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At the end of the day, all West Virginia wants when it comes to the NCAA Tournament selection is the opportunity to host a regional. The Mountaineers haven't done so since 2019, and before that, the last time was 1955. It hasn't happened often in the program's history, but it might start becoming the new norm.

Entering the final week of regular season play, the Mountaineers have a record of 40-10 and sit atop the Big 12 Conference standings, needing just one win (or one Arizona State loss) to capture the regular season title.

In D1Baseball's latest NCAA Tournament projection, they have WVU as the 16th and final team hosting a regional, meaning the most challenging pool of teams would come to Morgantown. Among that projected group are (2) Tennessee, (3) Virginia, and (4) Holy Cross.

Tennessee just won the College World Series a year ago and is worthy of hosting its own regional. The Cavaliers are a scrappy bunch and are known to make deep runs in the tournament, making it to the College World Series seven times since 2009.

Over the next couple of weeks, WVU can either help a regional in Morgantown become a little easier or lose out on hosting altogether if they suffer a late-season collapse.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

ESPN Mock Draft Projects Javon Small to Go Late in the Second Round

ESPN Strangely Ranks West Virginia's Offseasons Among the Worst in the Big 12

CBS Sports Analyst Has Bold Overreaction: 'Rich Rod's Methods Can't Work in This Era'

Andre Shaw Accepts Assistant Coaching Job at West Virginia


This article first appeared on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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