Who’s going to the NCAA Tournament?

One final week. That’s all that left in the college baseball regular season. With the Memorial Day selection show coming up in less than a week, eight Pac-12 teams are in contention to make the field of 64.

Here is a breakdown of the Pac-12 teams. Who will get in and who will be left out for the field of 64? UCLA, Stanford and Washington State were left off because they have pretty much played themselves out of postseason contention.

Oregon State

Record: 32-19, 13-14 Pac-12 (Currently sixth in conference)

Rating Percentage Index (RPI): 52

Strength of Schedule: 117

D1Baseball.com Projection: Third seed in Charlottesville, Va. Regional

Baseball America Projection: Not in the field (First four out)

Changes of making tournament: 6/10

The Beavers might have kept their postseason hopes alive by taking two of three games on the road against USC. The series win ended a slide that saw OSU drop five of their previous six games. Despite getting back on track, OSU is still not a lock.

D1baseball.com held thier weekly chat on Monday. A question was asked what the Beavers needed to do in order to make the postseason.

“Series win will probably be enough, though it wouldn’t make the Beavers a lock, that’s for sure,” said Aaron Fitt, staff writer for D1baseball. “Finishing 15-15 in the Pac with an RPI around 50 — that’s usually good enough out West.”

According to D1baseball’s projections, the Beavers will be in the tournament as the last team in. But Baseball America released their projections, which has the Beavers watching closely. To get to those 15 conference wins, OSU will need to take two of three from UCLA this weekend.

Utah

Record: 23-26, 17-10 Pac-12 (Currently in first)

PRI: 101

Strength of Schedule: 57

D1Baseball.com Projection: Fourth seed in Lafayette, La.. Regional

Baseball America Projection: Fourth seed in Oxford, Ms., Regional

Changes of making tournament: 6/10

Utah is in a strange place. They sit atop the Pac-12 standings, holding a one game lead over the rest of the Pac. Win one, two or three games this weekend then the Utes will be crowned Pac-12 champs. That’s a good place to be. However, should they get swept this weekend –they host Washington this weekend — that would drop them out of first place and likely ending their season.

The Utes only won six games out of conference which puts their RPI in the triple digits, that means that if they don’t at least share the conference crown, the Utes won’t be selected. That’s where Utah does not want to be.

Washington

Record: 31-19, 16-11 Pac-12 (Currently second in conference)

RPI:53

Strength of Schedule: 66

D1Baseball.com Projection: Third seed in College Station, Texas regional

Baseball America Projection: Third seed in Long Beach, Ca., Regional

Chances of making tournament: 9/10

Washington still has a shot at the conference championship. Sweep Utah, the title is theirs. Win two, share the title. Win one or zero games this weekend, and Utah wins the title.

Unless Washington tanks this weekend, consider them a lock for the tournament.

Arizona

Record: 33-20, 16-14 Pac-12 (Currently fourth in conference)

RPI: 25

Strength of Schedule: 24

D1Baseball.com Projection: Second seed in Gainesville, Fla. regional

Baseball America Projection: Second seed in Baton Rouge, La. regional

Chances of making tournament: 10/10

Arizona fumbled their chances of hosting away. After sweeping the Beavers two weeks ago, the Wildcats fell to Arizona State and Oregon. Still their high RPI to go along with finishing conference play with a winning record, ‘Zonna will hear their named called on Memorial Day.

Arizona State

Record: 33-19, 15-12 Pac-12 (Currently third in conference)

RPI: 39

D1Baseball.com Projection: Second seed in Tempe, Ariz. regional (Hosting for Florida Atlantic)

Baseball America Projection: Second seed in Charlottesville, Va. Regional

Strength of Schedule: 60

Chances of making tournament: 10/10

Arizona State is surging right now. Winners of five straight Pac-12 series, the Sun Devils are now flirting with hosting a regional round. ASU still has a chance to share the Pac-12 title, should they sweep USC this weekend, along with a Washington winning two of three at Utah, that will put Washington, ASU and Utah all with a 18-12 conference record.

Southern California

Record: 25-27,13-14 Pac-12 (Currently sixth in conference)

RPI: 103

D1Baseball.com Projection: Not in the field

Baseball America Projection: Not in the field

Strength of Schedule: 44

Chances of making tournament: 2/10

The Trojans are going to be cursing Travis Eckert’s and Bryce Fehmel’s name in a couple of days. USC had a real chance to punch their ticket to the tournament, but a Eckert and Fehmel stimied the Trojan’s high-powered offense.

There is a chance for USC to work their way back in, with Arizona State on the schedule this weekend, a series win would put them at .500 in conference…but that triple-digit RPI might be too much to overcome.

Oregon:

Record: 29-23, 14-13 Pac-12 (Currently in fifth)

RPI: 77

Strength of Schedule: 65

D1Baseball.com Projection: Not in the field

Baseball America Projection: Not in the field

Changes of making tournament: 4/10

What’s keeping the Ducks out of the postseason? It could be their RPI, would a series sweep on the road against Stanford this weekend move the RPI needle enough? Hard to say. But if the selection committee follows Fitt’s “.500 conference record and an PRI in the fifties” criteria, the Ducks will at least be close.

California:

Record: 30-20, 12-15 Pac-12 (Currently in eighth)

RPI: 68

Strength of Schedule: 110

D1Baseball.com Projection: Not in the field

Baseball America Projection: Not in the field (Next four out)

Changes of making tournament: 4/10

Cal is trying to make a late push to get into the tournament. They fall into the same category as the Ducks, will a .500 conference record and a decent RPI be good enough?

Was this article helpful?
YesNo