June is finally here and with that comes the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament; where powerhouse Goliaths and beloved underdogs clash for their right to advance and keep their dreams of a trip to Omaha alive.
I’ve gone through and previewed every one of the 64 teams that will be playing this weekend and what’s at stake for each program as they look to stake their claim as the best team in college baseball.
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No. 1 Winston-Salem Regional
Teams: (1) Wake Forest, (2) Maryland, (3) Northeastern, (4) George Mason
Wake Forest enters the NCAA Tournament as the most dominant team in college baseball this season. The Demon Deacons amassed a 47-10 record, managing to not lose consecutive games all season. They are the team to beat but as we’ve seen in years past, the number one seed isn’t as safe of a position as it may seem.
The Maryland Terrapins have played good baseball all season long. Of note, the Terps have very even, and successful, home/road splits which make for a team that is ultra-competitive no matter the hostile atmosphere they may be walking into. Coming off of the Big 10 Tournament Championship, Maryland will be riding their momentum into Winston-Salem, looking to play spoiler and make a deep run for themselves.
Northeastern is an incredibly interesting team because, despite the CAA’s lack of top-tier competition, the Huskies put together a perfect 6-0 record against top-25 RPI teams. And like Maryland, they have shown that they can win just about anywhere, in any environment.
A10 Champions George Mason will have the most challenging task of the tournament ahead of them. The Patriots only won 13 games in conference play but managed to win their conference auto-bid, placing them directly in the path of Wake Forest who will be looking to open the tournament with a dominant performance.
No. 16 Tuscaloosa Regional
Teams: (1) Alabama, (2) Boston College, (3) Troy, (4), Nicholls State
Alabama has faced a multitude of challenges this year, highlighted by the mid-season firing of Coach Brad Bohannon. However, the Crimson Tide have been rolling to close out the season, winning their final three series in SEC play. They’re one of the hottest teams in the country and are looking to reach their first Super Regional since 2010.
Boston College will head to Tuscaloosa with a chip on its shoulder as they just barely miss out on a hosting seed of its own. The Eagles have played very well on the road this season going 18-9 away from Boston and are in search of a statement performance this weekend.
One of the last four teams in the tournament, Troy finished the regular season strongly, winning their last three series of the year. With much of the attention in this Regional going towards the scorching Crimson Tide and strong Boston College teams, the Trojans will be looking to cause a major upset in their home state.
Nicholls State, like many of the four seeds in the tournament, will be heading to the NCAA Tournament without much experience against the top teams in the country. However, the Colonels did split their games against top-25 RPI teams, demonstrating that if they play at full strength they’ll have a shot at causing some havoc in Tuscaloosa.
No. 9 Coral Gables Regional
Teams: (1) Miami, (2) Texas, (3) Louisiana, (4) Maine
With Miami’s incredibly formidable hitting core, paired with one of the best closers in the country in Andrew Walters, they’ve cemented themselves as one of the top teams in the country. Not to mention, the Hurricanes have played tremendously well at home this season, going 28-5 in their friendly confines which will prove to make a difficult task for their opponents.
Texas put together another impressive campaign, punctuated by their final weekend sweep of West Virginia to claim a share of the Big 12 Championship. However, after a disappointing 0-2 showing in the conference tournament, the Longhorns will be looking to recapture their form to close the regular season.
After a deep run in the Sun Belt Tournament, Louisiana managed to make the tournament as one of the last four teams in. As a part of their deep tournament run, the Cajuns knocked off #10 National Seed Coastal Carolina twice, proving that they can make waves against some of the tougher teams in the country.
Maine dominated their way to the American East Championship, entering the NCAA Tournament with a seven-game winning streak. However, the problem for the Black Bears is that they are only #131 in the RPI rankings and have only played top-50 teams three times, losing all of them, causing an uphill battle in an uncomfortable, muggy environment in South Florida.
No. 8 Stanford Regional
Teams: (1) Stanford, (2) Texas A&M, (3) Cal State Fullerton, (4) San Jose State
In the only west coast Regional of the year, Stanford will look to solidify itself as the top dog in the west and one of the best teams in the country. They finished PAC 12 play with a 23-7 record, pummeling the competition just about every step of the way. Led by an array of future MLB talent, the Cardinal are in hot pursuit of a return to Omaha from a season ago.
Attempting to prevent that, though, are the Texas A&M Aggies. Fresh off of an incredible run to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, the Aggies are playing red-hot baseball and are finally showing the potential and ability that many people have come to expect from A&M.
After winning only three of their last 12 games in the regular season, Cal State Fullerton managed to still make the tournament based on their early season success. The Titans will face the difficult task of attempting to regain that success against some of the hottest teams in the country: Texas A&M and Stanford.
San Jose State will head 20 miles west for their showdown in Stanford. After an incredible regular season and run through the MWC Tournament, led by dominant offensive performances, the Spartans find themselves in their first NCAA Tournament since 2002 and will be looking to force a massive upset over their local rivals.
No. 5 Baton Rouge Regional
Teams: (1) LSU, (2) Oregon State, (3) Sam Houston State, (4) Tulane
All the hype entering the season was about the powerhouse LSU was building down in Baton Rouge and the Tigers haven’t let that down. They cruised for most of the season on the backs of their star-studded lineup and the dominance of Paul Skenes on the mound. However, the key to their success in the postseason will be the success of their bullpen, which has faltered quite a bit down the stretch.
Oregon State closed out the regular season on a high note, winning their last four series. The Beavers have been a perennial top-tier team over the past few years and this year has been no different. However, after giving up 27 runs in their two games in the PAC 12 Tournament, they will need to find stability in their pitching to take down the heavy-hitting LSU Tigers.
One of the most intriguing teams entering the Tournament is the Sam Houston State Bearkats. A team that played extremely well in conference play but has had their pitching let them down against the top-end teams they’ve faced. Seemingly, the common theme of Baton Rouge this weekend will be a heavy tally of runs and who can simply outscore their opponents.
On paper, Tulane is one of the worst teams to have reached the Tournament in recent memory. They finished the regular season with a 19-40 record before going on a miraculous run in the AAC Tournament to steal a bid. However, despite its shortcomings, Tulane isn’t a blow-off game by any means and may surprise some people by keeping it competitive this weekend.
No. 12 Lexington Regional
Teams: (1) Kentucky, (2) West Virginia, (3) Indiana, (4) Ball State
One of the crazier stories heading into the weekend has been the fact that all of the hotels in Lexington have been fully booked thanks to a country music concert in town. This means that all of the visiting teams have been forced to stay in the Kentucky dorms and the fans of the visiting programs will have to drive upwards of an hour to get to the park.
These unusual circumstances have called into question the validity of the hosting seed by Kentucky; a team that struggled mightily after starting off SEC play incredibly strong. With this new-found home-field advantage, the Wildcats will be presented a golden opportunity to prove their nay-sayers wrong and refind the form that made them one of the most formidable teams in the country.
Another team that struggled down the stretch was the West Virginia Mountaineers. They were swept in the final series of the regular season to fall to only claiming a share of the Big 12 Title and went 0-2 in the conference tournament. The key for the Mountaineers in the postseason will be the continued success of All-American JJ Wetherholt, providing a sparkplug to the slumping squad.
Flying under the radar for most of the season has been Indiana. They managed to quietly put together a 41-win season and a 16-8 conference record. That being said, most of their wins came against lower-to-middling-level teams with only seven of their wins coming against top-50 RPI programs, but they may have a prime opportunity to break that trend if they can compete with the struggling Kentucky and West Virginia teams.
Finally, Ball State will head to Lexington also with a chance to take advantage of the other stumbling teams in the pool. After a disappointing end to their regular season, being swept by Kent State, the Cardinals bounced back phenomenally to clinch the MAC Championship and will look to carry that momentum ahead with them into the postseason.
No. 13 Auburn Regional
Teams: (1) Auburn, (2) Southern Mississippi, (3) Samford, (4) Penn
After a mediocre start to their season, Auburn managed to find their identity down the stretch and closed the regular season by winning five straight series. Since that streak began, they’ve been one of the strongest teams in the country and as we’ve seen time and time again in baseball, it’s all a matter of getting hot at the right time and the Tigers have done just that up to this point.
In what will be Head Coach Scott Berry’s final NCAA Tournament, Southern Mississippi will be attempting to finally reach the promised land of Omaha. Berry turned the Golden Eagles into one of the most feared mid-major teams in the country for over a decade and in his last dance it would be fitting to see him finally reach what he and the program have been chasing for a long time.
In only their fourth-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, Samford will be looking to play spoiler against their in-state rivals Auburn. The Bulldogs managed to put together a strong finish to the season, winning their last four games before going on to win the SoCon Tournament. However, the Bulldogs have struggled heavily against the top national teams, like many other auto-bid teams have, upping the pressure to play without making any mistakes, causing extra strain in itself.
Finishing with an eight-game winning streak to close out the season will help give Penn an extra boost of confidence and momentum as they head down south looking for upsets. The Quakers have only played four games this season against top-100 teams, falling short each time. And, unfortunately, they will immediately be thrown to the fire with their matchup with red-hot Auburn to start the weekend.
No. 4 Clemson Regional
Teams: (1) Clemson, (2) Tennessee, (3) Charlotte, (4) Lipscomb
After starting the season slowly, the Clemson Tigers have gone on one of the more miraculous runs in recent memory, cementing themselves as a top-4 seed after winning their final seven ACC series in commanding fashion. In their first NCAA Tournament appearance since pre-COVID, the Tigers have all the momentum in their fashion and have seemingly only gotten better as the season progresses.
However, standing in their way will be a very tough Tennessee team. Despite not living up to their preseason expectations, the Volunteers have put together a strong season, playing incredibly solid baseball down the final stretch, and will surely bring a raucous traveling crowd with them to Clemson as they seek to prove that they are still one of the top teams in the country.
Following a mostly mediocre regular season, Charlotte put together an impressive performance in the C-USA Tournament to clinch a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Of note though, the 49ers managed to go 5-3 against top-25 RPI teams and will look to play spoiler against the headliner programs in the Regional.
ASUN Champions Lipscomb played a strong out-of-conference schedule, playing against multiple SEC programs and highlighted by a win over Arkansas in early May. The Bison will look to replicate that success, utilizing their experience to steal a few games from the Goliaths in front of them.
Gainesville Regional
Teams: (1) Florida, (2) UConn, (3) Texas Tech, (4) Florida A&M
The Gators have proven this season that they have one of, if not the, most complete teams in the country. They cemented that status by finishing as SEC Regular Co-Champions alongside Arkansas and being selected as the #2 National Seed this weekend. They’ll absolutely be one of the favorites to go to Omaha and maybe even all the way to the National Championship.
After finishing one game short of Omaha last season, UConn managed to put together another strong showing this season. The Huskies have one of the best offensive cores in the Big East, managing to ride the offensive wave to a 43-win season. However, the question for UConn as they head down to the Swamp will be whether or not their pitching can hold up against some of the strongest lineups in the country at a ballpark where the ball should be flying in the humid Florida air.
Texas Tech may be one of the most underrated teams entering the field this postseason. The Red Raiders are in their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament and since Head Coach Tim Tadlock took over in 2013, they have made the College World Series four times. Led by Gavin Kash’s 24 home runs on offense, if they can catch a wave of momentum at the right time it could cause a lot of trouble for any opponents that may take them lightly as a regional three-seed.
SWAC Champions Florida A&M enters postseason play with a 29-28 (18-12) record and will look to shock the world in Gainesville. It will be an incredibly tall task for the Rattlers but not completely impossible if they can get their pieces to function together at the right time.
Columbia Regional
Teams: (1) South Carolina, (2) Campbell, (3) NC State, (4) Central Connecticut
It’s been a very hot and cold season for the Gamecocks, getting off to a scorching hot start to the season but eventually cooling off, losing five of their last six series. To refind their early season success, the Gamecocks will need to rediscover the dominant slugging ability that made them one of the strongest teams in the country.
Joining them in Columbia this weekend is a Campbell team that many people believed deserved a hosting seed of their own. The Camels went 11-5 against fellow NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season, including a sweep over East Carolina. Under Head Coach Justin Haire, the Camels have shown that they can be an ultra-competitive program, pushing both Mississippi State and Tennessee to their limits in the past two postseasons. I would expect them to put together another strong performance this weekend too, pushing the Gamecocks to all they can handle.
Despite in-conference struggles, NC State is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the unceremonious end to their magical 2021 run to Omaha. The Wolfpack’s greatest strength and the key to their success in Columbia is their pitching. They finished with the second-fewest home runs allowed in the ACC this year and that may just be the deciding factor against the heavy-hitting Camels and Gamecocks.
Lastly, Central Connecticut State commanded the NEC this season but with that comes the fact that they’ve only played seven games against top-200 RPI teams, finishing with a 2-5 record in those contests. It should be a very tough challenge for the Blue Devils to achieve any level of success this weekend in Columbia.
No. 10 Conway Regional
Teams: (1) Coastal Carolina, (2) Duke, (3) UNC-Wilmington, (4) Rider
Coastal Carolina ended the regular season with a seven-game winning streak to clinch the Sun Belt Championship and cement themselves as a national hosting seed. Carried on the backs of a season-long offensive explosion, the Chanticleers have avoided the need for top-end pitching. However, In order to have a chance at a deep run in the postseason, the Chanticleers will need to receive serviceable innings from their pitching staff just long enough for their bats to stay hot.
Since the start of May, Duke has struggled to refind its mid-season form, dropping their final two ACC series and exiting the conference tournament winless. When the Blue Devils have played their baseball this season they’ve been one of the best teams in the country. They’ll have a good chance to reach the Super Regionals if they can reclaim their top-end form here in the postseason.
CAA Champions UNC-Wilmington head 80 miles down the coast for the Conway Regional as they enter their first NCAA tournament since 2019. However, the Seahawks of struggle against top competition this season going 0-7 against their top-25 opponents. To reach the first Super Regionals in program history, they’ll need to find a way to break through against those top-end teams in the pool.
MAAC Champions Rider will enter this Conway Regional knowing that they are capable of knocking off a top team, funnily enough, that team being Duke who they beat only a month ago. If they replicate that performance against Coastal Carolina, the Broncs may be in a spot for a massive Regional upset.
No. 7 Charlottesville Regional
Teams: (1) Virginia, (2) East Carolina, (3) Oklahoma, (4) Army West Point
Virginia has been one of the most dominant teams in the country this season, going 25-0 in non-conference play and amassing a 32-4 overall home record. The Cavaliers are in a power position at their home ballpark to stake their claim as a formidable force for a run to Omaha.
East Carolina has reached the Super Regionals in each of their last three trips to the Tournament; this time, though, their route to the Supers is on the road. Head Coach Cliff Godwin has built the Pirates into a true powerhouse in the AAC, a program that can compete with anybody in the country, but the job won’t be complete until the Pirates reach Omaha for the first time.
Oklahoma squeaked into the NCAA Tournament, much to the chagrin of teams of Big 12 rival Kansas State who many believe deserved a spot over the Sooners. They finished under .500 in conference play and, for the most part, struggled down the stretch. With that being said, Oklahoma finished as runners-up last year and is playing with a chip on their shoulder now, so don’t count them out just yet.
Army West Point will be the last team heading to Charlottesville, the Black Knights dominated the Patriot League this season with a 21-4 record. With that, though, comes the fact that they haven’t played much high-level competition and coasted for much of the season. If they want to pull off the upset they’ll have to find a second gear that we have yet to see from them.
No. 6 Nashville Regional
Teams: (1) Vanderbilt, (2) Oregon, (3) Xavier, (4) Eastern Illinois
It’s been another prototypical Vanderbilt season. A consistent top-ten team with loads of talent at every position. Even after a slight late-season tumble, the Commodores recovered and won yet another SEC Tournament Championship. You can never count out a deep Vanderbilt run to Omaha and this year is no different for the Commodores.
Even after dropping five conference games in a row in May, the Oregon Ducks have found a way to bounce back and win the games they’ve needed to. They went undefeated in the PAC 12 Tournament. They’ve done exceptionally well this season against top-50 teams and it wouldn’t surprise me if they could keep that top-end going through this year’s tournament.
Xavier was probably on the outside looking into the NCAA Tournament a couple of weeks ago. But, instead of sitting at home, they went on a run to win the Big East Tournament to send them to Nashville. The Musketeers started the season by getting swept in four games by Oregon, who they’ll face on Friday as they look to keep their run going and get revenge on the Ducks.
Eastern Illinois won their last seven regular-season games before going on a run to win the OVC Tournament and earn their spot. The Panthers have shown the ability to win against top teams this year, stealing a game against Arkansas back in late February. But after only a solid season in conference play, it will be an uphill battle for them in Nashville.
No. 11 Stillwater Regional
Teams: (1) Oklahoma State, (2) Dallas Baptist, (3) Washington, (4) Oral Roberts
Oklahoma State finished the season incredibly strong, winning their final five series and reaching the Big 12 Championship game. This strong finish solidified them as one of the top teams in the country and a rightful national hosting seed. And if we learned anything from last season’s Stillwater Regional, we should expect a very competitive and compelling series of games this weekend.
Dallas Baptist actually enters the postseason with a higher RPI than their host, Oklahoma State. The Patriots have shown over the last few seasons that they are one of the premier mid-major teams in the country, having reached the NCAA Tournament every season since 2013 and I expect them to play extremely strong, competitive baseball this weekend.
Washington won three of their last four series, including an impressive sweep over rival and eventual PAC 12 Champion, Oregon. Then, the Huskies stumbled out of the conference tournament and will need to get back on track to their recent form against this deep pool to reach the Super Regionals.
After going an incredible 23-1 in conference play, Oral Roberts enters the postseason with great confidence, and rightfully so. They finished the season on an 18-game winning streak, playing some of the best baseball in the country. The Golden Eagles have the ability to come out in the Regionals, cause a big upset, and go on a deep run.
No. 14 Terre Haute Regional
Teams: (1) Indiana State, (2) Iowa, (3) North Carolina, (4) Wright State
Indiana State played its way to a national hosting seed thanks to a dominant conference performance in the MVC, finishing with a 24-3 record. But what really solidified their right to host this weekend is their ninth-ranked RPI as they chose to have a very tough non-conference schedule. Although they only went 2-9 in games against other top 50 teams, the Sycamores have proven that they won’t back down from a fight with any opponent.
Iowa will head to Terre Haute after defeating Indiana State to start the year before achieving their first 40-win season since 2015. The Hawkeyes had a fantastic end to the regular season, winning every series they could since early April. They’ll carry that momentum into town with the chance to reach their first Super Regionals since 1972.
North Carolina played a gauntlet of a schedule, finishing with the ninth-ranked strength of schedule in the county. With that, comes big game experience, which should lend itself to helping the Heels get acclimated to the stiff competition of postseason baseball.
Wright State won the Horizon League Championship in commanding fashion, beating Oakland 14-0 in the title game. The Bears also played an incredibly tough non-conference schedule, unfortunately, without much success, going 1-7 against top 50 teams. However, they’re hoping that that experience can guide them to an underdog run in Terra Haute.
No. 3 Fayetteville Regional
Teams: (1) Arkansas, (2) TCU, (3) Arizona, (4) Santa Clara
Arkansas is back at home in the postseason once again and is looking to keep its consistent winning ways going. The Hogs have battled through a seemingly never-ending stream of injuries all season but have found a way to win when it has mattered most.
Joining them in Fayetteville is a TCU team that dominated the Razorbacks 18-6 in the second game of the season down in Arlington. After a hot start, TCU stumbled a bit in conference play but finished strong with a six-game winning streak, carrying rejuvenated momentum with them into the postseason.
One of the most controversial inclusions in the NCAA Tournament is the Arizona Wildcats. A team that went 12-18 in conference play but still managed to be one of the last four teams included. They’ll be looking to prove their doubters wrong against the stiff competition this weekend in Fayetteville.
Rounding out the Fayetteville pool is the Santa Clara Broncos, who, on paper, are one of the stronger fourth seeds in the tournament. The Broncos went 17-10 in conference play and finished with an eight-game winning streak, including multiple dominant performances in the WCC Tournament.
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