College baseball Field of 64 predictions: New No. 1, three hosts emerge

Five weekends remain in college baseball’s regular season, with the postseason picture coming into clear view. After this past week’s action and results, we have released our updated college baseball Field of 64 predictions as of April 15.

In our predicted NCAA Tournament field, we have a new top overall seed and also three new regional hosts. Texas A&M takes control of the top spot, while Arkansas falls to No. 2 after losing a series to Alabama. Those two teams remain in the top two overall seeds, though, with Clemson following just behind them.

The SEC stands above every other conference with ten teams in our Field of 64 predictions. The ACC sits just behind them with eight selections, while the Big 12 has six. Followng them, the Pac-12 and Sun Belt had four selections, while no other conference has more than three.

While plenty will change over the next month+, this is how we expect college baseball’s Field of 64 to look at season’s end. For a look at how things changed from our last projections, click here to see last week’s NCAA Tournament field.

The official NCAA Tournament field will be unveiled on Monday, May 27 at 12 noon ET.

*denotes automatic qualifier

Bubble Watch

Last Four In: St. John’s, TCU, James Madison, Florida
First Four Out: Rutgers, Texas, Maryland, Kennesaw State
Next Four Out: Louisville, Georgia Tech, Cal, Georgia Southern

College Station Regional

1. Texas A&M (1)*
2. Oregon
3. Lamar*
4. Navy*

We have a new No. 1 this week, and it’s Texas A&M that steps into the top spot. The Aggies currently sit No. 2 in RPI and are 32-4 overall with 11-4 in the SEC. They are a very safe bet to be a top three overall seed. Joining Texas A&M in the College Station Regional is a hot Oregon team, in addition to Lamar and Navy.

Irvine Regional

1. UC Irvine (16)*
2. Arizona
3. San Diego
4. Fresno State*

UC Irvine dropped this past weekend’s series at UC San Diego, but they hold onto the final regional hosting spot in our Field of 64. Their biggest issue moving forward is RPI, as they sit No. 21 currently with not a ton of opportunities to make up ground. Right now, though, UC Irvine gets the nod as our final host. Also in Irvine for this regional is Arizoina, San Diego and Fresno State.

Fayetteville Regional

1. Arkansas (2)
2. Kansas State
3. Georgetown*
4. Bryant*

Arkansas held the top overall seed in our initial predictions last week, but the Razorbacks drop a spot to No. 2 overall after dropping their series to Alabama this past weekend. It would not be surprising at all if Arkansas still ended up with the top seed, and they are all but assured one of the top seeds at this point in the season. The Razorbacks are joined here by Kansas State, Georgetown and Bryant.

Morgantown Regional

1. West Virginia (15)*
2. Nebraska
3. Florida
4. Samford*

One of our new hosts this week, West Virginia takes a major leap into the No. 15 overall seed. The Mountaineers are coming off of a series sweep over UCF and now sit in a great position in the Big 12. West Virginia has JJ Wetherholt back and healthy again, and they are a legitimate contender to host if they keep winning. They don’t have an easy draw, though, with Nebraska (who hosted in last week’s predictions) and Florida also in the Morgantown Regional.

Clemson Regional

1. Clemson (3)*
2. Louisiana*
3. USC Upstate*
4. Columbia*

Clemson lost its series this past weekend against NC State, but they hold onto a top three overall seed in this week’s Field of 64. The Tigers still sit at No. 1 in current RPI, and are 29-6 overall with an 11-4 ACC record. They are in the driver’s seat for a top three sead alongside Texas A&M and Arkansas. Clemson is joined in this regional by a surging Louisiana team, in addition to USC Upstate and Columbia.

Nashville Regional

1. Vanderbilt (14)*
2. UCF
3. Northeastern
4. Saint Louis*

Vanderbilt got swept by Texas A&M over the weekend, but they are still in position to bring a regional back to Nashville as of right now. Their RPI of No. 17 is right there, and they’ll have opportunities to improve that down the stretch. Also in Nashville is a UCF team that we had hosting last week, in addition to Northeastern and Saint Louis.

Corvallis Regional

1. Oregon State (4)*
2. UC Santa Barbara
3. Portland*
4. California Baptist*

Oregon State currently sits at No. 13 in RPI, but they are projected to finish right around top five and would surely be a top five overall seed if that happens, though they could finish outside of the top eight if they were to stumble. The Beavers are 29-5 on the year and 10-4 in the Pac-12. They are joined in the Corvallis Regional by UC Santa Barbara, Portland and California Baptist.

Durham Regional

1. Duke (13)
2. Oklahoma State
3. St. John’s
4. UNC Wilmington*

Duke is a very interesting case at this point in the season. The Blue Devils sit at No. 25 in RPI with a 26-10 overall record including 11-7 in the ACC. We expect Duke to remain in this range, and end up hosting a regional when it’s all said and done. They get a sneaky tough field in our predicted Durham Regional, with Oklahoma State, St. John’s and UNC Wilmington.

Tallahassee Regional

1. Florida State (5)
2. Oklahoma
3. Southern Miss
4. Florida A&M*

Florida State is 30-5 overall, 10-5 in the ACC and currently sits at No. 3 in RPI. The Seminoles are deserving of a top eight seed, and they crack the top five in this week’s Field of 64 predictions. They are on the road the next two weekends and face Wake Forest and Duke, so a pivotal stretch is coming. Also in Tallahasee is Oklahoma, Southern Miss and Florida A&M.

Terre Haute Regional

1. Indiana State (12)*
2. Dallas Baptist*
3. Mississippi State
4. Bowling Green*

Indiana State is a new predicted host this week, and the Sycamores continue to build a very compelling case. Currently No. 8 in RPI and projected to finish there as well, Indiana State is 27-7 overall and 10-2 in the Missouri Valley. If they hold around top ten in RPI, they are a lock to host. They are joined by Dallas Baptist, Mississippi State and Bowling Green.

Lexington Regional

1. Kentucky (6)
2. NC State
3. Illinois*
4. Northern Kentucky*

Kentucky just keeps winning, and sit at 30-5 overall and 14-1 in the SEC. The Wildcats are playing great baseball, though they’ll be tested in the SEC down the stretch. Right now, though, they are No. 4 in RPI and an easy lock for a top eight overall seed. Joining the Wildcats in the Lexington Regional is NC State, Illinois and Northern Kentucky.

Winston Salem Regional

1. Wake Forest (11)
2. Alabama
3. Texas Tech
4. Saint Thomas*

Here comes Wake Forest. After seemingly falling out of the hosting picture for a while, the Demon Deacons are right back in it. They are up to our No. 11 overall seed in this week’s Field of 64, and look to be in a good position as of right now. They don’t have an easy regional in Winston Salem, as Alabama and Texas Tech fill it out alongside Saint Thomas.

Chapel Hill Regional

1. North Carolina (7)
2. South Carolina
3. TCU
4. Rider*

UNC is currently 29-7 overall, 14-4 in the ACC, and No. 5 in RPI. The Tar Heels have a very strong case to be a top five overall seed, but finish just outside at No. 7 this week. If they keep winning down the stretch in the ACC, it’s going to be impossible to put UNC any lower than this. They are joined in Chapel Hill by South Carolina, TCU and Rider in one of our more interesting fields.

Greenville Regional

1. East Carolina (10)*
2. Coastal Carolina
3. Creighton
4. Stetson*

ECU was the No. 7 overall seed in last week’s predictions, and they are coming off of a strong 4-1 week. The Pirates’ biggest problem is that the AAC is not a strong RPI league, and even winning two out of three every weekend could have them moving in the wrong direction. It might be tough to sneak into the top eight, but ECU has a very good chance of hosting. Coastal Carolina, Creighton and Stetson are also in the Greenville Regional in a pretty good field of teams.

Knoxville Regional

1. Tennessee (8)
2. Virginia Tech
3. Utah
4. Tennessee Tech*

As the season goes on, it’s becoming more and more clear that it’s a pretty loaded group of teams at the top of the country. It’s a crowded group vying for a top eight overall seed, but Tennessee is right there and gets the nod at No. 8 in this week’s Field of 64. The Vols are 30-6 overall and 10-5 in the SEC, sitting at No. 7 in RPI. They are joined in Knoxville by Virginia Tech, Utah and Tennessee Tech.

Charlottesville Regional

1. Virginia (9)
2. Georgia
3. James Madison
4. Sacred Heart*

Virginia finishes just outside of the top eight in this week’s predictions, but could certainly find their way into the mix. They still host a regional as the No. 9 seed, though, and figure to be right in that range with RPI sitting at No. 9. It’s a pretty solid group of teams in the Charlottesville Regional, with Georgia, James Madison and Sacred Heart filling it out.