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Luke Stevenson (Photo Courtesy of North Carolina Athletics)
The 2025 NCAA baseball tournament is set to get underway on Friday, May 30, with teams opening regional play across the nation.
To get ready, Baseball America presents the ultimate tournament guide with stat-focused break downs of all 64 teams. Check out the full list of regional previews here.
1. North Carolina
The Tar Heels rank top-five nationally in ERA and WHIP and have held opponents to just 3.9 runs per game, third-best in Division I. That success starts with Jake Knapp, who’s been one of the ACC’s best arms all spring with a 2.14 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and just 13 walks across 84 innings. Jason DeCaro and Aidan Haugh have given UNC quality depth behind him, though Haugh’s recent form is a concern.
Offensively, this team is deeper than it is explosive. Hunter Stokley (.327/.402/.565), Luke Stevenson (.268/.437/.593) and Gavin Gallaher (.288/.394/.537) anchor a lineup that gets contributions throughout, even if it lacks gaudy power numbers. Kane Kepley (.293/.463/.439) gives the Tar Heels a steady presence up top and a true baserunning threat with 38 steals. There are swing-and-miss concerns—UNC ranks 180th nationally in strikeout rate—but they more than make up for it on the mound.
2. Oklahoma
Oklahoma enters the tournament as a difficult team to pin down. Statistically, the Sooners are an outlier for a No. 2 seed, ranking 166th in runs per game, 179th in batting average and 132nd in slugging. Their power production is modest (61 home runs) and they strike out more than most teams in the field. Yet they counterbalance that with a disciplined approach at the plate, ranking 42nd in walk rate and posting competitive on-base numbers. The offense can grind out innings and manufacture runs, but it lacks the explosiveness that often fuels regional upsets.
The Sooners’ best path forward likely lies on the mound—and more specifically, with Kyson Witherspoon. The junior righty has been sensational, posting a 2.47 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 120 strikeouts across 91 innings. When he’s on, he can shut down almost any lineup in the country. If Witherspoon dominates and gets even modest run support, the Sooners are a serious threat. If not, their offensive limitations and volatility behind Witherspoon could catch up quickly.
3. Nebraska
Nebraska punched its ticket with a late surge, winning the Big Ten Tournament to lock up an automatic bid. The Huskers bring a battle-tested group but face long odds in a loaded Chapel Hill Regional. Offensively, they rank just 208th in runs per game and 190th in wRC+, with below-average production across nearly every slash line category. Their 8.7% walk rate ranks 297th nationally, limiting their ability to extend innings or pressure opposing staffs.
On the mound, they’re steadier—posting a 5.03 ERA and 5.90 FIP—but they don’t miss many bats and walk more than they’d like. Nebraska’s pitching will need to outperform its peripherals and the offense must string together timely hits to extend their postseason stay.
4. Holy Cross
Holy Cross enters as a heavy underdog with bottom-tier metrics across the board. The Crusaders rank 267th in home runs, 192nd in slugging and 102nd in wRC+, with little thump to offset an average strikeout rate.
On the mound, they’ve allowed 6.5 runs per game with a 6.10 ERA—one of the highest in the field—and a WHIP of 1.61. Despite a solid 31–25 record and Patriot League title, the gap in talent and depth at this level will be difficult to bridge.
