JAMAICA, N.Y. -- The St. Johns University mens golf team will tee off on Thursday morning in the first round of the NCAA East Regional, being played at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The Red Storm will compete with nine of the nations top-25 squads in the field of 27 teams, which will play 54 holes over three days, beginning Thursday morning.

The top 10 teams and the top two individuals not among the winning teams will advance to competed at the NCAA Championships, being held from May 30 to June 2 at Duke Universitys Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina.

The 27-team field is headlined by Southeastern Conference champion Georgia, ranked first in the latest edition of the MasterCard Collegiate Rankings, Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech (#2) and 2000 East Regional winner Clemson (#3). The SEC will also be represented by ninth-ranked Florida, 22nd-ranked Auburn, Louisiana State and Mississippi, while ACC members North Carolina State (#7) and Duke (#21) will also compete.

St. Johns, ranked second in District 2 in the MasterCard Collegiate Rankings, are among three BIG EAST schools competing this weekend, joined by conference champion Virginia Tech and Seton Hall.

The Red Storm should be paired with North Carolina State and Auburn during the first round of competition. Coincidentally, sophomores Andrew Svoboda (Harrison, N.Y./Mamaroneck) and Jesse Fitzgerald (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville), who lead the team in stroke average, transferred from those school to St. Johns.

Svoboda, who is ranked 69th nationally by GolfStat, has led the Red Storm this season. Through 30 rounds of play this year, Svoboda has posted a 72.84 stroke average, which ranks among the top-75 in the country. Svoboda is one of only two BIG EAST golfers ranked among the top-100, just five spots behind Brian Krusoe of nationally-ranked Virginia Tech. Svoboda, who was named District II golfer of the Month in October after winning two events, has had a spectacular season for St. Johns. He has seven top-five finishes this year in 11 events, highlighted by wins at the James Madison Invitational (one-under par 141) and the Temple Owl Invitational (one-under par 141). In addition, he finished in second place in three different events.

Joining him has been Fitzgerald, who is second on the team with a 73.34 stroke average. Fitzgerald is carrying a 73.11 stroke average in 19 rounds this spring and has five top-five finishes this year. He posted a three-under par 139 to win The McLaughlin during the Fall and came back during the Spring to fire a six-under par 138 and take top honors at the Liberty Ramada Classic.