NCAA baseball regionals begin with 2026 College World Series path underway
UCLA leads the top seeds alongside Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Auburn, while the SEC maintains significant hosting presence despite LSU’s absence
The 2026 NCAA baseball tournament regionals have commenced, marking the start of the path to the College World Series in Omaha. Sixty-four teams have entered the field, with the competition structured to narrow the bracket through regional and super regional rounds. Top overall seed UCLA leads the 2026 field and hosts one of the 16 four-team, double-elimination regionals beginning Friday. The winners of these regionals will advance to the super regionals next weekend.
The top four national seeds are UCLA, ACC champion Georgia Tech, SEC champion Georgia, and Auburn. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is well-represented with seven teams set to host regionals this weekend. This dominance is highlighted by the fact that five different SEC schools have combined to win the last six national titles. However, LSU, which has won two of the last three NCAA championships, is absent from the tournament entirely. This absence guarantees a new national champion in 2026.
UCLA secured a 10-inning victory over Saint Mary's with a score of 6-5. North Carolina advanced after defeating East Carolina 9-3, following a previous loss in Game 4. Other notable regional results include West Virginia defeating Binghamton 10-1 before losing to Kentucky 11-9, and subsequently beating Wake Forest 10-5. Florida defeated Miami (Fla.) 22-10, while Texas A&M defeated Texas State 17-2.
Additional outcomes from the regionals include Little Rock defeating Southern Miss 7-4 and Jacksonville State 8-6. Arizona State defeated South Dakota State 17-0 and Nebraska 11-8. St. John's defeated Northern Illinois 21-8, a result rescheduled from Saturday. Alabama defeated Alabama State 21-3, and Oregon defeated Washington State 4-0. Mississippi State defeated Lipscomb 10-1 and Cincinnati 10-5.
Broadcast coverage for the games is available across ESPN platforms, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACCN, and SECN. Fans can stream the games live via fubo, which offers a free trial, or through the ESPN app. The top 16 seeds are set to host best-of-three super regionals if they advance. The College World Series finals are scheduled for June 20-21 or 22.
