SEC Shatters Records: Hosting Eight of 2023’s NCAA Baseball Regional Tournaments
The 2023 NCAA Baseball postseason is set to begin on Friday, and there’s no better time than now to revisit the format of the 64-team field culminating at the end of the month in Omaha with one champion.
16 mini-tournaments will be held this weekend in the regional round, with SEC schools hosting eight of them— a new record for one conference.
Here’s a look at the structure and matchups of each regional tournament, made up of four teams competing in a double-elimination style bracket:
1. Winston-Salem (NC) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Northeastern vs. Maryland (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 1 Wake Forest vs. George Mason (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Wake Forest finished the regular season atop the national rankings but fell to Miami in the ACC Tournament. Still, they hold the top seed going into June and should be expected to comfortably win this regional on home turf.
2. Tuscaloosa (AL) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Troy vs. Boston College (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 16 Alabama vs. Nicholls State (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: One of the many SEC teams hosting a regional, Alabama posted a 40-19 record and lost in the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt, who would go on to win baseball’s strongest conference.
3. Coral Gables (FL) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Louisiana vs. Texas (2:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 9 Miami vs. Maine (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Miami has been a strong team all year and turned heads in the ACC tournament, toppling the No. 1 seeded Wake Forest and ultimately losing the title game to Clemson. Watch out for Texas to put up a fight in this regional.
4. Stanford (CA) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 8 Stanford vs. San Jose State (5:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Cal State Fullerton vs. Texas A&M (10:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Stanford is the highest-seeded Pac-12 school, a conference many feel is underrepresented in this year’s field. Texas A&M is peaking at the right time, putting together their best ball of the season in the SEC tournament, yet the Aggies, perhaps surprisingly, are not ranked as one of the 16 top teams in the playoffs.
5. Baton Rouge (LA) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 5 LSU vs. Tulane (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Sam Houston vs. Oregon State (8:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: This Southern Louisiana matchup should be a fun one, as the Tigers face off against the Green Wave Friday at 3:00. LSU is arguably the best team in the country, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if they take it all in Omaha this year. Oregon State is perennially a powerhouse in college baseball, though this appears to be a bit of a down year. Still, don’t count Mitch Canham’s squad.
6. Lexington (KY) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 12 Kentucky vs. Ball State (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Indiana vs. West Virginia (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Yet another SEC regional here; Kentucky actually didn’t wind up in the final regular season rankings.
7. Auburn (AL) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Samford vs. Southern Miss (2:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 16 Alabama vs. Nicholls State (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: The Tigers can be expected to defend their home turf in the Auburn regional, but it is baseball, so anything can happen. Southern Miss should be a fun team to watch in this one.
8. Clemson (SC) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 4 Clemson vs. Lipscomb (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Charlotte vs. Tennessee (6:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Clemson is another very strong contender this year, and the Tigers won the ACC regional to cap off a great season heading into the playoffs. Seems like there’s a lot of baseball teams named the Tigers…
9. Gainesville (FL) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Texas Tech vs. UConn (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 2 Florida vs. Florida A&M (5:30 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Florida will hold yet another SEC regional at their Diamond. It would be interesting to see an upset in this bracket, but that doesn’t seem all that likely.
10. Columbia (SC) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: NC State vs. Campbell (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 15 South Carolina vs. Central Connecticut State (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: The Gamecocks are probably a tad underrated up to this point in the season.
11. Conway (SC) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: UNC Wilmington vs. Duke (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 10 Coastal Carolina vs. Rider (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Coastal Carolina is routinely a strong program for a relatively small school, and one that doesn’t make much noise in other sports. The Chanticleers aim to climb back to the top of the mountain and recreate their legendary 2016 championship run.
12. Charlottesville (VA) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 7 Virginia vs. Army (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Oklahoma vs. Army (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Much like Oregon State, Virginia hasn’t felt like quite the team they usually are this season, though they did finish with a more-than-respectable 45-12 regular season record.
13. Nashville (TN) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Xavier vs. Oregon (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 6 Vanderbilt vs. Eastern Illinois (8:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: The Ducks powered through to win the Pac-12 tournament over Arizona last week, but Vanderbilt is a powerhouse. If LSU exits the tourney early, Vanderbilt should be a strong favorite to win another championship, which would be their third in 10 years.
14. Stillwater (OK) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: Washington vs. Dallas Baptist (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: No. 11 Oklahoma State vs. Oral Roberts (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Oklahoma State has had a strong year, but they dropped the Big 12 title game to TCU. The Horned Frogs are always a tough out in the summer, so the Cowboys shouldn’t hang their heads over coming up short in their conference tournament.
15. Terry Haute (IN) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 14 Indiana State vs. Wright State (1:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: North Carolina vs. Iowa (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (12:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (6:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: This regional is a bit of a toss-up. Indiana State won 42 games, but 24 of those wins came in the Missouri Valley Conference. Their record may oversell the competitiveness of this squad.
16. Fayetteville (AR) Regional:
Friday:
Game 1: No. 3 Arkansas vs. Santa Clara (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 2: Arizona vs. TCU (9:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday:
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Sunday:
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (3:00 p.m. ET)
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 (9:00 p.m. ET)
Monday:
Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 6 (TBA)
Notes: Arkansas is right up there with the likes of LSU, Clemson, and Vanderbilt this year. This should be the most exciting regional, made up of four very competitive teams.