Feb. 25, 2004

SAN DIEGO - Advance ticket sales for the opening baseball game of the Aztec Invitational at PETCO Park have surpassed the NCAA's single-game record for attendance.

The tournament begins March 11th when San Diego State hosts Houston at 7 p.m. in PETCO Park. Sales for that opening game have exceeded 29,000. The NCAA single-game record for a college baseball game is 27,673 in a game played between LSU and Tulane.

The event will be the first in the new home of the San Diego Padres.

"This event really provides a rare opportunity for any college program," said Steve Schnall, San Diego State's associate athletic director for marketing. "We are very grateful to the Padres for allowing us to open their new home. It will be a landmark event and a great day for San Diego State."

Nearly 9,000 all-session tickets have been purchased for the tournament, which features local squads SDSU, San Diego, UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene, along with Houston, Nebraska, UCLA and Long Beach State. The tournament runs March 11-14th.

Individual day passes are $15 for adults and $10 for students. They can be purchased at the PETCO Park Box Office (enter from Imperial) or by calling 1-877-FRIAR-TIX. Tickets are also available at the Aztec Ticket Office (Window G at Qualcomm Stadium). SDSU students may purchase tickets for the March 11th game at the Aztec Center Ticket Office on campus.