Vanderbilt earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA baseball tournament after winning the SEC tournament title to continue its late-season surge.

The Road to Omaha begins Friday with the start of Regional play. The winners of the 16 Regionals will move on to the eight Super Regionals the following weekend, with the winners of the Supers advancing to the College World Series.

Nashville Regional
Vanderbilt (1)
Louisville
ETSU
Wright State

Vanderbilt ranks eighth nationally in ERA (3.78), fourth in batting average against (.219) and first in strikeout percentage (31.0). In their current eight-game winning streak (all against SEC teams), the Commodores have struck out 86 batters and committed only four errors. … Louisville has stolen 146 bases, the most among power-conference teams and the most among any team in the field. Outfielder Lucas Moore is tied for second nationally with 46 steals and has been caught only once. … ETSU is fourth nationally in home runs with 116, led by senior second baseman Cooper Torres (23) and junior third baseman Grant Gallagher (20). … Wright State went 25-5 in the Horizon League, winning the conference title by seven games — the largest margin by any team in any league in 2025. The Raiders led the league in runs scored and fewest runs allowed.

Prediction: Vanderbilt

Austin Regional
Texas (2)
UTSA
Kansas State
Houston Christian

Texas won the SEC regular-season title despite hitting .246 (13th) and slugging .432 (11th) in league games. The Longhorns led the SEC in ERA (3.85) and batting average against (.221) in conference games. … UTSA is in the field for the first time since 2013 and the fourth time in program history. The Roadrunners won the AAC regular-season title with a 23-4 record, five games ahead of second-place Charlotte. … Kansas State has advanced to a Super Regional in its last two trips to the NCAA Tournament, winning the Fayetteville Regional in 2024 as the No. 3 seed and the Manhattan Regional as the No. 1 seed in 2013. … Houston Christian’s Parker Edwards is one of the top two-way players in the nation. The senior leads the Huskies with nine home runs and 47 RBIs as a DH and is also HCU’s No. 1 starter (3-4, 3.93 ERA).

Prediction: Texas

Fayetteville Regional
Arkansas (3)
Kansas
Creighton
North Dakota State

Arkansas was perhaps the most improved offensive team in college baseball, increasing its slash numbers from .271/.381/.453 in 2024 to .316/.422/.553 in 2025. The Hogs have seven players with at least 10 home runs after having one last season. … Kansas had a winning record in the Big 12 for only the third time since the league was formed in 1996. The Jayhawks went 20-10 and finished in second place, percentage points behind West Virginia. … Creighton coach Ed Servais will retire whenever the Bluejays’ postseason run ends. Servais is 719-419 in 22 seasons at Creighton and is coaching in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time. … North Dakota State hit only 30 home runs in 52 games, and no player hit more than five.

Prediction: Arkansas

The Bison are in. pic.twitter.com/qKXVDkQpFq

— NDSU Baseball (@NDSUbaseball) May 26, 2025

Auburn Regional
Auburn (4)
NC State
Stetson
Central Connecticut State

Auburn’s nine-game improvement in the SEC (from 8-21 in 2024 to 17-13 in 2025) is the biggest in the league since Texas A&M made a 10-game leap from 2021 (9-21) to 22 (19-11). … NC State stole only 28 bases, 13th-fewest nationally. Sophomore infielder Luke Nixon was responsible for half of them, stealing 14 in 16 attempts. … Stetson features one of the best starter/closer combos in the nation. Jonathan Gonzalez is 9-2 with 1.95 ERA and a .199 batting average against, and closer Ty Van Dyke is 7-0 with nine saves to go along with a 1.04 ERA and .173 batting average against. … Central Connecticut State first baseman Aidan Redahan leads the nation in hitting with a .458 average. He hit .297 as a junior in 2024.

Prediction: NC State

Chapel Hill Regional
North Carolina (5)
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Holy Cross

North Carolina sophomore Jake Knapp, the ACC pitcher of the year, won all 10 of his starts in league play during the regular season. Overall, he went 12-0 with a 2.17 ERA and 0.828 WHIP. … The Witherspoon twins combined to start 29 games on the mound for Oklahoma, with very different results. Kyson, a first-team All-SEC pick, went 10-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 0.912 WHIP, while Malachi went 3-8 with a 5.53 ERA and 1.537 WHIP. … Nebraska’s path to the Big Ten tournament title was not easy. The Cornhuskers faced the league’s pitcher of the year, Michigan State’s Joseph Dzierwa, in Game 1 and also had to beat the league’s co-champs, Oregon (Game 2) and UCLA (championship game), to capture the automatic bid. … There were a total of 71 home runs in Holy Cross’ 54 games (33 by the Crusaders, 38 by their opponents). Seventy-six teams nationally hit more than 71.

Prediction: North Carolina

Baton Rouge Regional
LSU (6)
Dallas Baptist
Rhode Island
Little Rock

LSU features one of the best pairs of starting pitchers in the nation in juniors Kade Anderson (8-1, 3.54 ERA, 1.079 WHIP) and Anthony Eyanson (9-2, 2.77 ERA, 1.150 WHIP). Eyanson is in his first season at LSU after transferring from UC San Diego. … Dallas Baptist is in the field for the 11th consecutive season. The Patriots have advanced to a Super Regional only once during that stretch, losing to Virginia in 2014 in Columbia, S.C. (neither Virginia nor DBU put in a bid to host). … Rhode Island third baseman Anthony DePino is 15th nationally in OPS (1.243) and tied for 23rd in home runs (19). He has 64 home runs in four seasons at URI. … Little Rock lost 13 of its last 14 regular-season games but went 5-0 in the OVC tournament to secure the second Regional berth in program history. The Trojans, at 24-32 overall, are one of two teams in the field with a losing record (North Dakota State is the other).

Prediction: LSU

Athens Regional
Georgia (7)
Duke
Oklahoma State
Binghamton

Georgia leads the nation with 133 home runs, one year after the departure of Golden Spikes Award winner Charlie Condon (37 HRs in 2024). Eight players have at least 10 home runs, led by outfielder Robbie Burnett with 20. … Duke third baseman Ben Miller is tied for the ACC lead with 18 home runs. He has 33 homers in two seasons at Duke after hitting only 14 in his two full seasons at Penn. … Oklahoma State ranks 278th nationally (out of 307 teams) in batting average at .54. The Cowboys’ leading hitter is junior Brayden Smith at .312. … Binghamton had five of the top 10 leaders in OPS in the America East, led by senior first baseman Freddy Forgione (1.096) and senior catcher Zach Rogacki (1.069).

Prediction: Georgia

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

5⃣0⃣ th time, never gets old#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/os1psxkFdy

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 26, 2025

Corvallis Regional
Oregon State (8)
TCU
USC
Saint Mary’s

Oregon State, which played an independent schedule in 2025 following the collapse of the old Pac-12, went just 6-10 vs. the NCAA Tournament field. The Beavers lost four straight to rival Oregon in late April but went 9-1-1 in May. … TCU is back in the field after a one-year hiatus. The Horned Frogs have made six trips to the CWS dating back to 2010, five under Jim Schlossnagle and one under current coach Kirk Saarloos. … USC’s Ethan Hedges earned first-team All-Big Ten honors at third base (.343 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs) and is also one of the Trojans’ top relievers (2-1, 2.40 ERA, nine saves). … Saint Mary’s averaged 11.8 runs in its last nine games overall and scored a total of 63 runs in its five WCC tournament games. The Gaels are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Prediction: TCU

Tallahassee Regional
Florida State (9)
Northeastern
Mississippi State
Bethune-Cookman

Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise, the ACC player of the year, leads all power-conference players with a .415 batting average. He has 17 home runs, 66 RBIs and an OPS of 1.234. … Northeastern, which has won 27 straight games dating back to an April 6 loss to Campbell, leads the nation in ERA (2.92) and batting average against (.211). … Mississippi State sophomore outfielder Ace Reese, a transfer from Houston, led the SEC in batting average (.400) and home runs (15) in league games. … Bethune-Cookman used some late-game heroics to end a five-year postseason drought. Junior outfielder Andrey Martinez hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Wildcats an 11-9 win over Florida A&M in the MEAC tournament title game.

Prediction: Florida State

Oxford Regional
Ole Miss (10)
Georgia Tech
Western Kentucky
Murray State

Ole Miss ranks 10th nationally with 105 home runs. Catcher Austin Fawley, the team leader with 17, had only 20 plate appearances as a freshman at Kentucky in 2024. … Georgia Tech improved its team ERA by nearly two runs per game this season, from 6.48 in 2024 to 4.70 in 2025. … Western Kentucky is the only team in the nation that ranks in the top 15 in both batting average (.315, 14th) and ERA (3.37, third). … Murray State went 5-1 vs. the NCAA Tournament field, with wins over Little Rock (three), Western Kentucky (one) and Kentucky (one) and a loss to Ole Miss (8-7 in extra innings).

Prediction: Ole Miss

Clemson Regional
Clemson (11)
West Virginia
Kentucky
USC Upstate

Clemson is 58-32 in the ACC in three seasons under Erik Bakich, the program’s best three-year stretch since Jack Leggett guided the Tigers to a 63-27 record from 2005 to ’07. … West Virginia has won a school-record 41 games under first-year coach Steve Sabins. The Mountaineers won the Big 12 title with a 19-9 record, finishing percentage points ahead of Kansas. … Kentucky went 13-17 in the SEC, but eight of its losses came by one run and another three came by two. On the final weekend of the regular season, the Wildcats lost two games to Vanderbilt on walk-off home runs in the bottom of the ninth. … USC Upstate is in a Regional for the first time in program history. The Spartans are seventh nationally in batting average (.319) and 14th in home runs (99).

Prediction: Kentucky

The Moment: We’re dancing! pic.twitter.com/IGtMUO9SM6

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 26, 2025

Eugene Regional
Oregon (12)
Arizona
Cal Poly
Utah Valley

Oregon junior outfielder Mason Neville leads the nation with 26 home runs. Two years ago, as a freshman at Arkansas, he struck out 20 times in 33 plate appearances. … Arizona’s pitching staff allowed only 21 home runs in 30 regular-season Big 12 games, the fewest by any team in league play in a power conference. … Cal Poly ranks eighth nationally with a .318 batting average. Four regulars are hitting at least .340, paced by senior first baseman Zach Daudet at .371 and senior second baseman Ryan Fenn at .368. … Utah Valley did not play a team in the 64-team field in the regular season. The Wolverines are making their second Regional appearance in school history.

Prediction: Arizona

Conway Regional
Coastal Carolina (13)
Florida
East Carolina
Fairfield

Coastal Carolina is second nationally in ERA (3.29) and third in WHIP (1.19) and OPS against (.648). The Chanticleers are hosting a Regional for the fifth time in program history.  … For the first time in Kevin O’Sullivan’s 18 seasons at Florida, the Gators are not hosting a Regional for the second consecutive season. Florida was a No. 3 seed in the Stillwater Regional last year and advanced to the College World Series. … East Carolina went 13-14 in the American Athletic Conference, only the fourth time this century the Pirates have had a losing record in league play. But Cliff Godwin’s club is back in a Regional, for the seventh consecutive season, after winning the AAC tournament title. … Fairfield is 108-23 in the MAAC over the last five years with two Regional appearances. The Stags went 2-2 as a No. 3 seed in the Austin Regional in 2021.

Prediction: Florida

Knoxville Regional
Tennessee (14)
Wake Forest
Cincinnati
Miami (Ohio)

Tennessee left-hander Liam Doyle has struck out 42.6 percent of opposing batters, the most among qualified pitchers nationally. Doyle, who began his career at Coastal Carolina and spent last season at Ole Miss, is 9-3 with a 3.04 ERA and 0.980 WHIP. … Wake Forest’s pitching staff ranks eighth nationally in batting average against (.222) but 61st in runs allowed (298) due in part to a defense that has committed an ACC-high 71 errors, which have led to 52 unearned runs. … Cincinnati is in a Regional for the first time since 2019 and only the second time in program history. In 2019, the Bearcats, a No. 4 seed, upset No. 1 Oregon State in the opener of the Corvallis Regional but then lost to Michigan and Creighton. … Miami (Ohio) won all 10 of its series in MAC play in the regular season en route to a 23-7 record, the program’s best conference mark since 2005 (17-5).

Prediction: Tennessee

Los Angeles Regional
UCLA (15)
UC Irvine
Arizona State
Fresno State

UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is one of the nation’s best — and most underrated — players. The sophomore is hitting .369 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs and an OPS of 1.290. He has struck out only 28 times and has 44 walks. … UC Irvine struggled down the stretch, losing its final two home series (to UC San Diego and Cal State Fullerton) and losing twice to Cal Poly in the Big West tournament. Still, the Anteaters went 41-15 overall and 24-6 in the league. … In Big 12 games, Arizona State led the league in average (.328) and slugging (.527) and was second in home runs (45), on-base percentage (.405) and fewest strikeouts (191). … Fresno State catcher Justin Stransky, a first-team All-Mountain West pick, threw out 17 of 19 would-be base stealers. As a team, the Bulldogs allowed only 21 steals in 40 attempts.

Prediction: UCLA

Hattiesburg Regional
Southern Miss (16)
Alabama
Miami
Columbia

Southern Miss junior right-hander JB Middleton is 10-1 and ranks second nationally in WHIP (0.830), fourth in batting average against (.168) and sixth in ERA (2.01). …  Alabama senior Carson Ozmer, a first-year transfer who was a two-way player at Penn, leads the nation with 17 saves. He had 10 saves in four seasons with the Quakers. … It’s been a streaky season for Miami. The Canes won their first two series, lost their next five, then won five straight before closing the season losing two straight. … Columbia went 0-7 against the NCAA Tournament field, losing four games at Oregon and three at Georgia by an average score of 16-5. The Lions did, however, win two games the last time they made the field, beating Gonzaga twice as a No. 3 seed in the Blacksburg Regional in 2022.

Prediction: Southern Miss

Eight for Omaha

Vanderbilt
Florida State
North Carolina
Florida
UCLA
Georgia
Kentucky
Arkansas

(Photo of Wehiwa Aloy: Jake Crandall/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images)