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Message: [QUOTE="Steve UConn72, post: 4672692, member: 6157"] Actually, the first three times UConn made the CWS out of District 1, they only had to beat other New England teams. Some time between 1972 and 1979 (UConn's last CWS team), the NCAA expanded the field for each District to include worthy teams from elsewhere in the nation that couldn't otherwise get in. In '79, UConn was in Northeast Region with Navy, St. John's and Nebraska. The Huskers probably thought they were in a cupcake region, but lost to St. John's 5-0 in the opener, beat Navy in the loser's bracket and then were eliminated by UConn 15-0. UConn then won the region (and qualified for Omaha) by beating the Johnnies 14-4. All eight regions (nee Districts) had four game double elimination tournaments except the East, which had six (three from the Mid-Atlantic area- Delaware, Seton Hall & Delaware) for some reason. An interesting scheduling note (which should sound familiar to long time fans) - UConn went 31-11 that year. Every other team in the CWS WON as many or more games than UConn PLAYED - 42, 46 (Arkansas, which lost in the final), 47, 50, 55 (Cal St. Fullerton, the champ 55-13 coming into the tourney), 53 (Texas, 53-6 coming in), and 55 (Miami @ 55-9). All that to say that I'd guess UMaine had to beat some folks "from away" in their tourney appearances. [/QUOTE]