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College Baseball 101: Road To Omaha

Basic guide of how NCAA Baseball Tournament works

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Omaha, Nebraska. The College World Series of Baseball has been held there since 1950. A place which will soon crown the most battle tested, talented, and determine division one baseball team in the country. The outer shell of the College World Series of Baseball looks rather similar to NCAA's Basketball version of March Madness. There are 64 teams put into a two sided bracket. Now unlike March Madness, one bad game or spectacular performance by your opponent will not eliminate you from the tournament. This tournament is based on double elimination and best two out of three head to head series (yes which is also double elimination). The tournament consit of at large bids, automatic bids, and entails all the drama of bubble teams attempting to make a late rally into the tourney. This is a two part tournament.

There is the Regional (Super Regional's is the 2nd round of the Regionals) and then if you are lucky enough to survive and advance you will make it to the College World Series in Omaha. Now each round has its own little twist. This is what makes the NCAA College Baseball Tournament so unique from the others. The first round of the Regionals is  a four team double elimination bracket. The teams are seeded 1-4 and play accordingly. The 1 seed in each Regional (there are sixteen one seeds) will host the entire first round of the regional. Two losses and your gone. Only one team gets out of each regional bracket. BOOM. We have just went from 64 to 16 teams. 0 to 100 real quick. Next up is the Super Regionals. Winners of each Region will play the winner of the neighboring region on  the bracket . Now it becomes a head to head best 2 out of 3 series. The higher seed will again be the host. Winner will then advance to the College World Series in Omaha. Now once at the College World Series each team will again play there winning neighbor on the bracket. However, this time it is not head to head, but a single game. The platform changes back to a double elimination winner/losers bracket. There are two four team double elimination brackets. Because its one! Two, loses- and- you're- out- at- College- World- Series! (sing with the jingle). The teams will battle it out on neutral territory until there are two left. Finally, a best two out of three series between the final two teams will determine the NCAA Baseball Champion.


Regional

- 64 teams

- 16 brackets of 4

-Seeded 1-4 and play accordingly

- Double Elimination

- 1 seed host entire Regional

- 1 team advances from each group

Super Regional


-16 teams

- Head to head

- Best 2 out of 3

- Higher seed is host

College World Series


- 8 teams

- 2 brackets of 4

- Double elimination

- Teams play according to pre-determined bracket

- Two teams make it out

- neutral playing field (Omaha, Nebraska)

College World Series Final


- 2 teams

- Head to head

- Best 2 out of 3

- Neutral playing field (Omaha, Nebraska)

- One NCAA Baseball Champion