2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament
Season | 2021 |
---|---|
Teams | 64 |
Finals site | |
Champions | Mississippi State (1st title) |
Runner-up | Vanderbilt (5th CWS Appearance) |
Winning coach | Chris Lemonis (1st title) |
MOP | Will Bednar (Mississippi State) |
The 2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was the 74th edition of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. The 64-team tournament began on Friday, June 4, 2021, as part of the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season and concluded with the 2021 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, which started on June 19 and ended on June 30.[1] Mississippi State defeated Vanderbilt in the best-of-three final series to win their first national championship in program history.
The 64 participating NCAA Division I college baseball teams were selected out of an eligible 299 teams. There were 30[a] teams awarded an automatic bid as champions of their conferences, and 34 teams were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. Teams were divided into sixteen regionals of four teams, each of which conducted a double-elimination tournament. Regional champions then faced each other in Super Regionals, a best-of-three game series, to determine the eight participants in the College World Series.[1]
Grand Canyon,[3] NJIT,[4] Norfolk State[5] and Presbyterian[6] made their NCAA tournament debuts after winning their first conference tournaments in program history. Nevada qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2000,[7] Rider qualified for the first time since 2010[8] and Charlotte qualified for the first time since 2011.[9] Auburn and Louisville were the lone teams from the 2019 College World Series field to fail to qualify.
Tournament procedure
A total of 64 teams entered the tournament, with 30 of them (down from 31, due to the Ivy League having cancelled all spring sports due to COVID-19)[10] receiving an automatic bid by winning their conference's tournament. The remaining 34 bids were at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee.
On Friday, May 14, the NCAA Selection Committee announced 20 potential sites for the first round regionals due to necessary coronavirus precautions, which were reduced to 16 on May 30.[11][12] Typically, the top sixteen teams receive national seeds and host their respective regional tournaments. However, since the committee determined only twenty potential sites, if a team outside that list of twenty were to receive a national seed, they would play their regional on the road. This had not occurred since 2010 when No. 1 seed Florida State Seminoles traveled to the Norwich Regional hosted by UConn at Dodd Memorial Stadium.[13] Despite receiving a national seed, Old Dominion travelled to Founders Park at the Columbia Regional hosted by the University of South Carolina.
Schedule and venues
On May 30, the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee announced the sixteen regional host sites. The Southeastern Conference led the way with seven hosts. The Big 12 Conference and Pac-12 Conference each had three regional hosts, while Conference USA, Atlantic Coast Conference, and American Athletic Conference each had one regional host. Texas led all institutions as they hosted for the 28th time. Louisiana Tech hosted for the first time in program history.[14]
The Super Regional sites were announced on the morning of Tuesday, June 8, after the completion of the regional round.[14]
Regionals
- June 4–7
- UFCU Disch–Falk Field, Austin, Texas (Host: University of Texas at Austin)
- Founders Park, Columbia, South Carolina (Host: University of South Carolina)
- PK Park, Eugene, Oregon (Host: University of Oregon)
- Baum–Walker Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas (Host: University of Arkansas)
- Lupton Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas (Host: Texas Christian University)
- Florida Ballpark, Gainesville, Florida (Host: University of Florida)
- Clark–LeClair Stadium, Greenville, North Carolina (Host: East Carolina University)
- Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee (Host: University of Tennessee)
- Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park, Lubbock, Texas (Host: Texas Tech University)
- Hawkins Field, Nashville, Tennessee (Host: Vanderbilt University)
- Swayze Field, Oxford, Mississippi (Host: University of Mississippi)
- J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, Ruston, Louisiana (Host: Louisiana Tech University)
- Frank Eck Stadium, South Bend, Indiana (Host: University of Notre Dame)
- Klein Field at Sunken Diamond, Stanford, California (Host: Stanford University)
- Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi (Host: Mississippi State University)
- Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Arizona (Host: University of Arizona)
Super Regionals
- June 11–13
- Baum–Walker Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas (Host: University of Arkansas)
- Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park, Lubbock, Texas (Host: Texas Tech University)
- Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Arizona (Host: University of Arizona)
- Hawkins Field, Nashville, Tennessee (Host: Vanderbilt University)
- June 12–14
- UFCU Disch–Falk Field, Austin, Texas (Host: University of Texas at Austin)
- Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi (Host: Mississippi State University)
- Founders Park, Columbia, South Carolina (Host: University of South Carolina)
- Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee (Host: University of Tennessee)
- June 19–30
Bids
Automatic bids
At-large
By conference
National seeds
The sixteen national seeds were announced on the Selection Show on Monday, May 31, 2021 at 12 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.[15] Teams in italics advanced to the Super Regionals. Teams in bold advanced to the 2021 College World Series.
Regionals and Super Regionals
Bold indicates winner. Seeds for regional tournaments indicate seeds within regional. Seeds for super regional tournaments indicate national seeds only.
Fayetteville Super Regional
Lubbock Super Regional
Tucson Super Regional
Nashville Super Regional
Knoxville Super Regional
Columbia Super Regional
The Columbia Super Regional between Dallas Baptist and Virginia was held at Founders Park due to NCAA COVID-19 guidelines for the 2021 tournament mandating that all Super Regionals take place at one of the original sixteen regional sites regardless of the winners of those regionals.[16]
Template:CWSBracket †Old Dominion was unable to host at their home stadium, Bud Metheny Baseball Complex in Norfolk, Virginia, due to inadequate facilities according to NCAA regional hosting guidelines.[17]
Starkville Super Regional
Austin Super Regional
College World Series
The College World Series was held at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
Participants
School | Conference | Record (Conf) | Head coach | Super Regional | Previous CWS Appearances | CWS Best Finish | CWS W-L Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NC State | ACC | 35–18 (19–14) | Elliott Avent | Fayetteville | 2 (last: 2013) |
3rd (1968) |
3–4 |
Stanford | Pac–12 | 38–15 (17–10) | David Esquer | Lubbock | 16 (last: 2008) |
1st (1987, 1988) |
40–29 |
Arizona | Pac–12 | 45–16 (21–9) | Jay Johnson | Tucson | 17 (last: 2016) |
1st (1976, 1980, 1986, 2012) |
43–30 |
Vanderbilt | SEC | 45–15 (19–10) | Tim Corbin | Nashville | 4 (last: 2019) |
1st (2014, 2019) |
16–7 |
Tennessee | SEC | 50–16 (20–10) | Tony Vitello | Knoxville | 4 (last: 2005) |
2nd (1951) |
8–8 |
Virginia | ACC | 35–25 (18–18) | Brian O'Connor | Columbia | 5 (last: 2015) |
1st (2015) |
12–8 |
Mississippi State | SEC | 45–16 (20–10) | Chris Lemonis | Starkville | 11 (last: 2019) |
2nd (2013) |
13–22 |
Texas | Big 12 | 47–15 (17–7) | David Pierce | Austin | 36 (last: 2018) |
1st (1949, 1950, 1975, 1983, 2002, 2005) |
85–61 |
Bracket
First round | Second round | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||||||||||
NC State | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Stanford | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NC State | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Vanderbilt | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Arizona | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Vanderbilt | 712 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NC State | 1 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bracket 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Vanderbilt | 3 | –[A] | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | Stanford | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Arizona | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Stanford | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Vanderbilt | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Vanderbilt | 8 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | Mississippi State | 2 | 13 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | Tennessee | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Virginia | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Virginia | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Mississippi State | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Mississippi State | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Texas | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Mississippi State | 5 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
Bracket 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Texas | 8 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | Tennessee | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Texas | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Texas | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Virginia | 2 |
Game results
All-Tournament Team
The following players were members of the College World Series All-Tournament Team.[19]
Position | Player | School |
---|---|---|
P | Will Bednar (MOP) | Mississippi State |
Jack Leiter | Vanderbilt | |
C | Logan Tanner | Mississippi State |
1B | Luke Hancock | Mississippi State |
2B | Tim Tawa | Stanford |
3B | Zack Gelof | Virginia |
SS | Lane Forsythe | Mississippi State |
OF | Tanner Allen | Mississippi State |
Brock Jones | Stanford | |
Rowdey Jordan | Mississippi State | |
DH | Ivan Melendez | Texas |
Final standings
Seeds listed below indicate national seeds only
Place | School | Record |
---|---|---|
1st | No. 7 Mississippi State | 10–3 |
2nd | No. 4 Vanderbilt | 9–3 |
3rd | No. 2 Texas | 8–2 |
NC State | 7–2 | |
5th | No. 9 Stanford | 6–3 |
Virginia | 7–4 | |
7th | No. 3 Tennessee | 5–2 |
No. 5 Arizona | 5–3 | |
9th | No. 1 Arkansas | 4–3 |
Dallas Baptist | 4–3 | |
No. 13 East Carolina | 3–2 | |
LSU | 4–3 | |
No. 10 Notre Dame | 4–2 | |
No. 12 Ole Miss | 4–3 | |
South Florida | 3–3 | |
No. 8 Texas Tech | 3–2 | |
17th | Campbell | 2–2 |
Central Michigan | 2–2 | |
Fairfield | 2–2 | |
Georgia Tech | 2–2 | |
Liberty | 2–2 | |
No. 16 Louisiana Tech | 2–2 | |
Maryland | 2–2 | |
Nebraska | 3–2 | |
No. 11 Old Dominion | 2–2 | |
No. 14 Oregon | 2–2 | |
Oregon State | 3–2 | |
South Alabama | 3–2 | |
Southern Miss | 3–2 | |
UC Irvine | 3–2 | |
UCLA | 2–2 | |
UC Santa Barbara | 2–2 | |
33rd | Alabama | 1–2 |
Arizona State | 1–2 | |
Charlotte | 1–2 | |
Duke | 1–2 | |
Florida State | 1–2 | |
Gonzaga | 1–2 | |
Indiana State | 1–2 | |
Miami (FL) | 1–2 | |
NJIT | 1–2 | |
North Carolina | 1–2 | |
North Dakota State | 1–2 | |
Oklahoma State | 1–2 | |
South Carolina | 1–2 | |
No. 6 TCU | 1–2 | |
UConn | 1–2 | |
VCU | 1–2 | |
49th | Army | 0–2 |
Central Connecticut | 0–2 | |
No. 15 Florida | 0–2 | |
Grand Canyon | 0–2 | |
Jacksonville | 0–2 | |
McNeese State | 0–2 | |
Michigan | 0–2 | |
Nevada | 0–2 | |
Norfolk State | 0–2 | |
Northeastern | 0–2 | |
Presbyterian | 0–2 | |
Rider | 0–2 | |
Samford | 0–2 | |
Southeast Missouri St | 0–2 | |
Southern | 0–2 | |
Wright State | 0–2 |
Record by conference
Conference | # of Bids | Record | Win % | Nc Record | Nc Win % | RF | SR | WS | NS | CS | NC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEC | 9 | 38–23 | .623 | 33–18 | .647 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2† | 2 | 1 |
ACC | 8 | 24–18 | .571 | 24–18 | .571 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1† | – | – |
Big 12 | 4 | 13–8 | .619 | 13–8 | .619 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
Pac-12 | 6 | 19–14 | .576 | 18–13 | .581 | 5 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – |
American | 2 | 6–5 | .545 | 6–5 | .545 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
Missouri Valley | 2 | 5–5 | .500 | 5–5 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Conference USA | 4 | 8–8 | .500 | 8–8 | .500 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
Big Ten | 3 | 5–6 | .455 | 5–6 | .455 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
Big West | 2 | 5–4 | .556 | 5–4 | .556 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
ASUN | 2 | 2–4 | .333 | 2–4 | .333 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
Big South | 2 | 2–4 | .333 | 2–4 | .333 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
Metro Atlantic | 2 | 2–4 | .333 | 2–4 | .333 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
Mid-American | 1 | 2–2 | .500 | 2–2 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
Sun Belt | 1 | 3–2 | .600 | 3–2 | .600 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
Other | 16 | 5–32 | .135 | 5–32 | .135 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
† Includes a game declared no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols with NC State. Vanderbilt advanced to the CWS Finals.
The columns RF, SR, WS, NS, CS, and NC respectively stand for the Regional Finals, Super Regionals, College World Series Teams, National Semifinals, Championship Series, and National Champion.
Nc is non–conference records, i.e., with the records of teams within the same conference having played each other removed.
Media coverage
Radio
NRG Media will provide nationwide radio coverage of the College World Series through its Omaha Station KOZN, in association with Westwood One. It also will stream all CWS games at westwoodonesports.com on Tunein and on SiriusXM. Kevin Kugler and John Bishop will provide pxp on games leading up to the Championship Series. Bishop (Gms 6, 8-10, 12), Jeff Leise (Gms 2, 4-5), Damon Benning (Gms 1, 3, 7, 11), and Gary Sharp (Gms 13-14) will provide the analysis. The Championship Series will be called by Kugler and Scott Graham.
Television
ESPN will air every game from the Regionals, Super Regionals, and the College World Series across its networks.
Broadcast assignments
Regionals
Super Regionals
|
|
College World Series
|
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CWS Championship Series
|
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Notes
- ^ The Ivy League canceled its 2021 season, dropping the number of automatic bids from 31 to 30 for the 2021 tournament.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Baseball Division I Championship". NCAA. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ Adams, Susan (February 18, 2021). "The Ivy League Cancels Spring 2021 Sports". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ Obert, Richard (May 30, 2021). "Tyler Wilson's 9th-inning single sends Grand Canyon into the NCAA Division I baseball tournament for first time". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
GCU (39-19-1) rallied from a 4-1 deficit to reach the NCAA Division I baseball tournament for the first time in its history.
- ^ Rubin, Roger (May 30, 2021). "SBU baseball doesn't get chance to play for NCAA Tournament". Newsday. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
With a full day of rain in the forecast, the conference and game officials decided to end the tournament without crowning a champion. As a result, the Highlanders – not the Seawolves – will get the bid.
- ^ Nimmo, Ray (May 22, 2021). "Norfolk State wins first MEAC baseball title with 11th-inning walk-off". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Morris, Julia (May 29, 2021). "Presbyterian baseball team wins first Big South Championship in program history". WYFF. Fayetteville, North Carolina. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
Presbyterian recorded the baseball program's first Big South Championship
- ^ Moran, Kirsten (May 29, 2021). "'It's been a long road coming.' Nevada baseball family members react to MW title". Nevada Sports Net. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
The Wolf Pack also earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals for the first time in twenty one years.
- ^ "Baseball Draws Louisiana Tech in NCAA Tournament Regional". gobroncs.com. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
The Broncs are making their first appearance in the tournament since the 2010 season.
- ^ "Baseball Earns #2 Seed for Greenville Regional Opening Friday". charlotte49ers.com. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
The 49ers, earning a #2 seed becoming the highest-ever in program history and second overall at-large bid, get the invite from the NCAA for the first time since 2011.
- ^ Witz, Billy (February 18, 2021). "Ivy League Cancels Spring Sports Despite Pleas From Athletes". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ Cahill, Teddy (May 14, 2021). "Shortlist Of 20 Potential NCAA Tournament Host Sites Announced". Baseball America. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ "Division I Baseball Committee announces championship host sites". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Indianapolis. May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Cahill, Teddy (May 28, 2021). "2021 NCAA Baseball Tournament Final Projected Field Of 64". Baseball America. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
The selection committee has not sent a top seed on the road since 2010 when Florida State was the No. 1 seed in the Norwich Regional, hosted by Connecticut.
- ^ a b "Sixteen Regional Sites Selected For 2021 NCAA Baseball Championship". NCAA.com. Indianapolis. May 30, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ "2021 college baseball tournament selection show: Time, how to watch". www.ncaa.com. May 27, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Bezjak, Lou (June 8, 2021). "Founders Park will host Super Regional round of NCAAs this weekend". The State. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
Under the unique tournament rules set by the NCAA amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 16 host sites were determined prior to the tournament field being announced. Host could be called upon to host a super regional between two teams that weren't previously picked to host.
- ^ Portnoy, Ben (June 4, 2021). "Old Dominion headlines regional at USC. Monarchs hope to one day host NCAAs at home". The State. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
Under current NCAA regional hosting guidelines, the Monarchs' home park — Bud Metheny Baseball Complex — isn't technically eligible to host given its lack of a handful of behind-the-scenes necessities like vast media seating or an advanced television camera setup.
- ^ "Vanderbilt-NC State College World Series game ruled no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols". NCAA.com. June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ @NCAACWS (July 1, 2021). "2021 Men's College World Series - All Tournament Team" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "#RoadtoOmaha: ESPN Networks to Showcase up to 153 Games During 2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, Beginning Friday". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "#RoadToOmaha Continues: ESPN Networks to Showcase NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Super Regionals". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "ESPN's Exclusive Coverage of the NCAA Division I Men's College World Series Begins Saturday from Omaha". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
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