Texas A&M catcher Jackson Appel (20) is greeted at home plate by Texas A&M outfielder Hayden Schott (5) after hitting a home run. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NCAA Division I Baseball 64-team Tournament Regions Released: What to Watch For
The conference tournaments were finished by May 26, and the 32 automatic bids were decided. The NCAA Division I Baseball bracket was filled out with the other 32 teams on the selection show aired on ESPN 2 on May 27.
Four teams are in each region, and the format is double elimination from Friday, May 31, to Monday, June 3. The winner of each region will advance to the Super Regionals, a best two-out-of-three series with the higher-ranked team hosting. The winners of the Super Regional will go to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series and be in the final eight.
The regional format began in 1954 and expanded to 64 teams in 1999. The College World Series was founded in 1947 in Omaha.
All game times will be posted in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
Region Six
Clemson is the sixth overall seed and will host the Regional Tournament in Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in South Carolina.
Teams:
No. 1 Clemson Tigers—Clemson went 1-1 in the ACC Tournament and was eliminated by Miami in an 8-7 loss. Clemson has won its conference tournament 11 times and has made it to the College World Series 12 times.
No.2 Vanderbilt Commodores—Vanderbilt lost to Tennessee 6-4 in the semi-finals of the SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt has won four conference championships and the College World Series.
No 3. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers—Coastal Carolina went 1-2 in the Sun Belt Tournament, with a 6-3 loss to Appalachian State eliminating them. Coastal Carolina has won its conference 16 times. They won the College World Series in 2016, their lone appearance in Omaha.
No.4 High Point Panthers—High Point beat USC Upstate 6-0 to win the Big South Conference Tournament Championship. This is their first Big South Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Player to Watch: Vanderbilt right-handed pitcher Bryce Cunningham is the 33rd-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 150 Draft Rankings. His season numbers are 79.1 innings, 94 strikeouts, and an ERA 4.20.
Schedule: Friday, May 31.
All game times will be posted in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
Vanderbilt (38-21) will play Coastal Carolina (34-23) at noon on ESPN2.
Clemson (41-14) will play High Point (34-25) at 7 p.m. on ACCN.
Region 11
Oklahoma State is the 11th overall seed and will host the Regional Tournament in Stillwater at O’Brate Stadium.
Teams:
No.1 Oklahoma State Cowboys—Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament Championship. Oklahoma State has won its conference tournament 24 times, made the College World Series 20 times, won it all once, and finished as the runner-up five times.
No.2 Nebraska Cornhuskers—Nebraska beat Penn State 2-1 in the Big 10 Tournament Championship. Nebraska has won its conference tournament five times and played in the College World Series three times.
No.3 Florida Gators—Florida got eliminated by Vanderbilt in its first game of the SEC Tournament. Florida has won the SEC Tournament seven times and has reached Omaha 13 times. They won it all in 2017, beating LSU. Florida has three second-place finishes, including last year’s loss to LSU.
No.4 Niagara Purple Eagles—Niagara won the MAAC Conference Tournament Championship, beating Fairfield 10-6. This is the first time the team has won its conference tournament and made the NCAA Tournament.
Player to watch- Florida first baseman/ left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone is a two-way star who will hear his name called early in the upcoming MLB Draft. He is the second-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 150 Prospects. Caglianone’s hitting stats this season are 29 home runs, 58 RBI, a .415 batting average, and an OPS of 1.369. His pitching stats are 62 innings, 68 strikeouts, and an ERA of 4.35. Caglianone tied a Division I Baseball record with a home run in nine straight games this season.
