Kansas Nears First NCAA Regional Host Bid After 9-2 Oklahoma State Win

7 articles · Updated · Lawrence Journal-World · May 23

Kansas moved into strong position to host an NCAA baseball regional for the first time after beating Oklahoma State 9-2, with the 16 host sites due Sunday night and the full bracket arriving Monday.
Saturday projections from Baseball America, D1Baseball and On3 all placed KU in Lawrence as a host, slotting the Jayhawks at No. 13 or No. 14 nationally.
Baseball America and On3 both projected Ole Miss as KU’s No. 2 seed, while D1Baseball instead sent USC to Lawrence alongside Missouri State and Eastern Illinois.
Those projected fields suggest a difficult draw despite home advantage, with possible opponents featuring USC ace Mason Edwards’ 1.43 ERA and Campbell’s David Rossow carrying a 10-1 record.
If confirmed Sunday, the Lawrence Regional would mark a program first at Hoglund Ballpark and position KU for a super regional path tied in some projections to North Carolina or Georgia.

Now Big 12 champions, can first-time host Kansas baseball survive a tough regional and make a deep College World Series run?

Which projected opponent, powerhouse Ole Miss or surging USC, poses the biggest threat to derail Kansas's historic postseason at home?

Will the immense pressure of hosting for the first time elevate the Jayhawks, or will it become their biggest opponent?