1 seed.

In the double-elimination format, the winner of today's game will play at 3:00 pm tomorrow, while the loser will play at 11:00 am. For full tournament schedule and details, click here for East Regional Tournament Central.

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Unfortunately, games in this weekend's regional will not be available for either audio or video broadcast. However, the STAC faithful are in Rindge in force, and we will be liveblogging details throughout today's game, so be sure to follow along with Live Stats and refresh often!

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1:26 - Walsh, O'Herron, LaVorgna, 4-5-6 in the home 9th. Continuing the theme, Kostolos gets ahead 0-2 and induces the cleanup hitter into a shallow fly to Dingcong for out number 1. O'Herron does a good job taking a 1-0 fastball to right for a ground single, one out, one on. LaVorgna is blown away with a high 1-2 fastball, strikeout number eight is out number two. Hood's sky-high popup in front of the plate is fielded by Cesca, Jr., completing Matt Kostolos' masterful six-hitter and snapping FPU's 27 game winning streak. The Spartans play at 3:00 pm tomorrow against the loser of tonight's game between Southern New Hampshire and Wilmington. FINAL - STAC 3, Franklin Pierce 0

1:17 - Fischer takes a called third strike to lead off. Cesca, Jr., hits a sinking liner to left but White comes in to catch it on the run, two down. Deven Del Priore pinch hitting Hirsch hits a check-swing grounder to second to end the frame. The Spartans go down quickly but are three outs away from the upset. Mid 9th - STAC 3, FPU 0

1:09 - After getting ahead again, Kostolos leaves a 1-2 slider up and Sheehan grounds a hard-hit single to left to lead off. Jabs takes an 0-1 delivery toward left-center but Baerga ranges to his right to track it down for the first out. Razzino follows with a slicing opposite-field liner to right that appears to be trouble, but Dingcong tracks it down streaking into foul territory, and throws to first to double-up Sheehan, retiring the side and bringing a roar from the visiting dugout. End 8th - STAC 3, FPU 0

1:07 - Gargan skies a 2-2 pitch to Sheehan in center, who makes the catch in front of the track for the first out. Fahey continues his strong work, with a slider on the outside corner catching Dingcong looking. Santo goes the other way with a 1-1 deal, as his sinking liner to left falls beyond the outstretched glove of White for a two-out double. Santo is then picked off second, the fourth STAC runner erased on the basepaths. The tension builds as we head to the eighth. Mid 8th, STAC 3, FPU 0

12:58 - Kostolos looks to have regained his control, jumping ahead 0-2 before LaVorgna skies to Dingcong in right. With the breaking pitches in nasty form, Hood taps an 0-2 grounder to Susana for out number two. Again ahead 1-2, Kostolos yields a screaming one-hopper by White that skips through the legs of Fischer at shortstop, with White legging into second with two down. STAC's ace is unfazed, as Brock goes down on three pitches, waving at a slider on the outside part. End 7th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:51 - Baerga's leadoff bunt attempt is fielded by Fahey in front of the mound, out number one. Pena scorches a liner up the middle past the outstrecthed glove of Brock for the Spartans' eighth hit, but Susana grounds into a 5-4-3 around-the-horn double-play. Stretch time in Rindge, New Hampshire as Kostolos paces back to the mound. Mid 7th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:45 - Kostolos just misses with a pair of two-strike offerings, but Razzino swings through a 3-2 fastball for the righty's fifth strikeout of the day. A three hop grounder to Susana at third on a 1-2 pitch retires Walsh for the second out. Kostolos freezes O'Herron for a three-pitch strikeout as the heart of the Ravens' order goes down in order. End 6th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:41 - Fischer hits an artificial-grasscutter to second on a 2-2 pitch for out number one. Fahey's breaking pitch is moving nicely, catching Cesca, Jr., looking for the second out. Hirsch taps one off the dirt in front of the plate, Walsh jumps on it quickly and his throw retires the side for a quick 1-2-3 inning. Mid 6th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:37 - Kostolos has thrown 76 pitches through five. The day remains cool and cloudless, a perfect day for baseball (and just about anything else). Great atmosphere as STAC and FPU fans - all clad in maroon, fill Pappas to cheer on their respective teams.

12:35 - LaVorgna is first-pitch swinging, his grounder is just past Kostolos but right to Pena, who easilly records the first out. Hood falls into a 1-2 hole but smacks a ground single to left just over the glove of a reaching Susana. One on, one out. Kostolos get ahead again but bounces a 1-2 pitch to White, runner to second. White fouls off four tough pitches to run the count full before hitting a scorching liner to the box. Kostolos flashes the leather, with the ball hitting his glove and popping out momentarily before being pinned against his chest, Hood scampers safely back to second with two out. For the first time, Kostolos is starting to battle his control, walking Brock on four pitches. First and second with two out, back to the top of the order. A high pitch brings John Muller out of the STAC dugout for a trip to the mound. Kostolos rebounds to 1-2 but Sheehan shoots a line single to right, too hard to score a run. Bases loaded with two out, as Kostolos' pitch count starts to climb. Jabs is jammed badly on a 1-1 slider and pops to Fischer to retire the side. End 5th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:20 - Gargan laces the first pitch of the visiting 5th into center for a single, markin an end to Mike Lundin's day. Paul Fahey, RHP, is on in relief. Fahey (6-2, 2.37 ERA) is a sidearming righty. with the count 2-2 his pickoff attempt hits Gargan, who advances to second after the carom for the Ravens' third error. Gargan returns the favor, leaving second too early in a steal attempt and getting picked off at third. Dingcong flies out deep to left center, tracked down by Sheehan for out number two. Santo fans on a tailing fastball, the Spartans have the lead but have also had chances for more, with three runners erased on the bases. Mid 5th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:06 - Razzino fans on three pitches, a perfect fastball on the outside corner and two nasty sliders for swinging misses. One out. Walsh also goes down on three pitches, swinging at an offering well out of the strike zone. Two down. O'Herron completes the picture with a swinging strikeout. Kostolos fans the 2-3-4 part of the Ravens order on 10 pitches, just one ball and one foul. End 4th - STAC 3, FPU 0

12:05 - Hirsch leads off with a grounder into the hole but Jabs has him by a step for the first out. Baerga's chopper is fielded by Jabs but his throw is two high for O'Herron at first, one on, one out. Baerga is promptly picked off for the second out. Lundin squanders a chance for a quick inning with a 3-1 walk of Pena. Lundin fans Susana for a nice bounce-back inning. Mid 4th - STAC 3, FPU 0

11:56 - After getting ahead on Kurtis White, Kostolos hits hiim with a 2-2 fastball, leadoff runner on first. Kostolos catches the outside corner with an off-speed delivery, freezing Brock on three strikes for the first out. STAC's ace is hitting his spots with the fastball, Sheehan pops out to Pena at second for out number two. Jabs taps an 0-2 grounder to second and Pena completes the play. Kostolos has thrown 39 pitches through three. Lundin has thrown 67 and is back out for the fourth. End 3rd - STAC 3, FPU 0

11:47 - Lundin jams Baerga with a 1-2 faseball but the broken-bat grounder trickles to the left of the mound beyond the hurler's outstretched glove for a single. Brock's throw from short is awry but Baerga holds at first. With Pena up, Baerga steals second on the first pitch beating the late throw, runner at second, nobody out. Pena drops a perfect bunt down the third base line and has the throw beaten easily. but Jabs' throw skips past O'Herron, bringing Baerga in on the error. Pena holds at first. STAC 1, FPU 0. Runner at first one out. Susana up, swings and misses at a 1-0 pitch, Pena steals second. Pierce seeks batter's inteference but Susana clearly was within the batter's box. Susana chops a grounder to second, Pena to third with one out. Gargan wastes a nasty 2-2 slider before striking out on a similar pitch, runner at 3rd, two out. Dingcong takes advantage of the hard infield, chopping an RBI single over the head of Jabs at third. STAC 2, FPU 0. Santo laces a two-out single up the middle. First and second, two out. Action starts to stir in the Ravens' bullpen as Lundin's pitch count climbs early. A big 0-1 curve is the perfect pitch to steal on as Dingcong takes third and Santo trails. Runners in scoring position with two out. Cesca rips a 2-1 fastball up the middle for an RBI single. Dingcong scores, Santo holds at third but Fischer overruns second and is gunned down for the third out. Mid 3rd - STAC 3, FPU 0

11:25 - Walsh pounds the first pitch into a high one-hopper to Fischer at short. One out. Kostolos falls behind but runs the count full to Matthew O'Herron, who grounds out to Fischer for the second out. Chris LaVorgan slices a 1-2 fastball to right for a single and Kyle Hood brings the crowd to its feet momentarily, skying deep to right but Dingcong reels it in on the warning track to retire the side. End 2nd - STAC 0, FPU 0

11:21 - Dingcong is fooled badly on a pair of check-swing strikes before lacing a 1-2 offering into the left field corner for a double to lead off. Santo falls into an 0-2 hole but works the count full, catcher Matt Walsh's pickoff attempt at second is late, but obstruction is called on shortstop Justin Brock, advancing Dingcong to third. Santo strikes out on the following pitch, one out, runner at third. Fisher falls behind 0-2 and works the count full before taking a slider on the inside corner for a called strike three. Two down. Lundin falls behind Cesca, Jr., before issuing a full count walk. The Spartans are being very patient at the plate againt the talented righty. Hirsh chops a three hopper to third and is gunned down for the final out as STAC squanders an early opportunity. Mid 2nd - STAC 0, FPU 0

11:09 - Maxx Sheehan leads off for the Ravens and works the count to 2-2 from Kostolos before hitting a short pop-up, tracked down by Susana behind the pitchers' mound for the first out. Jay Jabs wastes a pair of 0-2 offerings before lacing a grounder inside the first base bag, legging it out for a triple. John Razzino follows by dropping a bunt down the first base line on the first pitch, but Kostolos reacts quickly and tosses to Cesca, Jr. at the plate to gun down Jabs. Runner at 1st, two out. Matt Walsh takes a strike and Cesca, Jr. unleashes a perfect throw to Pena at second to gun down Razzino attempting to steal. End 1st - STAC 0, FPU 0

11:01 am - Pena chopps a 1-2 offering to second for the first out. Susana also falls behind 1-2 before swinging at a low slider for strike three. Two down. Gargan taps another 1-2 offering to second and Lundin retires the Spartans in order. Mid-1st, STAC 0, FPU coming up.

10:56 am - First pitch to Joey Pena is low and away, ball one. We're underway...

10:55 am - Game time temperature is 56 degrees on a gorgeous, crisp New England morning. Pappas field is artificial field turf with dirt cutouts around the basepaths, mound and plate. Early scouting report are that the field is hard and plays fast. A nice contingent of fans is already on hand to see the day's first of three games.

10:53 am - Lineups have been announced and anthem played, looks like we're on pace for an early start.

10:46 am - Franklin Pierce U Ravens starting lineup: 1) Sheehan, CF; 2) Jabs 3b; 3) Razzino, RF; 4) Walsh, C; 5) O'Herron, 1b; 6) LaVorgna, DH; 7) Hood, 2b; 8) White, LF; 9) Brock, ss; SP) Lundin (8-0, 1.84 ERA)

10:43 am - Spartans' starting lineup: 1) Pena, 2b; 2) Susana, 3b; 3) Gargan, LF; 4) Dingcong, RF; 5) Santo, 1b: 6) Fischer, ss; 7) Cesca, Jr., C; 8) Hirsch, DH; 9) Baerga, CF; SP) Kostolos (7-4, 1.83 ERA).

10:35 am - If it's May, we must be in New Hampshire. Each of STAC's three NCAA Tourney appearances have started in the Granite State, with the last two regionals being hosted by Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. The Spartans arrived on Tuesday and look well rested and ready. Both teams have taken infield practice and the field is being tended to as the pregame countdown is on...