Understanding the NCAA Baseball Regional Selection Show Process
The NCAA Division I baseball tournament is a 64-team tournament that starts in May. It culminates in the Men's College World Series (MCWS) in Omaha, Nebraska. The journey to Omaha begins with the Regional and Super Regional rounds, and understanding the selection process and tournament structure is key to appreciating the excitement of college baseball's postseason.
A Look Back at the Tournament's Evolution
The first-ever NCAA Division I baseball tournament was in 1947, and would barely be recognized as the same tournament nowadays. The 1947 tournament featured just eight teams, which were divided into two four-team, single-elimination brackets. The two winners - California and Yale - then met in a best-of-three final in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The tournament has grown a lot since 1947:
- 1954: Field expands to 23 teams.
- The field size bounces around between 21 and 32 for the next two decades.
- 1982: Field expands to 36 teams.
- 1988-1998: The eight regional champions are seeded into two four-team brackets.
Since 1954, the NCAA DI baseball tournament field has been split into two qualifying groups: the automatic berths, and the at-large selections.
Tournament Structure: From Regionals to Omaha
The NCAA Division I baseball tournament is a 64-team tournament in the spring. After two rounds of play (which each consist of multiple games), there are just eight teams left. These eight teams then head to Omaha, Nebraska, for the Men's College World Series.
Read also: Anthony Robles: Overcoming Obstacles
The first round sees the 64 teams split into 16 brackets. Each is a double-elimination bracket with four teams, seeded 1-4. The 16 winners of the regionals move on to the super regionals, where they are split into eight pairings. The eight winners of the super regionals head to the MCWS in Omaha.
The Road to the Super Regionals: A Closer Look at Regional Play
The NCAA Division I baseball tournament starts after the culmination of the regular season, in late May or early June every year. The first round sees the 64 teams split into 16 brackets. Each is a double-elimination bracket with four teams, seeded 1-4.
Hosting and Game Times
Gates to venues like Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman field open 90 minutes prior to scheduled first pitch. All times Central and subject to change.
Example Results
Here are some examples of the outcomes of games played in the regionals:
- Game 1: (6) LSU (H) def.
- Game 2: (6) LSU * def.
- Game 1: (1) LSU (H) def.
- Game 2: (2) Dallas Baptist (H) def.
- Game 3: (4) Little Rock def.
- Game 4: (1) LSU (H) def.
- Game 5: (4) Little Rock (H) def.
- Game 6: (4) Little Rock (H) def.
- Game 7: (1) LSU* def.
Home Team Determination
For first-round games, the highest-seeded team shall be designated as the home team. In subsequent games, the home team shall be determined according to a formula applied by the games committee:
Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile
- a.
- b.
For Game 1, the better seeded team will be the home team. The lower seeded team will be the home team in Game 2.
Super Regional Home Team Determination
If a super regional is a matchup of two national seeds (i.e., #8 national seed vs. #9 national seed):
For Game 1, the winner of a coin flip will be the home team. The loser of the coin flip will be the home team in Game 2. A second coin flip will determine the home team in Game 3, if necessary. These coin flips must both take place during the pretournament meeting.
Read also: The Return of College Football Gaming
tags: #NCAA #baseball #regional #selection #show #process
