After a dramatic comeback to win 4-3, the Tar Heels are now headed to Omaha for the second time in the last three seasons.
UNC got a key hit off the bat of Owen Hull in the bottom of the ninth, the outfielder’s fourth double of the game, to bring home the game-winning run and book a trip to the Men’s College World Series for the Tar Heels.
“Oh it means the world,” said Hull to ESPN after the game. “This is one special team and we’re looking forward to playing in Omaha.”
UNC dropped Game 1 on Friday, but rode a gem of a start from Jason DeCaro on Saturday to force a decisive Game 3. But the Tar Heels fell behind early, as a balk from Sunday starting pitcher Caden Glauber brought a run home for the Trojans in the top of the first.
The Tar Heels tied the game in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Hull down the right-field line that brought MLB Draft prospect Jake Schaffner around to score from first. But the Trojans tacked on runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, on solo home runs from Kevin Takeuchi and Andrew Lamb, to stake USC to a 3-1 lead.
Glauber settled in from there, keeping the Tar Heels close.
However, USC starter Andrew Johnson was cruising. The sophomore right-hander, who pitched 3.2 innings on Friday in relief to earn the save, lasted deep into Game 3, exiting in the bottom of the eighth after giving up a double to Macon Winslow that brought Hull around to score.
USC got out of the eighth with a 3-2 lead, but everything changed in the bottom of the ninth.
Adam Troy, who closed out the eighth, retired Tyler Howe on a grounder to second to start the inning. But after Troy walked Cooper Nicholson and started 3-0 to Carter French, USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz came out of the dugout again to pull his closer, turning the game over to Chase Harrell – who got the win in relief on Friday – to get the final two outs.
The USC reliever battled back against French to work the count 3-2, with a pair of fastballs low in the zone, but French then laced a single through the right side, advancing Nicholson to third and putting the potential winning run on first.
That brought leadoff hitter Schaffner to the plate. He lofted a flyball to center on the first pitch he saw from Harrell, driving it deep enough for Nicholson to come home on the sacrifice fly and tie the game at 3-3:
Gavin Gallaher came to the plate next, already a hero in Chapel Hill lore. Back in 2024 Gallaher, then a freshman, belted a walk-off grand slam to cap off a comeback win over Long Island in the Chapel Hill regional. Gallaher walked, bringing Hull, UNC’s RBI leader, to the plate with a pair of runners on and French on second as the potential winning run.
Harrell missed with the first two pitches, falling behind 2-0 to Hull, who delivered an RBI single earlier in the game. Following a mound conference, Hull dug into the batter’s box for the third pitch of the at-bat, and lofted a pop-up along the left-field line. But the ball fell harmlessly between USC fielders, giving Hull an extra life.
Hull drilled a line drive to deep left-center, and Takeuchi’s sliding attempt on the warning track came up short. It was the fourth double of the game from Hull, sending UNC to the Men’s College World Series for the second time in the last three years.
The loss means the Big Ten will be without a team in the Men’s College World Series, as the Trojans were the last team alive in the Super Regionals.
After a dramatic comeback to win 4-3, the Tar Heels are now headed to Omaha for the second time in the last three seasons.
UNC got a key hit off the bat of Owen Hull in the bottom of the ninth, the outfielder’s fourth double of the game, to bring home the game-winning run and book a trip to the Men’s College World Series for the Tar Heels.
“Oh it means the world,” said Hull to ESPN after the game. “This is one special team and we’re looking forward to playing in Omaha.”
UNC dropped Game 1 on Friday, but rode a gem of a start from Jason DeCaro on Saturday to force a decisive Game 3. But the Tar Heels fell behind early, as a balk from Sunday starting pitcher Caden Glauber brought a run home for the Trojans in the top of the first.
The Tar Heels tied the game in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Hull down the right-field line that brought MLB Draft prospect Jake Schaffner around to score from first. But the Trojans tacked on runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, on solo home runs from Kevin Takeuchi and Andrew Lamb, to stake USC to a 3-1 lead.
Glauber settled in from there, keeping the Tar Heels close.
However, USC starter Andrew Johnson was cruising. The sophomore right-hander, who pitched 3.2 innings on Friday in relief to earn the save, lasted deep into Game 3, exiting in the bottom of the eighth after giving up a double to Macon Winslow that brought Hull around to score.
USC got out of the eighth with a 3-2 lead, but everything changed in the bottom of the ninth.
Adam Troy, who closed out the eighth, retired Tyler Howe on a grounder to second to start the inning. But after Troy walked Cooper Nicholson and started 3-0 to Carter French, USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz came out of the dugout again to pull his closer, turning the game over to Chase Harrell – who got the win in relief on Friday – to get the final two outs.
The USC reliever battled back against French to work the count 3-2, with a pair of fastballs low in the zone, but French then laced a single through the right side, advancing Nicholson to third and putting the potential winning run on first.
That brought leadoff hitter Schaffner to the plate. He lofted a flyball to center on the first pitch he saw from Harrell, driving it deep enough for Nicholson to come home on the sacrifice fly and tie the game at 3-3:
Gavin Gallaher came to the plate next, already a hero in Chapel Hill lore. Back in 2024 Gallaher, then a freshman, belted a walk-off grand slam to cap off a comeback win over Long Island in the Chapel Hill regional. Gallaher walked, bringing Hull, UNC’s RBI leader, to the plate with a pair of runners on and French on second as the potential winning run.
Harrell missed with the first two pitches, falling behind 2-0 to Hull, who delivered an RBI single earlier in the game. Following a mound conference, Hull dug into the batter’s box for the third pitch of the at-bat, and lofted a pop-up along the left-field line. But the ball fell harmlessly between USC fielders, giving Hull an extra life.
Hull drilled a line drive to deep left-center, and Takeuchi’s sliding attempt on the warning track came up short. It was the fourth double of the game from Hull, sending UNC to the Men’s College World Series for the second time in the last three years.
The loss means the Big Ten will be without a team in the Men’s College World Series, as the Trojans were the last team alive in the Super Regionals.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #UNC #completes #comeback #USC">NCAA baseball tournament: UNC completes the comeback against USC
When the North Carolina Tar Heels came to bat in the bottom of the eight inning of Game 3 of their Super Regional matchup against USC, the No. 5 team in the nation trailed 3-1, and were just six outs away from elimination.
After a dramatic comeback to win 4-3, the Tar Heels are now headed to Omaha for the second time in the last three seasons.
UNC got a key hit off the bat of Owen Hull in the bottom of the ninth, the outfielder’s fourth double of the game, to bring home the game-winning run and book a trip to the Men’s College World Series for the Tar Heels.
“Oh it means the world,” said Hull to ESPN after the game. “This is one special team and we’re looking forward to playing in Omaha.”
UNC dropped Game 1 on Friday, but rode a gem of a start from Jason DeCaro on Saturday to force a decisive Game 3. But the Tar Heels fell behind early, as a balk from Sunday starting pitcher Caden Glauber brought a run home for the Trojans in the top of the first.
The Tar Heels tied the game in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Hull down the right-field line that brought MLB Draft prospect Jake Schaffner around to score from first. But the Trojans tacked on runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, on solo home runs from Kevin Takeuchi and Andrew Lamb, to stake USC to a 3-1 lead.
Glauber settled in from there, keeping the Tar Heels close.
However, USC starter Andrew Johnson was cruising. The sophomore right-hander, who pitched 3.2 innings on Friday in relief to earn the save, lasted deep into Game 3, exiting in the bottom of the eighth after giving up a double to Macon Winslow that brought Hull around to score.
USC got out of the eighth with a 3-2 lead, but everything changed in the bottom of the ninth.
Adam Troy, who closed out the eighth, retired Tyler Howe on a grounder to second to start the inning. But after Troy walked Cooper Nicholson and started 3-0 to Carter French, USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz came out of the dugout again to pull his closer, turning the game over to Chase Harrell – who got the win in relief on Friday – to get the final two outs.
The USC reliever battled back against French to work the count 3-2, with a pair of fastballs low in the zone, but French then laced a single through the right side, advancing Nicholson to third and putting the potential winning run on first.
That brought leadoff hitter Schaffner to the plate. He lofted a flyball to center on the first pitch he saw from Harrell, driving it deep enough for Nicholson to come home on the sacrifice fly and tie the game at 3-3:
Gavin Gallaher came to the plate next, already a hero in Chapel Hill lore. Back in 2024 Gallaher, then a freshman, belted a walk-off grand slam to cap off a comeback win over Long Island in the Chapel Hill regional. Gallaher walked, bringing Hull, UNC’s RBI leader, to the plate with a pair of runners on and French on second as the potential winning run.
Harrell missed with the first two pitches, falling behind 2-0 to Hull, who delivered an RBI single earlier in the game. Following a mound conference, Hull dug into the batter’s box for the third pitch of the at-bat, and lofted a pop-up along the left-field line. But the ball fell harmlessly between USC fielders, giving Hull an extra life.
Hull drilled a line drive to deep left-center, and Takeuchi’s sliding attempt on the warning track came up short. It was the fourth double of the game from Hull, sending UNC to the Men’s College World Series for the second time in the last three years.
The loss means the Big Ten will be without a team in the Men’s College World Series, as the Trojans were the last team alive in the Super Regionals.
The Tar Heels got just that from starting pitcher Jason DeCaro.
Facing elimination against Southern California, the Tar Heels stayed alive in the NCAA baseball tournament with a 4-0 win at home to even their Super Regional series at 1-1. And DeCaro was the star, as the righty went the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out eight.
DeCaro was aggressive on the bump, and that paid off in a huge way as he reached an 0-2 count on 14 of the 31 batters he faced Saturday. Speaking with ESPN after the game, the first nine-inning shutout of his collegiate career, DeCaro said that was completely by design.
“Just trying to go after them, they’re a pretty aggressive bunch. We figured we’d get ahead [in the count] a good bit,” said the UNC starting pitcher.
And despite throwing over 100 pitches — 117 to be exact — DeCaro still had his velocity in the ninth inning, as he was consistently in the mid-90s during his final inning of work.
Yet the final out came on this devastating breaking ball, for a strikeout to complete the outing:
While the Tar Heels did not need much offense on Saturday, thanks to DeCaro’s stellar game, they got what they needed thanks to home runs from Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen. Each drilled a solo shot to spark the North Carolina offense.
Their other two runs came via sacrifice flies.
But DeCaro was the story, as the righty delivered a true gem in likely his final start in front of the North Carolina faithful, as he is a likely early pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. It was also something of a redemption arc for DeCaro, who lasted just over three innings in each of his last two starts, before stepping up when UNC needed him the most on Saturday.
“We knew we had to win two games no matter what this weekend, so just keeping that mindset,” added DeCaro after the game.
The two team will meet tomorrow with a spot in the Men’s College World Series on the line.
The Tar Heels got just that from starting pitcher Jason DeCaro.
Facing elimination against Southern California, the Tar Heels stayed alive in the NCAA baseball tournament with a 4-0 win at home to even their Super Regional series at 1-1. And DeCaro was the star, as the righty went the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out eight.
DeCaro was aggressive on the bump, and that paid off in a huge way as he reached an 0-2 count on 14 of the 31 batters he faced Saturday. Speaking with ESPN after the game, the first nine-inning shutout of his collegiate career, DeCaro said that was completely by design.
“Just trying to go after them, they’re a pretty aggressive bunch. We figured we’d get ahead [in the count] a good bit,” said the UNC starting pitcher.
And despite throwing over 100 pitches — 117 to be exact — DeCaro still had his velocity in the ninth inning, as he was consistently in the mid-90s during his final inning of work.
Yet the final out came on this devastating breaking ball, for a strikeout to complete the outing:
While the Tar Heels did not need much offense on Saturday, thanks to DeCaro’s stellar game, they got what they needed thanks to home runs from Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen. Each drilled a solo shot to spark the North Carolina offense.
Their other two runs came via sacrifice flies.
But DeCaro was the story, as the righty delivered a true gem in likely his final start in front of the North Carolina faithful, as he is a likely early pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. It was also something of a redemption arc for DeCaro, who lasted just over three innings in each of his last two starts, before stepping up when UNC needed him the most on Saturday.
“We knew we had to win two games no matter what this weekend, so just keeping that mindset,” added DeCaro after the game.
The two team will meet tomorrow with a spot in the Men’s College World Series on the line.
#Jason #DeCaro #delivers #gem #UNC #avoids #elimination #USC">Jason DeCaro delivers a gem as UNC avoids elimination against USC
North Carolina needed a hero to extend its season on Saturday.
The Tar Heels got just that from starting pitcher Jason DeCaro.
Facing elimination against Southern California, the Tar Heels stayed alive in the NCAA baseball tournament with a 4-0 win at home to even their Super Regional series at 1-1. And DeCaro was the star, as the righty went the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out eight.
DeCaro was aggressive on the bump, and that paid off in a huge way as he reached an 0-2 count on 14 of the 31 batters he faced Saturday. Speaking with ESPN after the game, the first nine-inning shutout of his collegiate career, DeCaro said that was completely by design.
“Just trying to go after them, they’re a pretty aggressive bunch. We figured we’d get ahead [in the count] a good bit,” said the UNC starting pitcher.
And despite throwing over 100 pitches — 117 to be exact — DeCaro still had his velocity in the ninth inning, as he was consistently in the mid-90s during his final inning of work.
Yet the final out came on this devastating breaking ball, for a strikeout to complete the outing:
While the Tar Heels did not need much offense on Saturday, thanks to DeCaro’s stellar game, they got what they needed thanks to home runs from Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen. Each drilled a solo shot to spark the North Carolina offense.
Their other two runs came via sacrifice flies.
But DeCaro was the story, as the righty delivered a true gem in likely his final start in front of the North Carolina faithful, as he is a likely early pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. It was also something of a redemption arc for DeCaro, who lasted just over three innings in each of his last two starts, before stepping up when UNC needed him the most on Saturday.
“We knew we had to win two games no matter what this weekend, so just keeping that mindset,” added DeCaro after the game.
The two team will meet tomorrow with a spot in the Men’s College World Series on the line.
That means a completely new field, and a new national champion.
We’ll be tracking the teams that advance all weekend long.
The Mountaineers became the first team to punch their ticket to Omaha, dispatching Cal Poly in a two-game sweep at home in Morgantown. The West Virginia bats were red-hot in those two games, as they pushed 12 runs across the plate in Game 1 and followed that with a 17-run outburst against Cal Poly on Saturday, taking Game 2 by a final of 17-1 to punch their ticket to the Men’s College World Series.
And while the bats were part of the story, they did not tell the complete tale. After getting a career-high 11 strikeouts from Friday starter Chasen Cole, West Virginia coach Steve Sabins handed the ball to Maxx Yehl, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, for the start on Saturday.
All he did was pitch five near-perfect innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out four.
West Virginia and its fans had to wait a little to celebrate, due to a lightning delay in the eighth inning. But eventually the sky cleared, and the Mountaineers closed out Cal Poly.
And now, the Mountaineers are headed to Omaha for the first time in program history.
Troy began the year with a pair of losses to Mercer and hovered around .500 for most of the season. Its year included both a four-game losing streak and a three-game losing streak in March alone. And when Troy finished the year with 29 losses, yet were named an at-large team to the NCAA tournament, many wondered if they belonged.
Yet all they did was win the Gainesville regional – despite dropping their opener against Miami – and now thanks to a sweep against fellow Cinderella Little Rock, the Trojans are heading to Omaha for the first time in program history.
The Trojans’ 32-29 regular season record does merit some context, as Troy faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation. That paid off once they arrived in Gainesville, as Troy beat Florida, the top seed in the regional and the No. 8 overall seed in the nation, twice to advance to the Super Regionals for the first time in school history.
And now they are headed to the Men’s College World Series for the first time.
Something else that paid off for the Trojans? The bat of designated hitter Jabe Boroff. The slugger caught fire as Troy closed out the regional, hitting four home runs in the final three games in Gainesville. And he blasted a pair of home runs in Game 1 against Little Rock, helping the Trojans take the first game of the series.
To put his recent form in perspective, he had five home runs and 14 RBI over 27 regular season and Ohio Valley Conference games.
So far over six NCAA tournament games, he has six home runs and 18 RBI.
Now we get to see what he, and the rest of the Trojans, do in Omaha.
The third team to book a trip to Omaha? That would be Ole Miss. After knocking off Auburn 6-4 on Friday, Ole Miss punched their ticket to the Men’s College World Series with a 5-3 win over the Tigers on Saturday.
And what a thrilling win it was.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Ole Miss pushed three runs across the plate to take a 5-2 lead, with the damage coming via back-to-back jacks.
Will Furniss got the homer party started with this two-run shot to stake Ole Miss to a 5-3 lead:
Then before the celebration quieted down, Tristan Bissetta did this:
Auburn tacked on a run in the ninth and even got the tying run to the plate in the inning, but Ole Miss closed it out to move on to Omaha.
That means a completely new field, and a new national champion.
We’ll be tracking the teams that advance all weekend long.
The Mountaineers became the first team to punch their ticket to Omaha, dispatching Cal Poly in a two-game sweep at home in Morgantown. The West Virginia bats were red-hot in those two games, as they pushed 12 runs across the plate in Game 1 and followed that with a 17-run outburst against Cal Poly on Saturday, taking Game 2 by a final of 17-1 to punch their ticket to the Men’s College World Series.
And while the bats were part of the story, they did not tell the complete tale. After getting a career-high 11 strikeouts from Friday starter Chasen Cole, West Virginia coach Steve Sabins handed the ball to Maxx Yehl, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, for the start on Saturday.
All he did was pitch five near-perfect innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out four.
West Virginia and its fans had to wait a little to celebrate, due to a lightning delay in the eighth inning. But eventually the sky cleared, and the Mountaineers closed out Cal Poly.
And now, the Mountaineers are headed to Omaha for the first time in program history.
Troy began the year with a pair of losses to Mercer and hovered around .500 for most of the season. Its year included both a four-game losing streak and a three-game losing streak in March alone. And when Troy finished the year with 29 losses, yet were named an at-large team to the NCAA tournament, many wondered if they belonged.
Yet all they did was win the Gainesville regional – despite dropping their opener against Miami – and now thanks to a sweep against fellow Cinderella Little Rock, the Trojans are heading to Omaha for the first time in program history.
The Trojans’ 32-29 regular season record does merit some context, as Troy faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation. That paid off once they arrived in Gainesville, as Troy beat Florida, the top seed in the regional and the No. 8 overall seed in the nation, twice to advance to the Super Regionals for the first time in school history.
And now they are headed to the Men’s College World Series for the first time.
Something else that paid off for the Trojans? The bat of designated hitter Jabe Boroff. The slugger caught fire as Troy closed out the regional, hitting four home runs in the final three games in Gainesville. And he blasted a pair of home runs in Game 1 against Little Rock, helping the Trojans take the first game of the series.
To put his recent form in perspective, he had five home runs and 14 RBI over 27 regular season and Ohio Valley Conference games.
So far over six NCAA tournament games, he has six home runs and 18 RBI.
Now we get to see what he, and the rest of the Trojans, do in Omaha.
The third team to book a trip to Omaha? That would be Ole Miss. After knocking off Auburn 6-4 on Friday, Ole Miss punched their ticket to the Men’s College World Series with a 5-3 win over the Tigers on Saturday.
And what a thrilling win it was.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Ole Miss pushed three runs across the plate to take a 5-2 lead, with the damage coming via back-to-back jacks.
Will Furniss got the homer party started with this two-run shot to stake Ole Miss to a 5-3 lead:
Then before the celebration quieted down, Tristan Bissetta did this:
Auburn tacked on a run in the ninth and even got the tying run to the plate in the inning, but Ole Miss closed it out to move on to Omaha.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #Tracking #MCWS #teams">NCAA baseball tournament: Tracking the MCWS teams
16 teams advanced to the Super Regionals, but only eight will continue on to Omaha and the Men’s College World Series.
And for the second year in a row, the eight teams that move on to the Men’s College World Series will be completely different than the eight teams that advanced last season. Coastal Carolina, Arizona, Oregon State, Louisville, UCLA, Murray State, Arkansas, and LSU were the eight teams that advanced last year, but none of those teams will be headed to Omaha.
That means a completely new field, and a new national champion.
We’ll be tracking the teams that advance all weekend long.
The Mountaineers became the first team to punch their ticket to Omaha, dispatching Cal Poly in a two-game sweep at home in Morgantown. The West Virginia bats were red-hot in those two games, as they pushed 12 runs across the plate in Game 1 and followed that with a 17-run outburst against Cal Poly on Saturday, taking Game 2 by a final of 17-1 to punch their ticket to the Men’s College World Series.
And while the bats were part of the story, they did not tell the complete tale. After getting a career-high 11 strikeouts from Friday starter Chasen Cole, West Virginia coach Steve Sabins handed the ball to Maxx Yehl, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, for the start on Saturday.
All he did was pitch five near-perfect innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out four.
West Virginia and its fans had to wait a little to celebrate, due to a lightning delay in the eighth inning. But eventually the sky cleared, and the Mountaineers closed out Cal Poly.
And now, the Mountaineers are headed to Omaha for the first time in program history.
Troy began the year with a pair of losses to Mercer and hovered around .500 for most of the season. Its year included both a four-game losing streak and a three-game losing streak in March alone. And when Troy finished the year with 29 losses, yet were named an at-large team to the NCAA tournament, many wondered if they belonged.
Yet all they did was win the Gainesville regional – despite dropping their opener against Miami – and now thanks to a sweep against fellow Cinderella Little Rock, the Trojans are heading to Omaha for the first time in program history.
The Trojans’ 32-29 regular season record does merit some context, as Troy faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation. That paid off once they arrived in Gainesville, as Troy beat Florida, the top seed in the regional and the No. 8 overall seed in the nation, twice to advance to the Super Regionals for the first time in school history.
And now they are headed to the Men’s College World Series for the first time.
Something else that paid off for the Trojans? The bat of designated hitter Jabe Boroff. The slugger caught fire as Troy closed out the regional, hitting four home runs in the final three games in Gainesville. And he blasted a pair of home runs in Game 1 against Little Rock, helping the Trojans take the first game of the series.
To put his recent form in perspective, he had five home runs and 14 RBI over 27 regular season and Ohio Valley Conference games.
So far over six NCAA tournament games, he has six home runs and 18 RBI.
Now we get to see what he, and the rest of the Trojans, do in Omaha.
The third team to book a trip to Omaha? That would be Ole Miss. After knocking off Auburn 6-4 on Friday, Ole Miss punched their ticket to the Men’s College World Series with a 5-3 win over the Tigers on Saturday.
And what a thrilling win it was.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Ole Miss pushed three runs across the plate to take a 5-2 lead, with the damage coming via back-to-back jacks.
Will Furniss got the homer party started with this two-run shot to stake Ole Miss to a 5-3 lead:
Then before the celebration quieted down, Tristan Bissetta did this:
Auburn tacked on a run in the ninth and even got the tying run to the plate in the inning, but Ole Miss closed it out to move on to Omaha.
Back to the diamond today with the first four Super Regional games.
Cal Poly vs. No. 16 West Virginia, 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 Little Rock vs. Troy, 5:00 p.m., ESPNU Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Auburn, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2
The other eight teams join the fray tomorrow. Let’s have some fun.
Rec 1ReplyRead 94 replies
Note, all times listed are Eastern:
No. 16 West Virginia 12, Cal Poly 2 (West Virginia leads series 1-0) Southern California 9, No. 5 North Carolina 5 (USC leads series 1-0) Troy 12, Little Rock 2 (Troy leads series 1-0) Ole Miss 6, No. 4 Auburn 4 (Ole Miss leads series 1-0)
No. 3 Georgia 13, No. 14 Mississippi State 12 (Georgia leads series 1-0) No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 (West Virginia wins series 2-0) No. 5 North Carolina 4, Southern California 0 (Series tied 1-1) Troy 7, Little Rock 2 (Troy wins series 2-0) Ole Miss 5, Auburn 3 (Ole Miss wins series 2-0) Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas, 8:00 p.m., ESPN St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State, 12:00 p.m., ESPN No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s, 3:00 p.m., TBD No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma, 6:00 p.m., TBD No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon, 9:00 p.m., ESPN Cal Poly vs. No. 16 West Virginia* Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina* Little Rock vs. Troy* Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Auburn*
No. 14 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Georgia* St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama* Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas* No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas*
Morgantown Super Regional
No. 16 West Virginia 12, Cal Poly 2 (West Virginia leads series 1-0) No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 (West Virginia wins series 2-0)
Chapel Hill Super Regional
Southern California 9, No. 5 North Carolina 5 (USC leads series 1-0) No. 5 North Carolina 4, Southern California 0 (Series tied 1-1) Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina: Sunday June 7
Troy Super Regional Troy 12, Little Rock 2 (Troy leads series 1-0) Troy 7, Little Rock 2 (Troy wins series 2-0)
Ole Miss 6, No. 4 Auburn 4 (Ole Miss leads series 1-0) Ole Miss 5, Auburn 3 (Ole Miss wins series 2-0)
No. 3 Georgia 13, No. 14 Mississippi State 12 (Georgia leads series 1-0) No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State: Sunday June 7, 12:00 p.m., ESPN No. 14 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Georgia: Monday, June 8*
Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas: Saturday June 6, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma: Sunday June 7, 6:00 p.m., TBD Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas: Monday June 8*
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas: Saturday June 6, 8:00 p.m., ESPN No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon: Sunday June 7, 9:00 p.m., ESPN No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas: Monday June 8*
Tuscaloosa Super Regional St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama: Saturday June 6, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s: Sunday June 7, 3:00 p.m., TBD St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama: Monday June 8*
What are the matchups for Super Regionals?
Here are the eight matchups for this weekend’s Super Regionals. Seeds, where indicated, reflect how the team was seeded overall heading into the regionals. Only the Top 16 teams were seeded ahead of regionals.
Morgantown Super Regional: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Cal Poly
Troy Super Regional: Troy vs. Little Rock
Chapel Hill Super Regional: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Southern California
Auburn Super Regional: No. 4 Auburn vs. Ole Miss
Athens Super Regional: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State
Austin Super Regional: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon
Tuscaloosa Super Regional: No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s
Lawrence Super Regional: No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma
What is the format for Super Regionals?
One of the things that makes the NCAA baseball tournament such a fun event each spring is the varied format.
Last weekend’s regionals were a double-elimination affair, with the Field of 64 broken up into 16, four-team mini-tournaments. Now, the remaining 16 teams are split into pairs of eight, with each pair playing a best-of-three series to determine the eight teams that will be heading to Omaha.
The host team will be the home team for Game 1 and Game 3, if necessary. The visiting team will have those honors in Game 2.
When the teams arrive in Omaha, the double-elimination format returns. The eight teams will be split into two four-team brackets, using a double-elimination format to determine the final two teams. Those teams will then play a best-of-three series to crown a champion.
Back to the diamond today with the first four Super Regional games.
Cal Poly vs. No. 16 West Virginia, 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 Little Rock vs. Troy, 5:00 p.m., ESPNU Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Auburn, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2
The other eight teams join the fray tomorrow. Let’s have some fun.
Rec 1ReplyRead 94 replies
Note, all times listed are Eastern:
No. 16 West Virginia 12, Cal Poly 2 (West Virginia leads series 1-0) Southern California 9, No. 5 North Carolina 5 (USC leads series 1-0) Troy 12, Little Rock 2 (Troy leads series 1-0) Ole Miss 6, No. 4 Auburn 4 (Ole Miss leads series 1-0)
No. 3 Georgia 13, No. 14 Mississippi State 12 (Georgia leads series 1-0) No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 (West Virginia wins series 2-0) No. 5 North Carolina 4, Southern California 0 (Series tied 1-1) Troy 7, Little Rock 2 (Troy wins series 2-0) Ole Miss 5, Auburn 3 (Ole Miss wins series 2-0) Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas, 8:00 p.m., ESPN St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State, 12:00 p.m., ESPN No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s, 3:00 p.m., TBD No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma, 6:00 p.m., TBD No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon, 9:00 p.m., ESPN Cal Poly vs. No. 16 West Virginia* Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina* Little Rock vs. Troy* Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Auburn*
No. 14 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Georgia* St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama* Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas* No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas*
Morgantown Super Regional
No. 16 West Virginia 12, Cal Poly 2 (West Virginia leads series 1-0) No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 (West Virginia wins series 2-0)
Chapel Hill Super Regional
Southern California 9, No. 5 North Carolina 5 (USC leads series 1-0) No. 5 North Carolina 4, Southern California 0 (Series tied 1-1) Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina: Sunday June 7
Troy Super Regional Troy 12, Little Rock 2 (Troy leads series 1-0) Troy 7, Little Rock 2 (Troy wins series 2-0)
Ole Miss 6, No. 4 Auburn 4 (Ole Miss leads series 1-0) Ole Miss 5, Auburn 3 (Ole Miss wins series 2-0)
No. 3 Georgia 13, No. 14 Mississippi State 12 (Georgia leads series 1-0) No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State: Sunday June 7, 12:00 p.m., ESPN No. 14 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Georgia: Monday, June 8*
Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas: Saturday June 6, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma: Sunday June 7, 6:00 p.m., TBD Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas: Monday June 8*
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas: Saturday June 6, 8:00 p.m., ESPN No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon: Sunday June 7, 9:00 p.m., ESPN No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas: Monday June 8*
Tuscaloosa Super Regional St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama: Saturday June 6, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s: Sunday June 7, 3:00 p.m., TBD St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama: Monday June 8*
What are the matchups for Super Regionals?
Here are the eight matchups for this weekend’s Super Regionals. Seeds, where indicated, reflect how the team was seeded overall heading into the regionals. Only the Top 16 teams were seeded ahead of regionals.
Morgantown Super Regional: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Cal Poly
Troy Super Regional: Troy vs. Little Rock
Chapel Hill Super Regional: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Southern California
Auburn Super Regional: No. 4 Auburn vs. Ole Miss
Athens Super Regional: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State
Austin Super Regional: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon
Tuscaloosa Super Regional: No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s
Lawrence Super Regional: No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma
What is the format for Super Regionals?
One of the things that makes the NCAA baseball tournament such a fun event each spring is the varied format.
Last weekend’s regionals were a double-elimination affair, with the Field of 64 broken up into 16, four-team mini-tournaments. Now, the remaining 16 teams are split into pairs of eight, with each pair playing a best-of-three series to determine the eight teams that will be heading to Omaha.
The host team will be the home team for Game 1 and Game 3, if necessary. The visiting team will have those honors in Game 2.
When the teams arrive in Omaha, the double-elimination format returns. The eight teams will be split into two four-team brackets, using a double-elimination format to determine the final two teams. Those teams will then play a best-of-three series to crown a champion.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #Schedule #scores #Super #Regionals">NCAA baseball tournament 2026: Schedule, scores and more for Super Regionals
16 teams still have dreams of playing in Omaha later this month.
Super Regionals get underway in a few hours for the NCAA baseball tournament, with the field cut down last weekend from the initial group of 64 teams down to the remaining 16. This weekend will see those last 16 teams fighting for the eight spots in Omaha, as well as some MLB Draft hopefuls looking to put on yet another display for the pro scouts.
Here is everything you need to know for the Super Regionals. If you are looking for predictions, we have you covered here.
Schedule and scores for Super Regionals
Here is the schedule for the weekend, first simply by day, then by Super Regional.
Also, we are chatting about Super Regionals all weekend long here:
Back to the diamond today with the first four Super Regional games.
Cal Poly vs. No. 16 West Virginia, 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina, 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 Little Rock vs. Troy, 5:00 p.m., ESPNU Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Auburn, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2
The other eight teams join the fray tomorrow. Let’s have some fun.
Rec 1ReplyRead 94 replies
Note, all times listed are Eastern:
No. 16 West Virginia 12, Cal Poly 2 (West Virginia leads series 1-0) Southern California 9, No. 5 North Carolina 5 (USC leads series 1-0) Troy 12, Little Rock 2 (Troy leads series 1-0) Ole Miss 6, No. 4 Auburn 4 (Ole Miss leads series 1-0)
No. 3 Georgia 13, No. 14 Mississippi State 12 (Georgia leads series 1-0) No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 (West Virginia wins series 2-0) No. 5 North Carolina 4, Southern California 0 (Series tied 1-1) Troy 7, Little Rock 2 (Troy wins series 2-0) Ole Miss 5, Auburn 3 (Ole Miss wins series 2-0) Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas, 8:00 p.m., ESPN St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State, 12:00 p.m., ESPN No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s, 3:00 p.m., TBD No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma, 6:00 p.m., TBD No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon, 9:00 p.m., ESPN Cal Poly vs. No. 16 West Virginia* Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina* Little Rock vs. Troy* Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Auburn*
No. 14 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Georgia* St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama* Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas* No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas*
Morgantown Super Regional
No. 16 West Virginia 12, Cal Poly 2 (West Virginia leads series 1-0) No. 16 West Virginia 17, Cal Poly 1 (West Virginia wins series 2-0)
Chapel Hill Super Regional
Southern California 9, No. 5 North Carolina 5 (USC leads series 1-0) No. 5 North Carolina 4, Southern California 0 (Series tied 1-1) Southern California vs. No. 5 North Carolina: Sunday June 7
Troy Super Regional Troy 12, Little Rock 2 (Troy leads series 1-0) Troy 7, Little Rock 2 (Troy wins series 2-0)
Ole Miss 6, No. 4 Auburn 4 (Ole Miss leads series 1-0) Ole Miss 5, Auburn 3 (Ole Miss wins series 2-0)
No. 3 Georgia 13, No. 14 Mississippi State 12 (Georgia leads series 1-0) No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State: Sunday June 7, 12:00 p.m., ESPN No. 14 Mississippi State vs. No. 3 Georgia: Monday, June 8*
Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas: Saturday June 6, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma: Sunday June 7, 6:00 p.m., TBD Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas: Monday June 8*
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas: Saturday June 6, 8:00 p.m., ESPN No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon: Sunday June 7, 9:00 p.m., ESPN No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Texas: Monday June 8*
Tuscaloosa Super Regional St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama: Saturday June 6, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s: Sunday June 7, 3:00 p.m., TBD St. John’s vs. No. 7 Alabama: Monday June 8*
What are the matchups for Super Regionals?
Here are the eight matchups for this weekend’s Super Regionals. Seeds, where indicated, reflect how the team was seeded overall heading into the regionals. Only the Top 16 teams were seeded ahead of regionals.
Morgantown Super Regional: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Cal Poly
Troy Super Regional: Troy vs. Little Rock
Chapel Hill Super Regional: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Southern California
Auburn Super Regional: No. 4 Auburn vs. Ole Miss
Athens Super Regional: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State
Austin Super Regional: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon
Tuscaloosa Super Regional: No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s
Lawrence Super Regional: No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma
What is the format for Super Regionals?
One of the things that makes the NCAA baseball tournament such a fun event each spring is the varied format.
Last weekend’s regionals were a double-elimination affair, with the Field of 64 broken up into 16, four-team mini-tournaments. Now, the remaining 16 teams are split into pairs of eight, with each pair playing a best-of-three series to determine the eight teams that will be heading to Omaha.
The host team will be the home team for Game 1 and Game 3, if necessary. The visiting team will have those honors in Game 2.
When the teams arrive in Omaha, the double-elimination format returns. The eight teams will be split into two four-team brackets, using a double-elimination format to determine the final two teams. Those teams will then play a best-of-three series to crown a champion.
But, as the saying goes, that is why they play nine innings.
The Trojans stormed back, thanks to a five-run sixth inning, to take Game 1 in Chapel Hill by a final score of 9-5 and move to within one win of a trip to Omaha for the Men’s College World Series.
USC trailed 6-1 in the top of the sixth, and was struggling to get anything going against UNC starting pitcher Ryan Lynch. But that is when the Trojans’ bats came alive. This single from Kevin Takeuchi brought home a run, closing UNC’s lead to 5-2 with nobody out in the sixth:
Lynch got the next two outs, but UNC called on reliever Walker McDuffie. He walked Andrew Lamb, who had hit a solo shot earlier in the game, to load the bases. That set the stage for Dean Carpentier to give USC their first lead of the afternoon:
The blast staked USC to a 6-5 lead, and the Trojans would not look back. USC added three more runs in the seventh, using a little safety squeeze to plate the third run of the inning:
But full credit should go to the USC bullpen. After Edwards exited the game, relievers Chase Herrell, Ben Cushnie, and Andrew Johnson combined for six innings of work, allowing just one earned run over that stretch. Herrell was credited with the win, going two innings while giving up just one run, while Johnson earned a save by pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing just two hits, while striking out two.
These two teams will meet again tomorrow, with USC booking a spot in the Men’s College World Series with a victory. A UNC win would force a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.
But, as the saying goes, that is why they play nine innings.
The Trojans stormed back, thanks to a five-run sixth inning, to take Game 1 in Chapel Hill by a final score of 9-5 and move to within one win of a trip to Omaha for the Men’s College World Series.
USC trailed 6-1 in the top of the sixth, and was struggling to get anything going against UNC starting pitcher Ryan Lynch. But that is when the Trojans’ bats came alive. This single from Kevin Takeuchi brought home a run, closing UNC’s lead to 5-2 with nobody out in the sixth:
Lynch got the next two outs, but UNC called on reliever Walker McDuffie. He walked Andrew Lamb, who had hit a solo shot earlier in the game, to load the bases. That set the stage for Dean Carpentier to give USC their first lead of the afternoon:
The blast staked USC to a 6-5 lead, and the Trojans would not look back. USC added three more runs in the seventh, using a little safety squeeze to plate the third run of the inning:
But full credit should go to the USC bullpen. After Edwards exited the game, relievers Chase Herrell, Ben Cushnie, and Andrew Johnson combined for six innings of work, allowing just one earned run over that stretch. Herrell was credited with the win, going two innings while giving up just one run, while Johnson earned a save by pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing just two hits, while striking out two.
These two teams will meet again tomorrow, with USC booking a spot in the Men’s College World Series with a victory. A UNC win would force a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.
#USC #storms #UNC #Game #Super #Regional">USC storms back against UNC to take Game 1 of their Super Regional
North Carolina could not have asked for a better start to Game 1 of its Super Regional series against visiting Southern California. The Tar Heels loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, and while Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Mason Edwards escaped that jam, he got into trouble again in the second, giving up a pair of runs. By the time the fourth inning arrived, UNC held a 4-1 lead, and Edwards — the leading strikeout artist in college baseball this season — had already been pulled.
But, as the saying goes, that is why they play nine innings.
The Trojans stormed back, thanks to a five-run sixth inning, to take Game 1 in Chapel Hill by a final score of 9-5 and move to within one win of a trip to Omaha for the Men’s College World Series.
USC trailed 6-1 in the top of the sixth, and was struggling to get anything going against UNC starting pitcher Ryan Lynch. But that is when the Trojans’ bats came alive. This single from Kevin Takeuchi brought home a run, closing UNC’s lead to 5-2 with nobody out in the sixth:
Lynch got the next two outs, but UNC called on reliever Walker McDuffie. He walked Andrew Lamb, who had hit a solo shot earlier in the game, to load the bases. That set the stage for Dean Carpentier to give USC their first lead of the afternoon:
The blast staked USC to a 6-5 lead, and the Trojans would not look back. USC added three more runs in the seventh, using a little safety squeeze to plate the third run of the inning:
But full credit should go to the USC bullpen. After Edwards exited the game, relievers Chase Herrell, Ben Cushnie, and Andrew Johnson combined for six innings of work, allowing just one earned run over that stretch. Herrell was credited with the win, going two innings while giving up just one run, while Johnson earned a save by pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing just two hits, while striking out two.
These two teams will meet again tomorrow, with USC booking a spot in the Men’s College World Series with a victory. A UNC win would force a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.
#USC #storms #UNC #Game #Super #Regional
North Carolina could not have asked for a better start to Game 1 of its…
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #Tracking #Super #Regional #teams">NCAA baseball tournament 2026: Tracking the Super Regional teams
Regional action in the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament is winding down, and by the time action on Sunday draws to a close, we could have most of the 16 spots in the Super Regionals locked in.
At least one regional will extend into Monday, due to the weather. Delays and postponements in the Tallahassee regional have pushed Game 6 of that bracket to Monday, and depending on how that game unfolds a double-header may be necessary to determine what team advances out of that bracket.
Whether we see more games on Monday depends on what happens on Sunday night in the various regional finals. Remember, the regionals are a double-elimination format.
Here, we’ll be tracking each team that advances to the Super Regionals.
UNC became the first team to secure a spot in the Super Regionals, thanks to a 9-3 win over East Carolina at Boshamer Stadium, advancing in front of their hometown fans.
The Tar Heels were the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA baseball tournament, and rolled through the Chapel Hill regional for their first regional sweep since 2019. UNC scored eight runs in the first three innings against the Pirates, loading the baes in each of those innings.
UNC won their first game on Friday 8-0 against VCU, and then won a pair of games against East Carolina to move on to the Super Regionals. The Tar Heels will host the winner of the College Station regional, either Texas A&M or Southern California, in the best-of-three Super Regionals starting on Friday, June 5.
The Bulldogs booked a spot of their own in the Super Regionals, with a 6-1 win over Liberty.
However, it came at a bit of a price.
Third baseman Tre Phelps blasted a two-run home run in the sixth inning, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the game against the Flames. But Phelps, and then coach Wes Johnson, were tossed from the contest after the umpires ruled that Phelps taunted the Liberty dugout after the home run.
You can see it all unfold here:
Phelps will be in line to miss Game 1 of next weekend’s Super Regional series. The Bulldogs will host either Mississippi State or Louisiana in that series.
Georgia began the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 overall seed.
Texas became the third team to book a spot in the Super Regionals, with a 6-4 win over UC Santa Barbara.
But it was a tense final inning at UFCU Disch–Falk Field, after what had been two comfortable games for the Longhorns.
Texas won its first two games of the Austin regional by a combined score of 35-2, with wins over Holy Cross and Tarleton State. But Sunday evening’s game against UC Santa Barbara was much closer than those two contests. The Gauchos loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth against the Longhorns, thanks to a pair of singles and a hit batter. That forced Texas to bring in Luke Harrison, who got the start on Friday against Holy Cross and went four innings, to try and get the final out. Harrison got outfielder Rowan Kelly to fly out, and the Longhorns could celebrate a spot in the Super Regional.
Texas entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 overall seed, and they’ll be the host for a Super Regional next weekend. The Longhorns
They’ll take on either Oregon or Oregon State in that Super Regional.
They needed a ninth-inning rally against Virginia Tech to avoid making even more history on Saturday.
The Bruins became the first top-overall seed to lose their opening game on Friday night, dropping a 3-2 contest to Saint Mary’s to fall into the elimination bracket. Facing Virginia Tech on Saturday, the Bruins were in danger of becoming the first top overall seed to lose their first two games at the tournament and be eliminated, when they trailed the Hokies 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
But the team that led the nation in comeback wins delivered one more to keep their season alive. UCLA scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth on their way to a 6-5 win, extending their season by at least one more game.
The inning opened with Mulivai Levu leading off. Levu blasted a solo home run to cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 5-4:
The next batter, Roman Martin, left the yard as well:
Suddenly, the Bruins were right back in the game.
Will Gasparino, who was back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension and homered earlier in the game, singled to put the potential winning run on base. After Cashel Dugger struck out trying to bunt Gasparino over with two strikes, a single from Dominic Cadiz moved Gasparino just 90 feet from home.
That brought Phoenix Call to the plate, and in a moment, the Hokies were headed home and the Bruins were still alive:
“Survive and advance,” said shortstop Roch Cholowsky after the win.
The Bruins live to fight another day, and will take on the loser of tonight’s game between Saint Mary’s and Cal Poly in another do-or-die game on Sunday.
They needed a ninth-inning rally against Virginia Tech to avoid making even more history on Saturday.
The Bruins became the first top-overall seed to lose their opening game on Friday night, dropping a 3-2 contest to Saint Mary’s to fall into the elimination bracket. Facing Virginia Tech on Saturday, the Bruins were in danger of becoming the first top overall seed to lose their first two games at the tournament and be eliminated, when they trailed the Hokies 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
But the team that led the nation in comeback wins delivered one more to keep their season alive. UCLA scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth on their way to a 6-5 win, extending their season by at least one more game.
The inning opened with Mulivai Levu leading off. Levu blasted a solo home run to cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 5-4:
The next batter, Roman Martin, left the yard as well:
Suddenly, the Bruins were right back in the game.
Will Gasparino, who was back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension and homered earlier in the game, singled to put the potential winning run on base. After Cashel Dugger struck out trying to bunt Gasparino over with two strikes, a single from Dominic Cadiz moved Gasparino just 90 feet from home.
That brought Phoenix Call to the plate, and in a moment, the Hokies were headed home and the Bruins were still alive:
“Survive and advance,” said shortstop Roch Cholowsky after the win.
The Bruins live to fight another day, and will take on the loser of tonight’s game between Saint Mary’s and Cal Poly in another do-or-die game on Sunday.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #UCLA #avoids #history #stuns #Virginia #Tech #comeback">NCAA baseball tournament: UCLA avoids history and stuns Virginia Tech in a comeback
UCLA made history on Friday at the baseball NCAA tournament.
They needed a ninth-inning rally against Virginia Tech to avoid making even more history on Saturday.
The Bruins became the first top-overall seed to lose their opening game on Friday night, dropping a 3-2 contest to Saint Mary’s to fall into the elimination bracket. Facing Virginia Tech on Saturday, the Bruins were in danger of becoming the first top overall seed to lose their first two games at the tournament and be eliminated, when they trailed the Hokies 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
But the team that led the nation in comeback wins delivered one more to keep their season alive. UCLA scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth on their way to a 6-5 win, extending their season by at least one more game.
The inning opened with Mulivai Levu leading off. Levu blasted a solo home run to cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 5-4:
The next batter, Roman Martin, left the yard as well:
Suddenly, the Bruins were right back in the game.
Will Gasparino, who was back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension and homered earlier in the game, singled to put the potential winning run on base. After Cashel Dugger struck out trying to bunt Gasparino over with two strikes, a single from Dominic Cadiz moved Gasparino just 90 feet from home.
That brought Phoenix Call to the plate, and in a moment, the Hokies were headed home and the Bruins were still alive:
“Survive and advance,” said shortstop Roch Cholowsky after the win.
The Bruins live to fight another day, and will take on the loser of tonight’s game between Saint Mary’s and Cal Poly in another do-or-die game on Sunday.
Thankfully, Saturday night’s game between Milwaukee and UCF in NCAA baseball regional action gave you an updated version.
Grant Ross for Milwaukee came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth with two outs and the bases empty. Ross lofted a fly ball to straight-away center field, where UCF outfielder DeAmez Ross tried to make the catch at the wall.
Instead, the ball deflected off his glove, and then his head, before carooming over the wall for a home run:
Here is a longer clip, that includes a few replays of the moment at the wall:
The home run staked the upstart Panthers to a 10-1 lead, just one day after the Horizon League champions knocked off Auburn, the fourth-overall seed in the NCAA baseball tournament.
While UCF has closed the gap — the score is currently 10-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning at the time of publication — this play might live on in Milwaukee lore, no matter how the game ends.
Thankfully, Saturday night’s game between Milwaukee and UCF in NCAA baseball regional action gave you an updated version.
Grant Ross for Milwaukee came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth with two outs and the bases empty. Ross lofted a fly ball to straight-away center field, where UCF outfielder DeAmez Ross tried to make the catch at the wall.
Instead, the ball deflected off his glove, and then his head, before carooming over the wall for a home run:
Here is a longer clip, that includes a few replays of the moment at the wall:
The home run staked the upstart Panthers to a 10-1 lead, just one day after the Horizon League champions knocked off Auburn, the fourth-overall seed in the NCAA baseball tournament.
While UCF has closed the gap — the score is currently 10-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning at the time of publication — this play might live on in Milwaukee lore, no matter how the game ends.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #Grant #Ross #smashes #Jose #Canseco #home #run">NCAA baseball tournament: Grant Ross smashes a ‘Jose Canseco’ home run
Just a few days ago, baseball fans celebrated the 33rd anniversary of one of MLB’s most bizarre moments. The day that Jose Canseco tried to catch a fly ball, only to see it ricochet off his head and over the wall for a home run.
Thankfully, Saturday night’s game between Milwaukee and UCF in NCAA baseball regional action gave you an updated version.
Grant Ross for Milwaukee came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth with two outs and the bases empty. Ross lofted a fly ball to straight-away center field, where UCF outfielder DeAmez Ross tried to make the catch at the wall.
Instead, the ball deflected off his glove, and then his head, before carooming over the wall for a home run:
Here is a longer clip, that includes a few replays of the moment at the wall:
The home run staked the upstart Panthers to a 10-1 lead, just one day after the Horizon League champions knocked off Auburn, the fourth-overall seed in the NCAA baseball tournament.
While UCF has closed the gap — the score is currently 10-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning at the time of publication — this play might live on in Milwaukee lore, no matter how the game ends.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #learned #Day">NCAA baseball tournament: 4 things we learned on Day One
The first day of baseball at the 2026 NCAA tournament has yet to officially conclude, as three games were pushed to Saturday due to rain.
Still, there was enough baseball played to draw some early conclusions.
Here are four things we learned from the first day of action at the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament.
Georgia Tech’s offense is as advertised
Georgia Tech entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 overall seed, with one of the most prolific offenses in both the nation, and program history.
That offense played to form on Friday.
After falling down 2-0 early to UIC, the Yellow Jackets exploded for 17 unanswered runs, en route to a 22-5 win in their first game. Five Georgia Tech batters left the yard, including Parker Brosius, Carson Kerce, Vahn Lackey, Jarren Advincula, and Alex Hernandes, who homered three times in the win. All told, Georgia Tech tallied 22 runs on 22 hits, and every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit save one.
The one player without a hit in their starting lineup? That would be Drew Burress, who recently became the program’s all-time single-season home run leader. He’ll get his hits soon enough.
Up next for the Yellow Jackets? The winner of Saturday morning’s game between The Citadel and Oklahoma, which was pushed to Saturday morning because of weather. But this looks like a team that could make a very, very deep run thanks to this offense.
The Yellow Jackets are not alone
Georgia Tech’s offense might get the most attention today, but they were not the only lineup to put on a show Friday.
Texas, the No. 6 overall seed, poured it on against Holy Cross, racking up 21 hits in their 19-1 victory. Aiden Robbins, Anthony Pack Jr., and Jayden Duplantier all homered in the win.
Alabama, the No. 7 overall seed, exploded for 21 runs in its 21-3 victory over in-state opponent Alabama State. The Crimson Tide roped 15 hits, including home runs from Bryce Fowler, Justin Lebron — a potential top-ten pick in the July MLB Draft — Brady Neal, and Luke Vaughn. Fowler also tripled in the Crimson Tide victory. And while this was a 3-2 game after three innings, Alabama broke it open with a six-spot in the fourth inning, followed by three more runs in the fifth and another six spot in the sixth.
And how about Oregon? Many believed that the Selection Committee did not do the No. 11-overall seed any favors, putting them in a region with Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Yale, which meant they would likely face 2025 All-American Jake Ohman on Friday. But that is exactly who the Ducks faced, and Oregon chased him with five runs in the first four innings, and put a big crooked number up on the board in the eighth when they pushed eight runs across the plate. The final score in Eugene? Oregon 14, Yale 2. Designated Hitter Naulivou Lauaki homered in the win.
Note: At the time of publication, Georgia is winning 18-1 against Long Island, so we can slot the Bulldogs into this category as well. While that game has yet to go final, Georgia has already hit nine home runs in this game, including two from Brennan Hudson and two more from Ryan Wynn.
In the regionals format, the 64 teams in the field are divided into 16 double-elimination tournaments, with each of those four teams seeded No. 1 through No. 4 in the regional. That set up 16 No. 1 vs. No. 4 games for Friday, with each of those games featured one of the top 16 teams in the nation as ranked by the Selection Committee.
While we are still waiting on the results of one of those games — the Georgia vs. Long Island contest, which was pushed to Saturday due to weather — four of those No. 4 seeds delivered upsets on Friday.
St. John’s knocked off Florida State by a final score of 6-5, while Little Rock knocked off Southern Miss by a final score of 7-4. But those upsets pale in comparison to the other two. First was Milwaukee over Auburn, as the Panthers from the Horizon League took an early 10-0 lead over the Tigers (the No. 4 overall seed) and held on for a 13-8 victory. That win saw Auburn join a rather small list, as the Tigers became just the seventh top four national seed in NCAA tournament history to lose a regional opener, along with Alabama (No. 3, 2002), Georgia Tech (No. 3, 2003), Florida State (No. 4, 2008), Baylor (No. 4, 2012), Florida (No. 2, 2014), and North Carolina (No. 2, 2017).
Hours later, UCLA joined that list. The Bruins, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked team in the nation, lost to Saint Mary’s by a final score of 3-2. That dropped UCLA (who went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the nation according to D1Baseball this season) into today’s elimination game and made the Bruins the first No. 1 overall seed to lose their regional opener.
Jacksonville State made its case
When the Field of 64 was announced on Selection Monday, many were surprised to see the Jaguars on the No. 3 line. Jacksonville State finished the year with a 46-13 record out of Conference USA, which was good for the 25th-best RPI in the nation. Perhaps it was the schedule, ranked 108th in the nation, that saw the Committee drop them down to a No. 3 line instead of slotting them in as a No. 2.
So that meant a meeting with the No. 2 team in the Hattiesburg regional on Friday, in Virginia.
Jacksonville State pushed a pair of runs across the dish in the second, two more in the third, and then a five-run fifth inning powered the Jaguars to a 15-7 win. Caleb Johnson went 3-for-6 in the win with a home run and three RBI, while Brady Thomas went 3-for-5 with a double and three more RBI.
And with Southern Miss losing to Little Rock, that means that Jacksonville State has a Saturday date with the No. 4 seed in the regional, with a spot in the super regionals potentially in their future.
#NCAA #baseball #tournament #learned #Day
The first day of baseball at the 2026 NCAA tournament has yet to officially conclude,…
On Selection Monday, the Auburn Tigers were slotted in as the fourth overall team in the NCAA baseball field, thanks to a 38-19 overall record against the toughest schedule in all of college baseball. Their reward? A spot as a regional host, and a first-game date with Milwaukee out of the Horizon League, a 25-31 team that secured a spot in the field after winning the conference tournament.
Even better, Auburn would be sending left-hander Jake Marciano to the mound, he of the 2.65 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
To say things were set up well for the Tigers would be putting it mildly. But by the top of the first inning the Panthers had put six runs on the board, Marciano was already in the showers, and Milwaukee was on its way to a stunning 13-8 win, putting Auburn on the brink of elimination.
The Panthers hung four runs on the board in the top of the first. A single from designated hitter Dom Kibler brought two runs home, staking Milwaukee to the early lead. That brought left fielder Bradyn Horn to the dish with a pair of runners aboard.
In the blink of an eye, it was 4-0 Panthers:
It was the fifth home run of the year for Horn, and an unexpected start to the contest. And after keeping the Tigers scoreless in the bottom of the first, Milwaukee chased Marciano in the top of the second with two more runs.
Milwaukee held a 6-0 lead in the top of the fourth, when they broke into double digits. Third baseman Grant Ross singled to bring home Connor Bozak, bringing Charlie Marion to the plate with a pair of Panthers aboard.
That’s when Marion blasted his 13th home run of the season:
Auburn would start chipping away at Milwaukee’s lead, and a blast from Eric Guevara in the bottom of the seventh cut the Panthers’ advantage to 12-7. And the Tigers got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, when Jett Johnston struck out Horn to keep Auburn within five.
But the Tigers could not complete the comeback.
Riley Peterson held Auburn scoreless in the eighth, retiring the side in order with a strikeout and a pair of groundouts. Milwaukee pushed another run across in the ninth, when Marion walked with the bases loaded, the fourth walk given up by Auburn pitchers in the frame.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the ninth and got a sacrifice fly from Guevara to cut the score to 13-8, but Peterson got catcher Chase Fralick to line out to center for the final out.
The celebration was on in the Panthers’ dugout.
For Milwaukee, it was just the second NCAA tournament win in program history, the first coming back in 1999 when the Panthers knocked off Rice. Milwaukee finished the afternoon having gone 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position, and the 13 runs were the most scored by the team in their NCAA tournament history.
As for the Tigers, they became just the sixth top four national seed in NCAA tournament history to lose a regional opener, joining Alabama (No. 3, 2002), Georgia Tech (No. 3, 2003), Florida State (No. 4, 2008), Baylor (No. 4, 2012), Florida (No. 2, 2014), and North Carolina (No. 2, 2017).
The Tigers will hope to join an even smaller list with Florida State and Baylor, as those two teams still went on to win their regional.
Milwaukee will take on the winner of No. 3 NC State and No. 2 UCF, while Auburn will face the loser of that contest in an elimination game.
![Jason DeCaro delivers a gem as UNC avoids elimination against USC North Carolina needed a hero to extend its season on Saturday.The Tar Heels got just that from starting pitcher Jason DeCaro.Facing elimination against Southern California, the Tar Heels stayed alive in the NCAA baseball tournament with a 4-0 win at home to even their Super Regional series at 1-1. And DeCaro was the star, as the righty went the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out eight.DeCaro was aggressive on the bump, and that paid off in a huge way as he reached an 0-2 count on 14 of the 31 batters he faced Saturday. Speaking with ESPN after the game, the first nine-inning shutout of his collegiate career, DeCaro said that was completely by design.“Just trying to go after them, they’re a pretty aggressive bunch. We figured we’d get ahead [in the count] a good bit,” said the UNC starting pitcher.And despite throwing over 100 pitches — 117 to be exact — DeCaro still had his velocity in the ninth inning, as he was consistently in the mid-90s during his final inning of work.Yet the final out came on this devastating breaking ball, for a strikeout to complete the outing:While the Tar Heels did not need much offense on Saturday, thanks to DeCaro’s stellar game, they got what they needed thanks to home runs from Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen. Each drilled a solo shot to spark the North Carolina offense.Their other two runs came via sacrifice flies.But DeCaro was the story, as the righty delivered a true gem in likely his final start in front of the North Carolina faithful, as he is a likely early pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. It was also something of a redemption arc for DeCaro, who lasted just over three innings in each of his last two starts, before stepping up when UNC needed him the most on Saturday.“We knew we had to win two games no matter what this weekend, so just keeping that mindset,” added DeCaro after the game.The two team will meet tomorrow with a spot in the Men’s College World Series on the line. #Jason #DeCaro #delivers #gem #UNC #avoids #elimination #USC](https://i0.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-06-at-5.13.06PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C1.9270051436025%2C100%2C82.462677858771&w=1200&ssl=1 "Jason DeCaro delivers a gem as UNC avoids elimination against USC North Carolina needed a hero to extend its season on Saturday.The Tar Heels got just that from starting pitcher Jason DeCaro.Facing elimination against Southern California, the Tar Heels stayed alive in the NCAA baseball tournament with a 4-0 win at home to even their Super Regional series at 1-1. And DeCaro was the star, as the righty went the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out eight.DeCaro was aggressive on the bump, and that paid off in a huge way as he reached an 0-2 count on 14 of the 31 batters he faced Saturday. Speaking with ESPN after the game, the first nine-inning shutout of his collegiate career, DeCaro said that was completely by design.“Just trying to go after them, they’re a pretty aggressive bunch. We figured we’d get ahead [in the count] a good bit,” said the UNC starting pitcher.And despite throwing over 100 pitches — 117 to be exact — DeCaro still had his velocity in the ninth inning, as he was consistently in the mid-90s during his final inning of work.Yet the final out came on this devastating breaking ball, for a strikeout to complete the outing:While the Tar Heels did not need much offense on Saturday, thanks to DeCaro’s stellar game, they got what they needed thanks to home runs from Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen. Each drilled a solo shot to spark the North Carolina offense.Their other two runs came via sacrifice flies.But DeCaro was the story, as the righty delivered a true gem in likely his final start in front of the North Carolina faithful, as he is a likely early pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. It was also something of a redemption arc for DeCaro, who lasted just over three innings in each of his last two starts, before stepping up when UNC needed him the most on Saturday.“We knew we had to win two games no matter what this weekend, so just keeping that mindset,” added DeCaro after the game.The two team will meet tomorrow with a spot in the Men’s College World Series on the line. #Jason #DeCaro #delivers #gem #UNC #avoids #elimination #USC")
