It’s never too early to project what the NCAA baseball tournament will look like on Selection Monday.
Much has changed around college athletics this year, as the Pac-12 broke up and the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC all expanded. This will have a massive impact on the construction of baseball’s Field of 64, particularly the SEC’s expansion. The conference, now at 16 teams, is deeper than ever and seems certain to get a record number of teams into the tournament. The record is 11, set last year. This projection includes 12 SEC teams, but 13 or even 14 doesn’t seem out of the question. The ACC, now also at 16 baseball members, should see its numbers tick up, and there are 10 teams from the conference in our projection.
GO DEEPER
College baseball preseason top 25: Texas A&M, Arkansas, Virginia lead the pack
But this is just a starting point. Much will change before Memorial Day when the NCAA Tournament field is officially announced. With so much new this year, college baseball could be in for a wilder spring than normal.
Last four in: Tulane, Kansas State, Louisiana, Texas Tech
First four out: Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Louisiana Tech, Kansas
*Denotes automatic bids
|
College Station |
Nashville |
|
|
1. Texas A&M* (1) |
1. Vanderbilt (16) |
|
|
4. Oral Roberts |
4. Samford* |
|
|
2. UC Irvine |
2. Indiana |
|
|
3. Oral Roberts* |
3. Georgia Tech |
|
|
Fayetteville |
Tucson |
|
|
1. Arkansas (2) |
1. Arizona* (15) |
|
|
4. SE Missouri* |
4. California Baptist* |
|
|
2. Nebraska |
2. UCSB* |
|
|
3. Kansas State |
3. UCLA |
|
|
Charlottesville |
Raleigh |
|
|
1. Virginia* (3) |
1. NC State (14) |
|
|
4. Penn* |
4. USC Upstate* |
|
|
2. UConn* |
2. Texas |
|
|
3. VCU* |
3. Coastal Carolina |
|
|
Baton Rouge |
Eugene |
|
|
1. LSU (4) |
1. Oregon* (13) |
|
|
4. Lamar* |
4. Ball State* |
|
|
2. TCU |
2. Oklahoma State |
|
|
3. Tulane |
3. San Diego* |
|
|
Knoxville |
Athens |
|
|
1. Tennessee (5) |
1. Georgia (12) |
|
|
4. Wright State* |
4. Air Force* |
|
|
2. Louisville |
2. Wake Forest |
|
|
3. Texas Tech |
3. West Virginia |
|
|
Gainesville |
Durham |
|
|
1. Florida (6) |
1. Duke (11) |
|
|
4. Long Island* |
4. Evansville* |
|
|
2. Troy |
2. Dallas Baptist* |
|
|
3. Stetson* |
3. Auburn |
|
|
Tallahassee |
Chapel Hill |
|
|
1. Florida State (7) |
1. North Carolina (10) |
|
|
4. Florida A&M* |
4. Army* |
|
|
2. Southern Miss* |
2. Mississippi State |
|
|
3. Oklahoma |
3. UNCW* |
|
|
Clemson |
Corvallis |
|
|
1. Clemson (8) |
1. Oregon State (9) |
|
|
4. Fairfield* |
4. Bryant* |
|
|
2. East Carolina* |
2. Stanford |
|
|
3. Kentucky |
3. Arizona State |
(Photo of Gabe Gaeckle courtesy of Arkansas Athletics)
