PHILADELPHIA, PA - The head baseball coaches at five Division I universities in Philadelphia gathered Monday to announce the formation of the Philadelphia Diamond Five. The group encompasses the five universities in Philadelphia that sponsor baseball-La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Villanova.

Formed with the mission of increasing the exposure of college baseball in the area, the Diamond Five will name its first-ever all-star team at the conclusion of the season. In addition, a player and pitcher of the week will be announced every Tuesday beginning March 14.

"It was hopefully a historic day for college baseball in Philadelphia," Penn's John Cole said. "I'm very excited about the enthusiasm towards the common goal, which is the betterment of college baseball in the area."

"We're extremely excited about the Diamond Five," Temple's Rob Valli said. "Our ability to unify Philadelphia college baseball will allow us to increase the level of exposure for our players and improve community outreach."

Cole, Valli, La Salle's Lee Saverio, Saint Joseph's Shawn Pender and Villanova's Joe Godri also hope to form an improved relationship with the Philadelphia Phillies, including additional games at Citizens Bank Park.

The Diamond Five will also host high school coaches clinics and instructional camps.

Villanova (2-1) and Saint Joseph's (0-3) opened up their seasons this past weekend at Norfolk State and Georgia Southern, respectively. The Wildcats travel to #7 Texas, the defending NCAA Champion, this weekend, Temple takes on #15 LSU in Baton Rouge, La, while Penn is idle until traveling to Florida on March 4.

La Salle will open its season this weekend when they travel to perennial Pac-10 power Arizona. They take on the Wildcats in three games, starting Friday.