The NCAA Tournament selection committee made significant announcements on Sunday night, revealing the 16 regional hosts for this year’s tournament, which kicks off on Friday, May 30. The selected teams include powerhouse programs such as Georgia, Auburn, Texas, LSU, North Carolina, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Oregon, Arkansas, Southern Miss, Tennessee, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Florida State.
Further details regarding the bracket and the seeding order of the host sites will be unveiled on ESPN2 at noon ET on Monday. Interestingly, the selection process proceeded without major surprises; 15 out of the 16 teams chosen matched the latest projected Field of 64 by Baseball America. The only team that fell short of expectations was TCU, which finished conference tournament week with a No. 18 RPI. Despite achieving 39 total wins and 19 victories in the Big 12, TCU was edged out of hosting duties.
In addition to TCU, Georgia Tech, which clinched the ACC regular-season title but was ranked No. 22 in the RPI, was also a strong candidate for hosting. Ultimately, both UCLA and Southern Miss secured hosting spots, having outperformed expectations. UCLA shared the Big Ten regular-season title before falling to Nebraska in the conference tournament championship. The Bruins concluded the season with the No. 15 RPI. Meanwhile, Southern Miss achieved 44 total wins, finishing 19th in RPI and was the runner-up in the Sun Belt Tournament, losing to fellow host Coastal Carolina.
According to Baseball America, Vanderbilt is projected as the No. 1 seed after a triumphant victory in the SEC Tournament held in Hoover, Alabama. The Commodores currently boast the highest RPI in the nation, with an impressive 29 combined Quadrant I and II wins, all while facing the second-toughest schedule nationally, just behind Auburn. Their pitching staff is in peak form, having allowed only three runs throughout the SEC Tournament against formidable opponents such as Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, two of which are also host teams.
This year marks the 10th time Vanderbilt has been designated as a host in the last 23 years under the seasoned leadership of head coach Tim Corbin, who has previously led the team to national championships in 2014 and 2019.
Texas, another contender for the No. 1 overall national seed, has made an impressive transition as a first-year member of the SEC, claiming the outright crown in their new league with 22 conference victories. However, their early exit from the SEC Tournament due to a loss against Tennessee could hinder their chances of securing the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Alongside the announcement of regional hosts, all automatic bids to the tournament have been finalized, setting the stage for an exciting NCAA Tournament. Fans and analysts alike are eagerly awaiting the next round of announcements, which will further shape the landscape of this year's championship.
