NCAA D1 tournament brackets

Thanks infielddad. It's gonna take a lotta crossed fingers for this one.

 

Ole Miss fans have been simply AWESOME!  Great hosts and a fantastic atmosphere for college baseball. 

Wow!!! Kennesaw State wins the Tallahassee regional.

Who would think we would see perennial powers like Florida State, Florida, South Carolina, Fullerton, Rice and UNC heading home?

Talk about bracket busters...if anyone was betting?

Love it!

 

In Gainesville it will be Long Beach or College of Charleston, both NC and Florida bounced. Talk about a bracket buster. 

And yet another possible bracket buster in Bloomington, if #3 seed Stanford can "upset" #1 seed Indiana??????   Boy, does that sound upside down but sure isn't anymore in D1 college baseball!

One word for this years tournament.....unbelievable!

 

Parity has hit college baseball like a hanging slider.

+1 Fenway!!!  Unbelievable is for sure.

 

Funny comment from commentator this weekend....during the TCU 22 inning marathon...guy said, "well these two teams played more innings of baseball already in one game, than FSU, and Florida did all weekend!"....ouch!

 

Justbaseball -- pulling for you guys!!!

There are teams not capable of winning their tournament. But they have one or two pitchers who can ruin another team's dream. Even with top seeds, lose a game and your pitching depth gets stretched coming through the loser's bracket. When Siena took TCU to eleven innings it was with a pitcher who was 4-7, 4.40 for the season. He pitched the game of his life. 

Ok so if anyone takes this personally, its not meant to be.

 

I don't think its parity.

 

A few years ago the committee didn't let GTECH into  regionals, the reason being that although they played a tough ACC conference, their non conference schedule  was a piece of cake for them. The NCAA was trying to send a message.

 

So the big power teams set tough schedules for non conference games, and have to play each other and also play very tough conference playoffs to position themselves for regional sites or in some cases, just to get in. Some  also play more games, this was discussed while I was watching the SEC conference games.  Meanwhile come end of May these kids are exhausted. Having a player go through this I understand. Meanwhile some of these teams don't play the competition that the larger programs do and because they win their conference championship they get a berth and then what often happens is what RJM has mentioned.

 

Am I happy these "bracket busters" are winning, sure, but I feel more for the teams that have had their players play 5 games a week against better teams just to be able to get a better RPI for a better position. And then win their conferences to get a regional or a super regional.

 

Should a team have the advantage if they are on their own turf, absolutely, but that only happens if you have a team that can play the schedule and still be standing by June 1, let alone mid june for the CWS.

 

I just have a funny feeling that there is going to be a change, too many top programs not going to walk away with this being very happy. They are just making it too tough for these programs and that in turn makes it tough on the players, pitchers especially. A mid tier D1 might have no issue using their top guy after a few days where some of the larger programs have kids that have talent to play after college and would not do that, we have seen that and I think most of them realize that with all of the TJS they have to be careful, no finger pointing wanted towards their program if a pitcher goes down.

 

Some of the teams last standing (but not necessarily winning their regional) didn't even have conference playoffs, and because of their W-L record and RPI they would get in regardless. The bottom line is that they may have had less games to play.

 

Again, I have no dog in this fight. I just wanted to state my position on how I feel personally and probably what others are thinking.

 

JMO

 

My fav to win!

So, the 'big power' teams lost because their coaches thought that hosting was more important than winning the regional.  Sounds like they need new coaches.

The 'bracket busters' knew how the system worked, and got their players in shape to be winners at the end - during the tournament.  The season record really means little.

 

The same thing happens in HS ball. Ex. teams that go 34-1 and burn up their arms before the state tourney begins, and they go 0 and BBQ.

Hosting is an advantage, sleeping in your own bed playing in front of your home crowd, and YES, that is very important.

You are trying to turn around what I meant.

 

TPM said........"So the big power teams set tough schedules for non conference games, and have to play each other and also play very tough conference playoffs to position themselves for regional sites or in some cases, just to get in. Some  also play more games, this was discussed while I was watching the SEC conference games.  Meanwhile come end of May these kids are exhausted. Having a player go through this I understand. Meanwhile some of these teams don't play the competition that the larger programs do and because they win their conference championship they get a berth and then what often happens is what RJM has mentioned.

 

Am I happy these "bracket busters" are winning, sure, but I feel more for the teams that have had their players play 5 games a week against better teams just to be able to get a better RPI for a better position. And then win their conferences to get a regional or a super regional......"

 

 

TPM,

 

I get your point and it has a lot of merit.  It is the same deal with the NCAA basketball tournament and it sells because people want to see their mid-major (David) take down the big boys (Goliath).  It makes for great entertainment and folks like us go crazy every year.   But this year is very different IMHO, because it is happening at an unprecedented level.  I don't know what leverage the big programs have with the NCAA right now but I'm guessing it is very little.  There is no ground swell to change the format (a la BCS).  People want to be entertained with good baseball, and we are getting it.   We're seeing very good baseball right now, and my guess is the top programs will still keep cashing their booster checks even they aren't going to Omaha.  What we are seeing right now is all very good for college baseball. 

 

The big programs have moved into their big conferences, so guess what.....they've got to play a big schedule with their big budgets.  No harm, no foul from my point of view.  I'd rather see these mid-majors (schools I have no idea where they are located) play competitively against the big boys than the big boys play against each other.  But that is just me.....

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Corvallis watching the Washington/OleMiss game on ESPN hoping the Huskies can stay alive for JustBaseball's son.  

I believe that Stanford/Indiana is still in a rain delay?  I really like the Indiana squad and their HC Tracy Smith, but it would be good to see Blue10's son's Stanford team move on.

The last few days have been a blast.  The atmosphere at Oregon State is amazing.  Our small group of UCI families are holding our own amongst a sea of Orange Beaver fans! The winner of tonight's game will move on to play Oklahoma State....more Orange.   My wife and I will be going down to the bar for some pregame beverages before we walk across the street to Goss Stadium.  The game starts at 8PM pacific time on ESPNU, the Eaters are going to try and knock off the #1 ranked Beavers.  Wish us Luck!

bsbl247, AWESOME and good luck!

Best of luck for the Davis families!
Enjoy the moment!

So here is where the Regionals might not be so fun if we consider all the discussion on this site about pitching, fatigue and TJ/shoulder/arm problems.

UC Irvine brings back the Big West pitcher of the year on 2 days rest and 107 pitches on Friday night to start tonight.

Stanford brings in the freshman pitcher of the year(complete game on Friday) to pitch in the 7th inning on Monday night

That's not good.  Recruits, listen up.  Don't go where they do this stuff.

Stanford gets a 2 run homerun in the bottom or the 9th. Blue10's son hits it.

What a thrill for a freshman and his parents.

Stanford heads to Nashville to play Vanderbilt in a Super!.

Help everyone reading here. Which teams get to post season NCAA play and do not do at least some of this type of "stuff?"  The pitcher from Stanford is the son of a very successful former MLB pitcher.  Do we assume those parents should "listen up" and pass up a Stanford education and the opportunity to play at Stanford, likely be drafted very high, and have opportunities beyond baseball which can be spectacular? 

SoS, this means don't go to college and pitch. This happens at all levels. D1-D3. 

 

Frankly one or two games pitching on short rest is not going to damage a pitcher, it's the many many years of overuse IMO.

 

What a great regional, Go EATERS bsbl247 I will be rooting from my lap toP!!!!

bsbl247, 

 

Thank God for Apple TV. I've been watching games since I got back from work today. Trying to keep my eyes open here on the the east coast. Go Eaters!

Blue10's son - newest Stanford superstar!!  

One of the really fun aspects of the HSBBW has been  the people who post.

Blue10's son has an AB/night which Blue, his parents and Stanford baseball fans won't soon(if ever)  forget.

Going back to Friday night, and one game per weekend since February, Tyler Davis of the Washington Huskies(justbb's son) has been with the very best in all of college baseball.

These are with the very best players in all of college baseball, with parents who are incredibly humble and gracious.  I sure wish UW had a different result. What a season in Seattle!

Ditto!  Awesome to see T play.  Stanford is young and pesky just like their SS.  Great win for them.  They have nothing to lose in the next round...throw that haymaker!

Congrats to all the 3 and 4 seeds out there:  UC Irvine, Kennesaw State, Stanford, College of Charleston, and Pepperdine.  Simply incredible.    Of the 8 Super Regionals only one region has a #1 seed vs another #1 seed.  Wow. 

Wow the walk off homerun by Stanford, so exciting. Congrats to the player and family.

Congrats to Irvine. Wow , watched every game.Love Gillespie. Love the way  he recruits.The Anteaters play college ball. They dnt play for the long ball. They execute in every facet of the game. They have played the game that to me is the adjustment to the bbcor bats.What an upset for OSU. Also a great program.

Congrats to all the teams moving on. Pretty shocking that so many big programs eliminated. Maybe the conferences that have post season tourneys need to change that?Teams can have losing seasons and get hot during the tourney and win and get in. Meanwhile teams from very good conferences with winning records dont get in.

Ten teams from SEC seemed a lot to me . Jmo
There are some things that were done to college baseball that def. Have caused more parity.
I believe fans as a whole got tired of the same teams in every year. I think its exciting to see different teams get in. It is good for college baseball.

I also think the process of choosing needs to be tweeked. You take Irvine as the last team in. Not only do they play in a good conference, their mid week games in the hotbed of So. Cal.Any day any team wins around there.
Some teams play such a weak schedule.Not  true here on the West Coast . . Teams beat each other up all season.
Four teams from Pac 12 , ten from SEC. Seems There cant be much to complain about . Thats more than twice as many teams from powerhouse conference than others.

I simply could not be happier for bsbl247 and the Anteaters.  Yessssiirreeee!!

Justbaseball

I watched Washingtons game. I know how hard it is to see them eliminated. BUT what a statement they made this year. Awesome season !!!

One of the better three days of baseball I can remember in a long time. 

 

bsbl247 I can't imagine (.....well actually I can) how much fun you had last night! 

 

How about the Big 12! 4 teams in. The so called "SEC powerhouse" only gets two of 10. 

 

I am bummed that Cal Poly did not get through, but what a job Coach Lee did there. Washington....another great story. College of Charleston, unbelievable, what a fun team to watch - how can you not root for them? Vandy has a high draft pick that did not even pick up a ball, they are the team to watch IMO. UofH get's the shaft by the NCAA, money always seems to get in the way of logic.

 

Should be another great weekend next week. Good luck to HSBBWers who have players still playing. 

Well good for Blue10's son.  But heartbreak for me.  I knew it was trouble as soon as it left the bat. 

It's amazing that only 7 of the 16 regional hosts advanced.  That includes only 3 of 8 "National Seeds" and 4 of the second 8 teams.

 

There are 4 # 2 seeds (i.e., overall seeds 17-32), 4 # 3's (33-48), and 1 # 4 (49-64) in the "Sweet 16" of college baseball. 

 

I think there may be more parity in college baseball than in any other sport.  And more so than the points above, I think the 11.7 cap plays a huge role in it. 

 

Imagine how things are going in UL-Lafayette, with them advancing while LSU did not.  I can only imagine the recruiting impact that'll have down that way.  If they can keep their head coach, that is!

The roster limits and 11.7 have created tremendous parity in college baseball. It has also elevated the level of play at the D2 level greatly. I watched the D2 WS and it was tremendous baseball.

I was at the OSU - UC Irvine game last night. Of course I was rooting for a different outcome, but there was a special moment in the game that I just have to relate. It is one of those things that makes the sacrifice kids make to play college baseball worth it.

I was watching part of the game with a friend whose son, Nick, is on the Beavers. Nick and my son were teammates all through youth and high school ball, so I had watched countless games with him over the years.

Nick is one of those kids who doggedly stuck with baseball. He has all sorts of tools, but was not recruited in high school. Very athletic, all state wide receiver, fast, big arm, decent power, but never really attracted the attention of D1 programs.

He went Juco for two years, then tried to walk onto OSU two seasons ago. He didn't make the roster. Last season he tried again, and this time got a roster spot. He spent the year on the bench, was used for pinch running, and got maybe two or three at bats.

This year he wasn't sure if he was going to do it again, but decided to stick with it. He had the bad luck to be an outfielder on a team on which every starting outfielder made first team PAC 12, so again this year he was used sparingly. I think he got 34 at bats this season, but did well. Hit almost .300, and had a .430 on base average. so he contributed.

Talking with his dad during the game, I asked him if Nick was glad he stuck it out. No question about it, he said. Disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role, but he sure liked being part of the team, and just being on the roster of the #1 national seed was a big deal.

The dad went back to sit with the other team parents, and I watched the last innings of the game alone. The Beavers' bats were cold all night. By the 8th inning, they were down 4-1, and hadn't had a hit in I think four innings. The first two batters in the 8th went down quietly. The crowd was quiet, antsy. The dugout was quiet. The energy of the whole place (except for those really great Irvine fans) was just sapped.

I looked up and saw that Nick was put in to pinch hit, subbed for the #2 batter in the lineup. I thought: "That's great of Pat Casey to give him an at-bat."

Nick looked at two balls, and then just hammered the third pitch high off the left field wall. He's so fast that he was rounding second by the time the left fielder got the  ball in his hands, and so he easily made it to third. (As he was running I was thinking "don't make the third out at third," but he was clearly going to make it.)

That at-bat changed the entire game. The crowd went crazy. The next batter was the two-time PAC 12 player of the year, and they pitched around him for a walk. So the tie run came to the plate. Nick scored on a wild pitch, so it's a good thing he had the speed to get to third.

That ended up being the last run the Beavers would score in the game, despite threatening in the ninth. But what a huge moment for Nick. He put the team on his shoulders, and gave them life. He accepted his role on the team, and made the absolute most of it.

He will remember that moment for the rest of his life.The crowd serenaded him with their appreciation for what he had done. The moment was actually extended because Irvine changed pitchers, so for several minutes the crowd amped itself up, while all Nick's teammates high fived him.

Nick paid the price for five years of college baseball, and up until that moment, I am sure that for both Nick and his dad, the ledger seemed so out of balance. With that one swing, I am dead certain that the ledger was brought into huge surplus.

I caught the swing on my camera phone. It's way zoomed in, so the resolution is not great. But I caught Nick's last swing in college baseball, and what a moment!

 

What a great story Rob -  thanks for sharing, that really made my day.

 

After watching college baseball for the past three years I am surprised how many times situations like that come up. At least for me, until I followed a program closely, I did not see how much the role players meant to a team and program. Congrats to your friends son. 

Thanks for that post Rob.  My son is having huge mental struggles now, so I copied that and texted him.  Always great to hear stories about guys sticking it out, waiting for their turn, and making the most of it.

Saw that at bat Rob. Nice to know the story behind the player. It was awesome.

Rob- Try clicking "add attachments" near the bottom left of the "Post Reply" box, right underneath "Follow This Topic."

 

 

Rob,

That's a great story, thanks for sharing.  I believe that the young man he pinched hit for is another story of a kid overcoming some tough obstacles too?

I wish I'd known that you were at Monday night's game, I would have come by and said hello.  The atmosphere at Goss Stadium was absolutely incredible, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Oregon State fans were feeding off our small group of UCI families from the first game we played them on Saturday night.  BTW, I'm watching the Sunday/Monday night games versus OSU at home now, gotta love DVR's.  

UCI was one of the Last four teams in the tourney, and the Beavers were the number one national seed, not to mention virtually unbeatable at home in the playoffs. So needless to say, we are very proud of our kids.  

After driving to and from Corvallis the last five days (985 mi. each way), I will be doing the same thing early Thursday morning.  My daughter will make the 1,350 mile trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma with me (my wife is going to stay home & manage my office...and take care of our dogs!). If the Eaters can pull off another upset versus the other OSU team, I will fly her to Omaha....that would be awesome!

Congrats again bsbl247!

 

Here is a great story regarding OSU.

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/beav...o%23incart_big-photo

 

Bsbl247 - I would have loved to have met you. I didn't even decide to go to the game until about 5PM Monday, so I didn't plan ahead enough to think of looking you up. 

 

Good luck in Oklahoma!

 

Also - thanks J H, I did get the picture I took to load on my post above. 

Rob thanks for sharing that. That is an awesome story and one that is played out every year in college baseball. I have never met this young man but just from that story I can tell I would really like to. I watched all three games UCI played OSU in that regional. I was very impressed with both teams. bsbl247! good luck this coming weekend.