NCAA Tournament Regionals Results At A Glance
Image credit: (Photo by Eddie Kelly)
After three days of NCAA Tournament action, some regionals are all wrapped up, while others still have it all to play for. Here’s how it all stands after Sunday.
Through To Super Regionals
Knoxville Regional: Tennessee
Tennessee swept through the regional, beating Alabama State, 10-0, on Friday, Campbell, 12-7, on Saturday and Georgia Tech, 9-6, on Sunday. The Volunteers had to work harder than the final scores indicate, however. In Saturday’s winner’s bracket game, Campbell cut Tennessee’s lead to one run in the seventh and again in the eighth before the Volunteers put the game away with a four-run ninth inning. On Sunday, Georgia Tech led the game all the way until the ninth inning, when Tennessee scored six to push ahead. In the end, though, Tennessee got a sweep and is headed to super regionals for the second straight season.
Next up: Knoxville Super Regional vs. Notre Dame
Blacksburg Regional: Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech won a regional for the first time in program history, sweeping through the field in Blacksburg. The Hokies beat Wright State, 15-9, on Friday and then doubled up on wins against Columbia. They won 24-4 on Saturday and 7-2 in Sunday’s final. Virginia Tech swung its home run hammer plenty this weekend and it will get to stay at home next weekend for the first super regional in program history.
Next up: Blacksburg Super Regional vs. Oklahoma
College Station Regional: Texas A&M
The Aggies swept through the College Station Regional to continue their impressive second-half surge. A&M beat Oral Roberts, 8-2, on Friday and then upended Louisiana-Lafayette, 9-6, on Saturday. The Aggies defeated Texas Christian, 15-9, in Sunday’s finale. It wasn’t always easy for A&M, as it needed late comebacks both Saturday and Sunday. But the Aggies’ offense got the job done, scoring 32 runs over three days, and they advanced to super regionals for the first time since 2017.
Next up: College Station Super Regional vs. Louisville
Austin Regional: Texas
Texas took care of business this weekend in Austin, outscoring its opponents 31-6. The Longhorns bookended the weekend with wins against Air Force, beating the Falcons, 11-3, on Friday and 10-1 on Sunday. In between, they knocked off Louisiana Tech, 5-2. Sunday’s win against Air Force also saw Ivan Melendez hit his 30th home run of the season, making him the first player since Kris Bryant in 2013 to reach the milestone. Texas never trailed on the weekend and now will prepare for its third super regional in the last four NCAA Tournaments.
Next up: Greenville Super Regional vs. East Carolina
Statesboro Regional: Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish were snubbed as regional hosts but didn’t let that deter them this weekend in Statesboro. Notre Dame swept through the regional, starting with a 3-2 win against Texas Tech on Friday in a game that they also had to fight through a six-hour lightning delay. Notre Dame on Saturday beat host Georgia Southern, 6-4, and then finished off the weekend with a 2-1 win Sunday against Texas Tech. On a weekend when offenses were the headliners around the country, Notre Dame’s pitching staff holding opponents to a total of seven runs stood out.
Next up: Knoxville Super Regional vs. Tennessee
Greenville Regional: East Carolina
After getting shut down by Coastal Carolina starter Nick Parker Sunday night, East Carolina fought back to score 13 runs in a 13-4 win over the Chanticleers Monday afternoon. Leading 5-2 at the seventh-inning stretch, ECU broke the game open with an eight-run bottom of the seventh capped by a three-run homer for center fielder Bryson Worrell. While Texas is a tough draw in super regionals, the Pirates being at home in Greenville, its first time hosting a super since 2001 and first time hosting a super in Greenville, should be a big help as the Pirates look to get to the College World Series for the first time.
Next up: Greenville Super Regional vs. Texas
Hattiesburg Regional: Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss pulled off the impressive feat of beating LSU twice in two days on the brink of elimination to advance to super regionals, and because host Miami lost in its home regional, it will be playing at home. The win Monday against LSU was a real back-and-forth affair that went to the ninth inning tied 7-7. In the top of the ninth, third baseman Danny Lynch put the Golden Eagles ahead for good with a sacrifice fly. The only other time USM was in a super regional was 2009, when it won the Gainesville Super Regional to make its only trip to Omaha, and this will be its first time hosting a super regional.
Next up: Hattiesburg Super Regional vs. Mississippi
Louisville Regional: Louisville
Louisville won its home regional with a second straight win against Michigan. The Cardinals went up 7-2 after just one inning. The Wolverines got back into it, eventually tying it 7-7 after the fifth and taking a 9-7 lead in the sixth, but in the bottom of the eighth, Louisville tied it with a two-run single by center fielder Levi Usher and took the lead on a two-run homer for left fielder Cameron Masterman. Adding insult to injury for Michigan was that there was a botched instant replay in that eighth inning that went against the Wolverines and one pitch before Masterman’s homer, pitcher Cameron Weston though he had Masterman struck out looking. Louisville impressed offensively the last two days and made it work on the mound, and now it’s heading to College Station for a super regional.
Next up: College Station Super Regional vs. Texas A&M
Corvallis Regional: Oregon State
One day after a fairly listless 8-1 loss to Vanderbilt, Oregon State won a tight 7-6 game over the Commodores to earn a spot in a super regional at home this weekend. With the game tied 6-6 at the seventh-inning stretch, OSU took the lead on a solo homer by third baseman Matthew Gretler. And once the Beavers took the lead, they turned the ball over to ace lefthander Cooper Hjerpe, who pitched a clean eighth and ninth inning with five strikeouts.
Up Next: Corvallis Super Regional vs. Auburn
Chapel Hill Regional: North Carolina
North Carolina made sure it grabbed a comfortable lead early in Monday’s regional game seven against Virginia Commonwealth, as it put seven runs on the board in the first four innings and coasted in for a 7-3 win. Gage Gillian and Davis Palermo were excellent in relief, as they held the Rams scoreless over the final 5.1 innings. Over the two regional final games, UNC outscored VCU 26-11.
Up next: Chapel Hill Super Regional vs. Arkansas
Auburn Regional: Auburn
After having the regional final suspended due to rain while leading 9-0 in the sixth inning, Auburn finished off an 11-4 win over UCLA Monday afternoon. Before the suspension Sunday night, righthander Mason Barnett threw 5.1 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. The Bruins got as close as 9-4 in the resumption on Monday but couldn’t quite make a real game of it. The Tigers, which really breezed through its first home regional since 2010, will now head to Corvallis to try to get to Omaha for the second time in four full seasons.
Up next: Corvallis Super Regional vs. Oregon State
Coral Gables Regional: Mississippi
After struggling for much of the regular season and sneaking into the field of 64 as the last team in, Ole Miss made it look fairly easy in sweeping through the Coral Gables Regional. The Rebels won the regional final against Arizona by a 22-6 score, but it wasn’t necessarily the blowout that might suggest. It was a 5-5 game until Ole Miss scored five runs in the fifth and eight runs in the sixth to break it open. A super regional against in-state foe Southern Miss promises to provide an electric atmosphere this weekend.
Up next: Hattiesburg Super Regional vs. Southern Mississippi
Gainesville Regional: Oklahoma
It was a long day at the ballpark for Florida and Oklahoma on Monday. Both teams pitched well into the seventh inning and when the tarp went onto the field in the seventh, Florida led 2-1. About five-and-a-half hours later, the teams took the field again, and the offenses woke up. The Gators added a run in the bottom of the seventh to go up 3-1, but Oklahoma answered with four runs in the eighth, the first two of which scored on a two-run homer for shortstop Peyton Graham. In the ninth, Florida added a run on a Wyatt Langford home run, but Oklahoma ace Jake Bennett closed out a 5-4 win in his second inning of work. A matchup with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg should be a lot of fun.
Up next: Blacksburg Super Regional vs. Virginia Tech
College Park Regional: Connecticut
Maryland won a game Sunday night to keep its hopes of reaching a super regional alive, but UConn spoiled the party Monday evening with an 11-8 win. The Huskies jumped out to a 6-1 lead after the first inning, thanks in large part to a grand slam off the bat of catcher Matt Donlan, and while Maryland continuing to fight back throughout the night, UConn was always able to stay out ahead. Both teams really pieced it together on the mound, and the Terrapins used nine pitchers, but the Huskies were able to slam the door shut late with closer Justin Willis throwing two scoreless innings.
Up next: Super Regional vs. winner of Stanford Regional
Stillwater Regional: Arkansas
After Oklahoma State won a pair of the wildest regional games in memory on Sunday, Arkansas came back Monday and re-asserted itself with a 7-3 win to secure a spot in a super regional. The Razorbacks got good work on the mound from Zack Morris, who threw 3.1 scoreless innings to start the game, and Hagen Smith, who threw two scoreless frames to close it out. Offensively, a four-run fourth inning for the Razorbacks made the difference. Because Arkansas was the two seed in Stillwater, it will head on the road to Chapel Hill for its super regional.
Up next: Chapel Hill Super Regional vs. North Carolina
Stanford Regional: Stanford
The last regional to wrap, the Stanford Regional provided plenty of drama and sent the weekend out with a bang. After Texas State took a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth, the Cardinal answered with three runs in the bottom of the ninth on solo homers for third baseman Drew Bowser and second baseman Tommy Troy and an RBI single off the bat of pinch-hitter Trevor Haskins. The Cardinal will stay at home this weekend for a super regional against UConn.
Conference call
Eleven conferences had multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament. Here’s how they’ve fared so far.
SEC: 24-8 (.778), five teams qualified for super regionals
Big Ten: 5-4 (.714)
Big 12: 13-7 (.667), two teams qualified for super regionals
Pac-12: 12-8 (.625), two teams qualified for super regionals
ACC: 20-12 (.600), four teams teams qualified for super regionals
Conference USA: 5-3 (.571), one team qualified for super regionals
Sun Belt: 5-6 (.500)
West Coast: 2-4 (.333)
ASUN: 1-4 (.200)
Missouri Valley: 1-4 (.200)
WAC: 0-4 (.000)
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