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(Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
If you ask coaches from around the country when the college baseball season truly starts to feel near to them, most would tell you that the annual American Baseball Coaches Association convention kicks things off.
With this year’s convention now in the rearview mirror, attention is starting to turn to the rapidly-approaching 2025 season, which is just over a month away at the Division I level and much closer across other levels of the college game.
“Our sport has never been better,” ABCA executive director Craig Keilitz told coaches in his opening remarks in Washington D.C. on Jan. 2. “In terms of TV, the quality of play and national interest, we’ve reached new heights and look forward to continuing that growth in 2025.”
Here is a closer look at important dates for Division I, II, III and NJCAA (junior college) with one fact about each level:
Division I
- Opening Day: Feb. 14
- D1 Regionals: May 30-June 2
- D1 Super Regionals: June 6-9
- Championship Series: June 13-23
- Championship Series Location: Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, NE
One fun fact: Last year’s College World Series field was evenly split between SEC and ACC teams, with Tennessee ultimately taking home its first national championship after defeating conference rival Texas A&M. The Volunteers became the first No. 1 overall seed to win it all since 1999 and now have a chance to become the first team since South Carolina in 2010-11 to win back-to-back titles. The road back to the top won’t be easy, though, as teams that won it all have missed the NCAA Tournament field entirely the next year more times than they’ve returned to the College World Series.
Division II
- Opening Day: Jan. 31
- D-II Regionals: May 15-18
- D-II Super Regionals: May 22-24
- Championship Series: May 30-June 7
- Championship Series Location: USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC
One fun fact: The University of Tampa is always a safe bet to make a deep run in the Division II postseason, having accumulated an astounding 139-32 overall record since the start of the 2022 season. The Spartans went 52-8 in 2024 en route to their Division II-best ninth national championship, six of which have come under the direction of head coach Joe Urso. Tampa has spent nearly 300 consecutive weeks ranked in the D-II top 25, a streak that will continue when its season starts later this month.
Division III
- Opening Day: Feb. 15-22
- D-III Regionals: May 16-18
- D-III super regionals: May 23-25
- Championship Series: May 30-June 5
- Championship Series Location: Classic Park in Eastlake, OH
One fun fact: Seven of the last 10 teams to claim the Division III national title were first-time winners, including 2024 champion Misericordia University, which bested two-time champion Wisconsin-Whitewater. Just 13 Division III baseball programs have won multiple national titles, including three that topped the bracket in back-to-back seasons, a feat that hasn’t occurred since Marietta won in 2011 and 2012.
Junior College (DI)
- Opening Day: Jan. 24
- Championship Series: May 24-31
- Championship Series Location: Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, CO
One fun fact: The NJCAA’s highest level produced a number of high-profile NCAA Division I transfers this offseason, including now-Alabama outfielder Richard Bonomolo (NJCAA stolen base leader in 2024), Arkansas infielder Brent Iredale (No. 2 in home runs in 2024), Arkansas catcher Elliott Peterson (NJCAA leader in batting average in 2024) and South Carolina righty Brandon Stone (NJCAA leader in wins).
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