The race for the NCAA baseball tournament is heating up, and after Week 13, the bracket projections are seeing some major shake-ups. With just one week left in the regular season, several host teams have been bumped, making way for new contenders.
Last week's host favorites—Kansas, Oregon State, and Coastal Carolina—have all dropped out of hosting spots. In their place, West Virginia (who swept Kansas) has stepped up, along with Big Ten powerhouses Nebraska and Oregon. These teams edged out bubble candidates like Wake Forest, Southern Cal, and Oregon State, thanks to stronger Quadrant 1 records.
Speaking of the bubble, it's getting crowded. New at-large teams Purdue and Louisiana have joined the field, while East Carolina has fallen out. The Pirates are now the first team out, hampered by a 52 RPI and a disappointing 3-6-1 Quad 1 record. Keep an eye on Texas State, too. Their RPI sits at 43 with a 5-8 Q1 record, but a below-.500 Sun Belt conference record kept them on the outside. A series win over Marshall could push them over the edge.
This week's projections highlight a surprising lack of power conference teams on the bubble. Several big-name programs—including Clemson, Pittsburgh, LSU, and Vanderbilt—are either struggling with poor conference records or low RPIs, keeping them out of the tournament conversation for now.
When it comes to seeding, the 2-seeds were grouped in sets of four, with Oklahoma being moved down to avoid an SEC rematch. The 3- and 4-seeds were assigned geographically to keep travel manageable. Projected automatic bids went to current conference leaders, with RPI serving as the tiebreaker (marked with an asterisk *).
As the regular season winds down, every game matters. Here's the latest bubble watch:
Last Four In: NC State, Arizona State, Purdue, Louisiana
First Four Out: East Carolina, Texas State, Troy, Kent State
Whether your team is fighting for a hosting spot or just trying to sneak into the field, this is the most exciting time of the year for college baseball. Gear up for the stretch run with your favorite team's apparel and get ready for some postseason drama!