Maine was chosen to host by a vote of the conference's athletic directors at a meeting at the University at Albany on Thursday, October 18. Albany and the University of Vermont also submitted bids.

"We are excited to play the America East Men's Baseball Championship at Mahaney Diamond," said Chris Monasch, Commissioner of America East and a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. "That ballpark has hosted some of the great collegiate games in the Northeast over the past 20 years. We look forward to adding to that tradition."

Named for its chief benefactor, Larry K. Mahaney, a 1951 graduate of Maine and former assistant coach at the school, the 4,000-seat Mahaney Diamond has been the site of five NCAA Regional Tournaments (most recently 1991), the ECAC North Playoffs in 1985, the ECAC Tournament in 1990 and 1991, and the America East (then North Atlantic Conference) Championship in 1996.

"We are thrilled to have an event of this magnitude at Mahaney Diamond and on the campus of the University of Maine," said Paul Kostacopoulos, Maine head baseball coach. "Baseball fans coming to Mahaney Diamond for the first time will experience one of the premier college facilities in the East. The loyal Maine fans will see a product reminiscent of past championship events, with a quality of play similar to that of the NCAA Regionals of the late 1980s."

The America East Championship has utilized the present format of a single site for the tournament since 1995. Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, Delaware, the home of the Kansas City Royals Single-A affiliate, was the host of the America East Championship in 1995 and again from 1997 to 2001.

America East will consist of seven teams for the 2002 baseball regular-season schedule: Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, Maine, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University, and Vermont.

Game times and ticket information for the 2002 America East Men’s Baseball Championship will be announced at a later date.

2002 America East Baseball Championship
Mahaney Diamond, Orono, Maine
Thursday, May 23
Game 1-- pairings TBA, 3:30 p.m.
Game 2-- pairings TBA, 7 p.m.

Friday, May 24
Game 3-- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 4-- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Game 5-- Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 7 p.m.