UCLA Tops USA TODAY's 16 NCAA Baseball Seed Projections as SEC Claims 8 Host Spots
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · May 24
UCLA Tops USA TODAY's 16 NCAA Baseball Seed Projections as SEC Claims 8 Host Spots
7 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · May 24
UCLA was projected as the No. 1 overall seed ahead of the May 24 host reveal, with Georgia Tech close behind in USA TODAY's final 16 national-seed forecast.
No. 1 RPI and a 9-1 Quad 1 record put UCLA on top, while Georgia Tech's 21 Quad 1 wins and No. 2 RPI kept it in contention for the top spot.
Georgia and Auburn were projected No. 3 and No. 4, with Auburn's case driven by a 17-16 mark against 33 Quad 1 opponents and the nation's toughest schedule.
The SEC dominated the host picture with eight projected regional sites, while Southern Mississippi, West Virginia, Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi State battled for the final positions.
Mississippi State was slotted at No. 16 despite a 9-14 Quad 1 record, leaving Oregon, Mississippi, Southern California, Oregon State and Wake Forest among teams still chasing a late jump.
Is the SEC's projected tournament dominance a sign of strength or a flaw in the NCAA's selection metrics?
After a historic season, could UCLA lose its top overall seed with a conference championship loss?