Overview
This article provides a clear explanation of the NCAA Baseball Tournament format, highlighting its unique combination of double elimination and best-of-three series across three main rounds: Regionals, Super Regionals, and the College World Series.
Tournament Structure Overview
- The NCAA Baseball Tournament consists of 64 teams selected after the regular season and conference championships.
- Tournament structure differs from basketball, combining double elimination and best-of-three series formats.
- The event is divided into three rounds: Regionals, Super Regionals, and the College World Series (CWS).
National Seeds and Hosting Rights
- The top 16 teams receive national seeds and earn the right to host Regionals.
- Hosting may be forfeited if facilities have conflicts or don't meet NCAA standards.
- Regional matchups are aligned so that the top seed's Regional is paired with the lowest national seed, continuing this pattern throughout the bracket.
Regionals Format
- Each Regional is a four-team, double elimination tournament hosted by the national seed.
- Initial games pair No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 seeds within each Regional.
- The winner of each Regional advances to the Super Regionals.
Super Regionals Format
- Super Regionals feature a best-of-three series between two Regional winners.
- The higher-seeded team hosts, with additional criteria applied if teams are equally seeded or both are national seeds.
- The winner of the Super Regional progresses to the College World Series.
College World Series Format
- The CWS hosts eight teams split into two four-team double elimination brackets.
- Winners of each bracket meet in a best-of-three series to determine the national champion.
- Team placement in the CWS is based on original Regional pairings, not randomized.
Additional Resources
- An interactive NCAA bracket is available online for further clarification on the tournament structure.