Predicting the 2026 NCAA College Baseball Regionals

The 2026 NCAA Division I college baseball tournament will start on May 29, kicking off what will be a multi-week roller coaster that will end in Omaha. Sixty-four teams are vying for one championship trophy, and only 16 of those will make it to the next round. Here’s our preview & predictions for the 2026 NCAA Regionals.

Athens Regional

1. Georgia
2. Boston College
3. Liberty
4. Long Island University

We’ll start in Athens, where the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs will look to make it to the Supers in what is a favorable Regional for UGA.

Georgia’s offense is deep, as Daniel Jackson, Tre Phelps, and Rylan Lujo helped carry the team to great success in the regular season. But the pitching staff for the Bulldogs is also formidable, which makes Georgia one of those shortlist favorites for Omaha.

But to get there, they’ll have to navigate a Regional against NEC champion LIU, Ben Blair & Liberty, plus a Boston College team that exceeded expectations this season.

Projected Winner: Georgia

Atlanta Regional

1. Georgia Tech
2. Oklahoma
3. The Citadel
4. University of Illinois – Chicago

Atlanta’s Russ Chandler Stadium will host a Regional that features ACC champion Georgia Tech.

Tech’s offense is one-of-a-kind, one that features now-school home run king Drew Burress, Ryan Zuckerman, and Vahn Lackey, as one of the best trios in all of college baseball. Oh, and I didn’t even mention Alex Hernandez or Jarren Advincula, the latter of whom finished second in batting average. Plus, an equally deep pitching staff.

The one true threat in this Regional is Oklahoma, a battle-tested team from the SEC with a strong rotation. However, disappointing years from Jaxon Willits and Jason Walk, among others, made it a true grind for the Sooners to generate offense.

Projected Winner: Georgia Tech

Auburn Regional

1. Auburn
2. UCF
3. North Carolina State
4. Milwaukee

Auburn’s pitching staff was one of the best in Division I this season, thanks to four sophomores (Andreas Alvarez, Jake Marciano, Alex Petrovic, Jackson Sanders) who could be considered the envy of the SEC.

That nucleus, coupled with a talented lineup, should give Auburn the chance to avenge some bad memories from last May.

This could also be it for Elliott Avent, the longtime head coach at NC State, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Projected Winner: Auburn

Austin Regional

1. Texas
2. UC Santa Barbara
3. Tarleton State
4. Holy Cross

Last season, Texas’ season ended at the hands of UTSA. Now, the Longhorns must avoid a similar fate.

The Longhorns’ lineup, one could argue, is better this year than in 2025. Aiden Robbins and Carson Tinney helped fill it out nicely, while Dylan Volantis took a step forward in his sophomore campaign.

But can Texas deal with UC Santa Barbara, led by flamethrower Jackson Flora?

Projected Winner: Texas

Chapel Hill Regional

1. North Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. East Carolina
4. Virginia Commonwealth University

There are three theoretical “Regionals of Death” in this year’s first round. One of those is in Chapel Hill, as three powerhouses are set to duke it out for one spot in the Super Regionals.

UNC failed to secure the ACC title in Charlotte but still has a deep overall group, led by Jason DeCaro, Caden Glauber, and more depth to spare.

Tennessee had a disappointing year by its standards in 2026. But still, the Volunteers posted a 38-win season and still made it into the tourney. And then there’s ECU, led by ace Ethan Norby, who is one of the most fascinating pitchers in Division I right now thanks to his swing-and-miss stuff.

Projected Winner: North Carolina

College Station Regional

1. Texas A&M
2. USC
3. Texas State
4. Lamar

Three Texas schools and the USC Trojans will call College Station home this weekend.

It was a great year overall for A&M, as Caden Sorrell was immaculate with a 23-home run campaign, while Jorian Wilson looks like a player to watch in 2027 & beyond. However, this will be a very difficult run.

USC will have to prove it can win away from SoCal, as the Trojans went 32-1 at home this season. Thankfully, the Trojans have a deep enough staff to get that done, starting with Grant Govel against Texas State.

Projected Winner: USC

Eugene Regional

1. Oregon
2. Oregon State
3. Washington State
4. Yale

The “Civil War” in the NCAA Tournament?

This would have been a good setup for Oregon State had Dax Whitney been healthy & available. But to get through, the Beavers will have to top the Big 10 runner-ups, who have one of the better offenses in college baseball.

Yale, meanwhile, might be one of the more interesting Cinderellas in this tourney. The Ivy League champions, pitchers Jack Ohman and Tate Evans, formed a strong 1-2 punch in the Bulldogs’ rotation.

Projected Winner: Oregon

Gainesville Regional

1. Florida
2. Miami (FL)
3. Troy
4. Rider

Despite an up-and-down year, the Gators got here as a top-eight seed.

When right, the Gators are a legitimate champion contender thanks to their depth. But that was not a given this season.

Miami (FL) is an unsuspecting #2 seed that hasn’t had Daniel Cuvet available since the end of April.

Projected Winner: Florida

Hattiesburg Regional

1. Southern Miss
2. Virginia
3. Jacksonville State
4. Little Rock

Southern Miss’ pitching staff has been a strength for years, and that has been the case yet again in 2026.

Sophomore Grayden Harris had a spectacular 2026 campaign, while senior Colby Allen, plus sophomores Camden Sunstrom and Camden Clark, were highly valuable, as well.

The Golden Eagles will get a stiff test against a talented UVA team, plus Jacksonville State and Little Rock, the latter of which nearly ended LSU’s season in the Regionals last year.

Projected Winner: Southern Miss

Lawrence Regional

1. Kansas
2. Arkansas
3. Missouri State
4. Northeastern

The Kansas Jayhawks’ offense did more than enough to get here, even though Brady Ballinger had a down junior season.

However, SEC powerhouse Arkansas, the conference runner-up in the postseason, could have been a Regional host in theory. It’s going to make for a very interesting weekend in Kansas.

Projected Winner: Arkansas

Lincoln Regional

1. Nebraska
2. Ole Miss
3. Arizona State
4. South Dakota State

Meanwhile, in neighboring Nebraska, the Cornhuskers and their deep lineup will get to host a Regional in Lincoln.

But to get through, the Cornhuskers will have to run through the gauntlet. Grizzled SEC powerhouse Ole Miss and Arizona State are not easy outs. Especially Arizona State, led by outfielder Landon Hairston.

Projected Winner: Arizona State

Los Angeles Regional

1. UCLA
2. Virginia Tech
3. Cal Poly
4. Saint Mary’s (CA)

UCLA enters the tournament as the top overall seed, cemented after the Bruins won the Big 10 tournament. No, that tournament wasn’t their best showing, as UCLA was nearly ousted in the quarterfinals against Purdue. However, that’s in the past.

This is a very favorable setup for UCLA, even though this won’t be a cupcake. VaTech has some star power, particularly in the pitching department. Still, bet on talent.

Projected Winner: UCLA

Morgantown Regional

1. West Virginia
2. Wake Forest
3. Kentucky
4. Binghamton

The recipe for an upset is in the air in West Virginia — at least on paper.

Wake Forest’s pitching staff had the highest K/9 (12.2) in Division I this season, with sophomore ace Chris Levonas largely behind that. An all-sophomore rotation of Levonas, Troy Dressler, and Cam Bagwell gives the Demon Deacons a strong chance at getting it done in Morgantown.

But to do that, the school has to navigate a tough Regional against Gavin Kelly‘s West Virginia and Tyler Bell‘s Kentucky.

Projected Winner: Wake Forest

Starkville Regional

1. Mississippi State
2. Cincinnati
3. Louisiana
4. Lipscomb

Cincinnati is going to be a tough out. The Bearcats’ roster features power hitter Quinton Coats and ace Nathan Taylor, two of the best players in the nation.

However, Mississippi State is the favorite here. A deep lineup, as well as the dynamic duo of Duke Stone and UVA transfer Tomas Valincius atop that pitching staff, make this a must-win for the Bulldogs.

Projected Winner: Mississippi State

Tallahassee Regional

1. Florida State
2. Coastal Carolina
3. Northern Illinois
4. St. John’s (NY)

Coastal Carolina finished runner-up to LSU for the 2025 College World Series title and entered 2026 with big expectations. However, the Chanticleers didn’t have Cameron Flukey available for most of the year, and didn’t have that strong of a season. However, wins against notable powers in non-conference play helped out immensely.

Now, Coastal will look to pull an upset against Florida State. FSU won’t have Myles Bailey but does have a strong rotation. That troupe should get the Seminoles through to the next round.

Projected Winner: Florida State

Tuscaloosa Regional

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma State
3. South Carolina Upstate
4. Alabama State

Despite losing to Florida in their only SEC tourney game, Alabama gets a Regional host site.

It won’t be an easy assignment, as the Crimson Tide’s group will feature a surging Oklahoma State squad. The Cowboys are the biggest threat here.

Projected Winner: Alabama