East Carolina back in NCAA field

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — After a long wait, East Carolina is back in the NCAA tournament.

The Pirates earned their second berth and first in 25 years when the tournament field was announced tonight. East Carolina is the 13th seed in the Greensboro regional and faces fourth-seeded Rutgers in East Lansing, Michigan, on Sunday.

East Carolina's last NCAA appearance came against South Carolina in 1982.

Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener is in her fifth season with the Pirates. She says it's been a tough stretch for the coaching staff to build the program, but she called the bid "a great accomplishment" for the program.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)