NCAA Baseball Tournament Preview Pt. 1

Here we are on the eve eve of the tournament. It’s been a wild ride of a season since the beginning of February, with so many different #1s. We’re now down to 64 teams left with a chance, this is the Road to Omaha.

Not on this road? The preseason #1 and #2. Which just shows even more how this year could give us fans something special in the form of a roller coaster tournament. Let’s take a look at each regional and who should or could be onto the Supers.

Nashville Regional – #1 Vanderbilt (42-16)

Players to Watch

Hitter: ETSU Cooper Torres – .378 AVG, 23 HR, 72 RBI

Pitcher: Vanderbilt Sawyer Hawks – 1.64 ERA, 7 SV

#3 East Tennessee State (41-15) vs #2 Louisville (35-21)

🕑 2 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

ETSU Buccaneers AVG: .313 ERA: 4.44

Louisville Cardinals AVG: .306 ERA: 5.72

Overview: ETSU loves to mash, with 116 HRs. That could be a huge problem for a very thin Cardinals staff. Watch out for a shootout early in Nashville.

Best Bet: THE OVER

#4 Wright State (38-19) vs #1 Vanderbilt (42-16)

🕕 6 PM ET | 📺 SEC Network

Wright State Raiders AVG: .305 ERA: 6.31

Vanderbilt Commodores AVG: .270 ERA: 3.76

Overview: Whoa, talk about opposites here. Almost a three-run difference in ERA. Add in the fact that Wright State went under .500 outside the Horizon League... it’s hard to see Vandy not rolling to open the postseason.

Best Bet: Vanderbilt Team Runs Over

Dark Horse: East Tennessee State – If the bats are hot, watch out. They’ve got the second-best staff in the regional to complement the offense. Torres can flat-out play, and winning 40 games isn’t a fluke.

Prediction: Vanderbilt beats East Tennessee State to advance

Hattiesburg Regional – Southern Mississippi (44-14)

Players to Watch

Hitter: Miami’s Daniel Cuvet – .378 AVG, 16 HR, 76 RBI

Pitcher: USM’s JB Middleton – 10-1, 2.01 ERA, 114 SO

#3 Miami (31-24) vs #2 Alabama (41-16)

🕒 3 PM ET | 📺 ESPN2

Miami Hurricanes AVG: .273 ERA: 5.06

Alabama Tide AVG: .280 ERA: 5.11

Overview: Great matchup in a really tough regional. Miami didn’t finish strong but has some real dudes in the lineup. Both staffs are shaky, this one could go either way.

Best Bet: Miami ML

#4 Columbia (29-17) vs #1 Southern Miss (44-14)

🕖 7 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Columbia Bears AVG: .290 ERA: 6.57

Southern Miss Eagles AVG: .305 ERA: 3.91

Overview: Southern Miss should be able to sit Middleton and still cruise. Nothing against Columbia, but this place will be rockin’ for the Eagles, and their bats may be too much to handle.

Best Bet: Southern Miss Spread

Dark Horse: Miami – If they can re-find the form from their midseason run, this regional better watch out.

Prediction: Southern Miss beats Alabama to advance

Tallahassee Regional – #9 Florida State (38-14)

Players to Watch

Hitter: Florida State’s Alex Lodise – .415 AVG, 17 HR, 66 RBI

Pitcher: Northeastern’s Will Jones – 11-0, 1.82 ERA

#4 Bethune-Cookman (37-21) vs #9 Florida State (38-14)

🕒 3 PM ET | 📺 ACC Network

B-Cookman Wildcats AVG: .307 ERA: 5.29

FSU Seminoles AVG: .314 ERA: 4.79

Overview: Bethune-Cookman needs to bring some serious magic. FSU likely has a chip on its shoulder after being snubbed from a top 8 seed. In the hitter-friendly Dick Howser Stadium, those bats could go crazy.

Best Bet: FSU Team Runs Over

#3 Mississippi State (34-21) vs #2 Northeastern (48-9)

🕢 7:30 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Mississippi State Bulldogs AVG: .307 ERA: 4.44

Northeastern Huskies AVG: .290 ERA: 2.92

Overview: Northeastern comes in with the nation’s longest win streak and one of the best pitching staffs. MSU needs to manufacture runs while somehow slowing down the base-stealing machine that is the Huskies.

Best Bet: Under

Dark Horse: Northeastern – They apply pressure constantly. If they get on base, it’s chaos, and their staff backs it up.

Prediction: Northeastern over Florida State to advance

Corvallis Regional – #8 Oregon State (41-12-1)

Players to Watch

Hitter: Oregon State’s Aiva Arquette – .348 AVG, 17 HR, 60 RBI

Pitcher: TCU’s Tommy LaPour – 8-2, 2.89 ERA

#3 USC (35-21) vs #2 TCU (39-18)

🕒 3 PM ET | 📺 ESPNU

USC Trojans AVG: .291 ERA: 4.57

TCU Horned Frogs AVG: .302 ERA: 4.29

Overview: A really fun matchup between two historic programs. This regional is loaded. TCU felt like they should’ve hosted, will that fuel them? Both teams can handle the moment.

Best Bet: TCU ML

#4 Saint Mary’s (35-24) vs #1 Oregon State (41-12-1)

🕗 8 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

SMC Gaels AVG: .301 ERA: 6.20

OSU Beavers AVG: .287 ERA: 4.42

Overview: Tough ask for the Gaels, facing a talented Oregon State team that’s hungry to play after a long wait. Only 19 home games this season as an independent, now they’re back home and looking to make noise.

Best Bet: Oregon State Spread

Dark Horse: TCU – They’ve got the bats, arms, and schedule to be dangerous. They’re built for this.

Prediction: TCU over Oregon State to advance

Eugene Regional – #12 Oregon (42-14)

Players to Watch

Hitter: Arizona – Brendan Summerhill – .336, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 10 SB

Pitcher: Oregon – Grayson Grinsell – 9-3, 2.62 ERA, 99 SO

#3 Cal Poly (41-17) vs #2 Arizona (39-18)

🕓 4 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Cal Poly Mustangs

AVG: .319

ERA: 4.78

Arizona Wildcats

AVG: .282

ERA: 4.73

Overview: This is a great matchup, as both teams are on fire after winning auto bids from their respective conferences. Cal Poly doesn’t rely on the long ball but hits well and is happy going station to station. Arizona will look to top MLB prospect Brendan Summerhill to push them past the pesky Mustangs.

Best Bet: Cal Poly Over Team Hits

#4 Utah Valley (32-27) vs #1 Oregon (42-14)

🕗 8 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Utah Valley Wolverines

AVG: .310

ERA: 6.44

Oregon Ducks

AVG: .294

ERA: 3.97

Overview: The Ducks should win this without using their Friday night starter. They’ve got the clear edge. Utah Valley’s best chance is to turn this into a run fest, but even then, with 107 HRs, Oregon can play that game too.

Best Bet: Oregon Spread

Dark Horse: Cal Poly – They showed they can rise to the moment, beating UC Irvine twice to win the Big West. They can hit and pitch, without needing the long ball.

Prediction: Oregon over Cal Poly to advance

Conway Regional – #13 Coastal Carolina (48-11)

Players to Watch

Hitter: Florida – Bobby Boser – .330, 16 HR, 61 RBI

Pitcher: Coastal – Jacob Morrison – 11-0, 1.90 ERA

#3 East Carolina (33-25) vs #2 Florida (38-20)

🕛 12 PM ET | 📺 ESPN2

ECU Pirates

AVG: .275

ERA: 5.04

UF Gators

AVG: .295

ERA: 4.84

Overview: Did ECU wait until tourney time to peak? After rolling through the AAC tournament, they sneak into the NCAAs hot. Meanwhile, Florida feels underrated and ready to prove otherwise.

Best Bet: ECU ML

#4 Fairfield (39-17) vs #1 Coastal Carolina (48-11)

🕕 6 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Fairfield Stags

AVG: .295

ERA: 4.84

Coastal Chanticleers

AVG: .288

ERA: 3.22

Overview: Far from a gimme for Coastal. Fairfield has been here before, including that run to the Austin regional final a few years back. Coastal has pitching depth, and while they don’t mash (just 56 HR), they can still hit their way through.

Best Bet: Under

Dark Horse: East Carolina – I don’t know... it’s always the years you’re not expected to go far that the magic hits. With all the great squads that’ve rolled through Greenville, maybe this is the one that makes it to Omaha.

Prediction: Coastal Carolina over Florida to advance

Auburn Regional – #4 Auburn (38-18)

Players to Watch

Hitter: Auburn – Ike Irish – .352, 16 HR, 52 RBI

Pitcher: Stetson – Ty Van Dyke – 1.04 ERA, 9 SV, 65 SO

#3 Stetson (40-20) vs #2 NC State (33-19)

🕑 2 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Stetson Hatters

AVG: .282

ERA: 4.12

NCSU Wolfpack

AVG: .290

ERA: 4.89

Overview: These teams feel evenly matched, and both have tournament experience. If the Hatters get on base, it’s trouble,128 SBs as a team and five players with 10+ steals.

Best Bet: Under

#4 Central Connecticut (31-15) vs #1 Auburn (38-18)

🕖 7 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

CCSU Blue Devils

AVG: .334

ERA: 5.32

Auburn Tigers

AVG: .302

ERA: 4.76

Overview: On paper, this looks like a write-off in Auburn’s favor, but watch out. CCSU can really hit, with a .334 team average. They don’t hit home runs, which makes them frustrating to face. Still, Auburn is more talented and should pull it out.

Best Bet: Over

Dark Horse: Stetson – The Hatters have dudes and cause chaos on the base paths, putting pressure on opposing staffs.

Prediction: Auburn over NC State to advance

Austin Regional – #2 Texas (42-12)

Players to Watch

Hitter: UTSA – Mason Lytle – .372, 9 HR, 65 RBI

Pitcher: Texas – Dylan Volantis – 1.99 ERA, 12 SV, 68 SO

#4 Houston Christian (32-23) vs #1 Texas (42-12)

🕑 2 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

Houston Christian Huskies

AVG: .278

ERA: 5.44

UT Longhorns

AVG: .274

ERA: 3.56

Overview: This should be Texas with ease, sorry, Huskies fans, but this feels like a “just glad to be here” scenario. That said, expect Houston to throw their ace, while Texas likely holds theirs.

Best Bet: Texas Team Runs OVER

#3 Kansas State (31-24) vs #2 UTSA (44-13)

🕖 7 PM ET | 📺 ESPN+

KSU Wildcats

AVG: .282

ERA: 5.66

UTSA Roadrunners

AVG: .318

ERA: 4.98

Overview: Two big questions...how deep is the Big 12, and is UTSA for real? This game should answer both. UTSA’s been fun all year, but after a disappointing conference tourney, now is the time to prove it.

Best Bet: OVER

Dark Horse: UTSA – They look the part, and if you want to beat Texas, you need to hit. That .318 team average shows they might just be up for it.

Prediction: Texas over UTSA to advance

There is part one and half of the NCAA bracket, look for Part 2 soon. Just writing out these regionals has me ready to watch some great college baseball this weekend!