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Wehiwa Aloy (Photo Courtesy of Arkansas 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. Arkansas
Arkansas enters the tournament with the kind of balance that screams Omaha contender. Offensively, the Razorbacks are loaded. Wehiwa Aloy, Charles Davalan, Kuhio Aloy, Cam Kozeal, Brent Iredale, Logan Maxwell and Ryder Helfrick are all batting above .295 with double-digit home runs, fueling an attack that ranks 14th in scoring, seventh in home runs, 16th in batting average and sixth in wRC+.
On the mound, Zach Root, Landon Biedelschies and Gage Wood lead a rotation packed with swing-and-miss stuff, while Christian Fouch, Gabe Gaeckle, Dylan Carter and Aiden Jimenez, among others, headline a deep and dependable bullpen. The Razorbacks enter the postseason with the nation’s 16th-best ERA.
Past Arkansas teams leaned too heavily on arms and fell short. This one is built to last and the numbers back it.
2. Kansas
Kansas enters the postseason as a classic high-variance team—dangerous when it clicks, vulnerable when it doesn’t. The Jayhawks boast one of the most powerful offenses in the tournament field, ranking 11th nationally in home runs and 30th in slugging percentage. Their .217 isolated power ranks among the best in the country, a testament to a lineup that can flip a game in an instant. That punch is paired with discipline, as Kansas draws walks at a 14.6% clip, the 10th-best mark in Division I. The combination of patience and pop gives this group a potent offensive floor.
The concern lies on the mound, where the numbers are far less forgiving. Kansas ranks outside the top 90 nationally in ERA (5.02), FIP (5.69) and strikeout rate (20.5%). Its K-BB% sits at just 9.9%, a stat that often predicts postseason volatility. In other words, the Jayhawks don’t generate enough whiffs to escape traffic and allow just enough free passes to compound trouble.
For Kansas to advance, it must lean into its identity—extend at-bats, punish mistakes and hope the arms can survive. If the offense holds form, this is a dangerous No. 2 seed. If not, it could be a short stay.
3. Creighton
Creighton isn’t built to overpower you, but it doesn’t need to be. The Bluejays win by executing clean, efficient baseball, stringing together contact, controlling the strike zone and limiting damage on the mound.
Their offensive numbers don’t leap off the page—89th in scoring, 121st in batting average, 167th in slugging—but they avoid strikeouts (18.2%) and work enough walks (12.2%) to give themselves chances. Where Creighton separates itself is on the mound. The Jays enter the tournament with a 4.00 ERA, good for 15th nationally, and a 1.39 WHIP that ranks in the top 50. Their strikeout and walk rates aren’t electric, but they manage contact well and avoid big innings.
In a region dominated by slug, Creighton’s ability to play keep-away could prove disruptive. The key will be whether their pitching depth holds up. They lack the raw firepower that tends to shine on the national stage, but they’re balanced, mature and rarely beat themselves. That kind of profile—while easy to overlook—can be one that spoils brackets.
4. North Dakota State
North Dakota State enters the tournament with a wide run differential, averaging just 4.7 runs per game (296th nationally) while allowing 6.2 (117th). That negative margin reflects broader struggles on both sides of the ball—ranking outside the top 270 in average, slugging and OBP while also sitting below the 100 mark in ERA, FIP and WHIP.
The Bison don’t walk much, strike out often and lack the swing-and-miss arms needed to control higher-octane offenses. Without a dramatic offensive turnaround or a standout pitching performance, their stay in the postseason figures to be brief.
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