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The NCAA baseball tournament doesn’t have cute names for each round. There isn’t a First Four or Final Four. There’s no Elite Eight. And this weekend, it is highly doubtful that any of the 16 teams remaining are feeling all that sweet. They all know they are fortunate to still be playing ball at all after the titan-destroying chaos that was unleashed in the opening regional round. As the super regionals begin Friday, a potential four-day brawl for eight plane tickets to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, this doesn’t seem like a Sweet 16. It’s a Survival 16. Noticeably absent are seven of the original top 16 national seeds. Seven! That includes No.1 UCLA and No. 2 Georgia Tech.
So, who is left? Who on those rosters should you know about? And what red-seamed wrecking balls remain in the field eager to send another big box college baseball brand name packing? Slather on some eye black and read ahead as we present our annual 10 things you need to know for the NCAA baseball super regionals. Additionally, our MLB friends, Kiley McDaniel and David Schoenfield, are offering up top prospects and best major leaguers from every supers squad.
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No. 6 Texas is hosting Oregon in the Austin Super Regional. David Buono/Icon Sportswire1. The SEC took a hit, but it has plenty of hits leftThe undisputed conference king of college baseball has won seven of the past eight MCWS titles and has had at least one team in 15 of the past 16 championship series. No, the defending national champs are not playing. LSU didn’t even make it into the field of 64, and three other SEC schools were bounced over the opening weekend. But seven SEC teams are in the supers, and at a minimum two will be in Omaha, guaranteed via the fact that two of this weekend’s series are interconference throwdowns as No. 3 Georgia hosts Mississippi State in a Dawg Eat Dog kibble match and No. 4 Auburn welcomes in Ole Miss in the Hugh Freeze Once Worked Here Classic. The record for most teams from one conference in a single MCWS is four. It has happened five times, and four of those were set by the SEC (hey, ACC in 2024!). This year’s seven supers attendees is already a record, and a new highwater mark of five teams could be sent to Omaha.2. The Big Ten is down to a Big TwoEditor’s Picks
The Big Ten’s last MCWS title came way back in 1966, when Ohio State was led by pitcher Steve Arlin, who started five of the Buckeyes’ six games (yes, you read that correctly) and won Most Outstanding Player honors for earning two wins over powerhouse USC. Now the Trojans represent one half of the Big Ten’s title hopes as they travel 2,600 miles to play at UNC. The other shot belongs to Oregon as the Ducks fly south 2,000 miles to visit Texas. The Ducks seek their first MCWS appearance since 1954. The Horns are in search of their record-extending 39th trip to college baseball’s biggest stage. There are those old school folks who would no doubt discount a USC or Oregon national title as “not a real Big Ten” championship. But as strange as it still is to see that conference logo on the shoulders of West Coast teams, a Big Ten natty would indeed be added to the league’s CFP and college basketball titles.
3. The ACC and the most confusing stat in college baseball
OK, it’s actually the second-most confusing stat in college baseball. Because the most confounding statistic of them all is that with UCLA’s regional loss, the No. 1 national seed has won only two natties since 1999. But the second-most baffling stat belongs to the ACC, which, despite being a Southern, warm weather league with volumes of baseball history and hundreds of alumni who moved on to play pro ball, the conference has won only two national championships. Ever. Wake Forest won it all in 1955, and Virginia did it again 60 years later. The ACC started opening weekend with seven teams and is now down to one, the Tar Heels, still seeking to avenge their soul-crushing back-to-back losses to Oregon State in the MCWS finals of 2006-07.
4. Big 12, big dreams
The Big 12 claims only two MCWS titles, won by Texas in 2002 and 2005, though four others were won by teams in its ancestor league, the Big 8. But only one of the conference’s current teams has won college baseball’s fanciest ring, Oklahoma State in 1959. The upstart Kansas Jayhawks, seeking just their second trip to Omaha, host Oklahoma, which won two of those Big 8-branded MCWS titles back in the day. Meanwhile, the West Virginia Mountaineers are two wins away from their first MCWS invite. If you saw the scene when they vanquished Kentucky in the regionals, then one can only imagine the apocalyptic party vibe at WVU if they win again this weekend. No sofa shall be safe.
SING THAT SONG, WEST VIRGINIA!
What a moment in Morgantown. This is why we love college baseball ❤️ pic.twitter.com/GckCPLI9jT
— ESPN (@espn) June 2, 2026
5. Underdogs rule
If you know your Omaha history, then you know that nearly every June there is one where-did-these-guys-come-from underdog program in the eight-team mix, from Harvard and Hawai’i to Creighton and The Citadel to those who shocked the world as champions, including Pepperdine in 1992, Fresno State in 2008 and Coastal Carolina in 2016. This year there are potential party crashers aplenty. The Cal Poly Mustangs have produced a not-short list of big leaguers but have never made it to Omaha. Poly will have to survive raucous Morgantown to get there. St. John’s, which travels to Tuscaloosa, has made it to the Series six times, but not since Frank Viola was in the pitching rotation in 1980. The most intriguing underdog matchup will be up the road in Troy, Alabama, where the Troy Trojans, who stunned No. 8 overall seed Florida, host another legion of Trojans — Little Rock, which not only has never been to Omaha but is making just its third NCAA postseason appearance ever.
6. Looking for some to root for?
Take a look at UNC first baseman Erik Paulsen Jr. After two seasons at Stony Brook, he decided to leave his homeland of Long Island, New York, and try life in Chapel Hill. He did so with the consent of his father, Erik Sr., but his dad died before he could see his son dressed in that Carolina Blue uniform. Erik Sr., who was among the first responders on 9/11, was diagnosed with cancer that developed because of his exposure to the poisonous air at Ground Zero. You can read and watch the Paulsens’ story here.
7. Do you like college baseball history and nature documentaries?
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Then get to know Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson, who earlier this year became the first catcher and only the sixth player in NCAA baseball history to reach 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in a single season. If the Bulldogs keep playing, he has chance to become only the second player to reach 30/30, joining Florida State’s J.D. Drew in 1997. Jackson currently sits at 29 homers and 25 stolen bags. His teammates have taken to calling him The Rhino because of his strength and speed, but also because he is addicted to watching NatGeo nature documentaries. Read and watch more about Jackson here.
8. See tomorrow’s MLB stars today!
The 2026 MLB draft begins July 11, and the internet is packed with charts, mocks and names you need to know before they are called at the podium. Among those who will be in action in the supers are: Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, whom ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has as his 17th overall pick, as well as Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese, Ole Miss righty Cade Townsend, USC lefty Mason Edwards and Texas center fielder Aiden Robbins. And those are just McDaniel’s first-rounders. He also has two of the remaining squads listed among his 10 college teams with the most potential MLB draft prospects: Mississippi State (five in Rounds 1-2, six in Rounds 3-5) and Texas (11 total draftees).
9. Finally?
We already have focused on the programs that either have never been to Omaha or haven’t been in a long, long time. How about the legendary programs and coaches who have been to Nebraska in June plenty of times but have never left town in a celebratory mood? We told you about the Tar Heels having their hearts ripped out by the Beavers. Current head coach Scott Forbes was an assistant coach on those teams. And how about Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle? He has been to Omaha seven times as a head coach — five times with TCU and twice with Texas A&M, including a runner-up effort to Tennessee in 2024. He infamously left for Austin the following day. Why? Because the Horns have won six natties in all, though the last came back in 2005. Georgia hasn’t been back to Omaha since being stunned by Fresno State in 2008, and although USC holds the record for most national championships with 12, its just in was in 1988 and the last before that was in 1978.
10. Root, root, root for the home team
If you want to soak up all that is right about college baseball, then make sure to spend at least a little bit of time tuning in to all eight supers with your surround sound turned up to 11. Have we mentioned how wild Morgantown was last weekend? The same will be true for Lawrence, Kansas, which has never hosted a super. At Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama, fans damn near sit on top of the batter’s box. In Georgia, they go nuts whenever a Bulldog “feeds the trees” by bashing balls into the tall greenery down the left-field line. And can you imagine what the atmosphere will be like at Troy? Your beer can’t be cold enough for this channel-flipping good time across the ESPN networks.
Jake Schaffner is North Carolina’s top prospect. William Howard-Imagn ImagesMorgantown Super Regional (Morgantown, West Virginia)Cal Poly at No. 16 West Virginia
Cal Poly Mustangs
Top prospect: C Ryan Tayman
Tayman is a solid framer and defender at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, and he has been productive at the plate this season, hitting 15 homers. He has the raw power for roughly that figure annually in pro ball and solid contact rates as well. — Kiley McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners
One of the great draft finds in recent years, Woo bounced between starting and the bullpen at Cal Poly and then had Tommy John surgery during his junior year. Seattle liked his delivery and pitch analytics, and the Mariners drafted Woo in the sixth round in 2021 despite a 6.11 ERA. He quickly reached the majors in 2023, received his first All-Star selection last year and is now regarded as the ace of the Seattle staff. — David Schoenfield
West Virginia Mountaineers
Top prospect: C/2B Gavin Kelly (2027)
Kelly is one of the better position player prospects for the 2027 draft, a likely first-round pick if he were eligible for the 2026 draft. He has split time between second base and catcher this season, and he has a shot to be solid professionally at both, but catcher is obviously the more valuable spot. He’s not huge at 6-1, but he has the raw power and in-game feel for getting to it to hit 20 homers annually at his peak while also making contact at an above-average rate. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: 2B JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals
He has just two-plus months in the majors, but Wetherholt is not only the best WVU player in the majors but he has already established a strong likelihood that he’ll turn into the best WVU major leaguer ever. That honor probably belongs to former infielder Jedd Gyorko, who hit 121 home runs in an eight-year career. Wetherholt, the seventh pick in 2024, has hit for power, could win a Gold Glove at second base as a rookie and ranked second among NL position players in WAR as of Wednesday. — Schoenfield
Oklahoma at No. 15 Kansas
Oklahoma Sooners
Top prospect: C Brendan Brock
You could go with SS Jaxon Willits, 3B Camden Johnson or about a half dozen other players, but I’ll give the nod to Brock; a lot of these players should land in the third or fourth round. Brock is a plus, possibly plus-plus, runner at 6-3 and is primarily playing catcher with some corner outfield as well. He has above average raw power, good feel for it in games and solid pitch selection, but his bat path limits his in-zone contact. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals
Eight Sooners have played in the majors in 2026, seven of them pitchers. Cavalli and Cade Horton were both first-round picks this decade. Horton had an outstanding rookie season with the Cubs in 2025, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting, but is out for the year after Tommy John surgery. Cavalli had his own TJ surgery in 2023 but has been in the rotation all season for the Nationals, going 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 64⅔ innings. With Horton sidelined, Cavalli is the choice right now. — Schoenfield
Kansas Jayhawks
Top prospect: SS Tyson LeBlanc
There are a couple of good options for the Jayhawks, but LeBlanc gets the nod. He isn’t the toolsiest shortstop, but he has been super productive, has pull/lift skills to get the most of his 45-grade raw power and above average bat-to-ball skills. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Ryan Zeferjahn, Los Angeles Angels
Only three former Jayhawks have played in the majors this decade — Sam Freeman (last pitched in 2020), Wes Benjamin (last pitched in 2021) and Zeferjahn (we have a winner). A righty reliever for the Angels with a 97 mph fastball and big sweeper, Zeferjahn can be tough to hit, but he also has trouble throwing strikes, leading to a 5.74 ERA. — Schoenfield
No. 14 Mississippi State at No. 3 Georgia
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Top prospect: LHP Tomas Valincius (2027)
There are a number of likely first-round picks on this team: RHP Ryan McPherson (2027), 3B Ace Reese, RHP Duke Stone (2027) and OF Jacob Parker (2028), possibly another one of the underclassman pitchers as well. I’ll give the nod to Valincius, a 6-2 lefty who has been shoving all year, sitting 93-96 and hitting 98 mph with his fastball and mixing in a plus slider and sweeper. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: J.T. Ginn, Athletics
Of the super regional teams, the Bulldogs easily have the most current major leaguers, with 10 players appearing in action in 2026, including former All-Stars Brandon Woodruff, Brent Rooker and Adam Frazier. Woodruff is injured, Rooker has struggled after hitting at least 30 home runs three seasons in a row, and Frazier is a role player. Reds first baseman Nathaniel Lowe is having a solid season, but the answer here might be Ginn, who is 3-3 with a 2.87 ERA for the Athletics, including a 1.48 ERA over his past five starts. — Schoenfield
No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs
Top prospect: C Daniel Jackson
Interesting prospects on this team include righties Joey Volchko and Dylan Vigue on the pitching staff and 3B Tre Phelps and CF Rylan Lujo in the lineup, but Jackson is the clear winner. He’s a solid framer with a plus arm behind the plate and above average speed on the basepaths along with above average raw power and solid pitch selection. His bat-to-ball ability is limited by his power-focused approach, and he needs refinement behind the plate, but there’s a lot of raw talent and production here. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners
The No. 6 pick in 2020, Hancock made 28 starts for the Mariners over the past two seasons with middling results. Hancock has remade his delivery and arsenal in 2026 — lowering his arm slot and adding a cutter while turning his slider into as a sweeper — and now looks like a potential All-Star. He’s 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA with just 15 walks in 70 innings while limiting batters to a .206 average. The top highlight: 14 strikeouts in a game against the Royals, tied for the most in the majors in 2026. — Schoenfield
Ole Miss at No. 4 Auburn
Ole Miss Rebels
Top prospect: RHP Cade Townsend
This is a pitching-heavy list of options, with Townsend, a likely 2026 first-rounder, getting the nod over rising RHP Taylor Rabe. Townsend isn’t that big at 6-1, but he’s up to 98 mph with solid shape on his fastball and three distinct breaking ball shapes (cutter, sweeper, curveball) that are all above average to plus, along with a solid splitter. His fastball command lags a bit behind his other pitches. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: C Nick Fortes, Tampa Bay Rays, and SS Jacob Gonzalez, Chicago White Sox
Now in his sixth season in the majors, Fortes has been the primary backstop for the Rays, hitting .250/.285/.324, but keep an eye on Gonzalez, one of the stars of Ole Miss’ surprise 2022 title team. The White Sox selected Gonzalez 15th overall in 2023, and he hadn’t hit much in the minors until this year, when he blasted his way to a .317/.419/.668 line with 19 home runs in 52 games at Triple-A. He just made his major league debut May 31. — Schoenfield
No. 4 Auburn Tigers
Top prospect: C Chase Fralick (2027)
Fralick is the best in a long list of solid prospects in the Auburn lineup, with 2B Chris Rembert and 3B Eric Guevara leading the way among 2026 draft prospects. Fralick is a solid defensive catcher with above average power from the left side and above average contact ability. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
Mize, the first overall selection in the 2018 draft, has had an up-and-down MLB career, including Tommy John surgery that cost him the 2023 season, but he became a key member of the Detroit rotation last year, winning 14 games and posting a 3.87 ERA, and he has a 2.27 ERA through nine starts in 2026. He just landed on the injured list for the second time this season with right adductor inflammation, but it’s expected to be a short stay. — Schoenfield
USC at No. 5 North Carolina
USC Trojans
Top prospect: LHP Mason Edwards
Edwards is the clear choice here as a very likely first-round pick in a month. He led the nation in strikeouts (164) by a large margin although his raw stuff isn’t tremendous: a 90-94 mph heater, and an above average curveball and changeup. Edwards’ control and command is fringy in part because he’s chasing strikeouts, but he posted a 1.85 ERA, so it’s clearly working for him. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Kyle Hurt, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Trojans have a storied baseball history, but much of that came in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s with the likes of Tom Seaver, Fred Lynn, Randy Johnson and Mark McGwire among the school’s biggest stars. The cupboard has been a little bare of late with only four former Trojans appearing in the majors in 2026 (that doesn’t include Lars Nootbaar, who has been injured all season). Dodgers reliever Hurt has pitched well in 19 appearances, back in the majors after missing most of the past two seasons with Tommy John surgery. — Schoenfield
No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels
Top prospect: SS Jake Schaffner
Schaffner gets the slight edge over some other 2026 draft prospects in RHP Ryan Lynch, RHP Jason DeCaro, CF Owen Hull and 2B Gavin Gallaher. Schaffner has been hot in the second half of the season, with better feel for driving the ball (though he didn’t hit a ton of homers) and making more contact; he seems likely to go in the second round now. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: 1B Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs
Seven former Tar Heels have played in the majors in 2026, six of them pitchers, but we’ll go with the one position player, Cubs first baseman Busch, who gets the nod over Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen given Gallen’s current inflated ERA. Drafted by the Dodgers in 2019, Busch went to the Cubs in a trade in 2024 and had a breakout season in 2025, hitting 34 home runs with an .866 OPS. After a slow start in 2026, he hit .300 with 24 RBIs in May. — Schoenfield
No. 11 Oregon at No. 6 Texas
No. 11 Oregon Ducks
Top prospect: C Brayden Jaksa (2028)
There are a lot of solid options here: OF Angel Laya, RHP Will Sanford, C Burke-Lee Mabeus, 2B Ryan Cooney, SS Maddox Molony, et al. Jaksa is the best pro prospect at the moment because he has the skills to stick behind the plate long term, the plus raw power to provide the upside worthy of an early pick and the solid average contact/on-base skills to tap into that power down the road. His 6-6 frame could cause issues with contact and defense in the future, but it isn’t right now. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: 1B/OF Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds
Oregon has long played in the shadow of in-state rival and three-time MCWS champion Oregon State, but the Ducks have been pumping out major leaguers in recent years, including six who have appeared in 2026. Starters Ryne Nelson and David Peterson have had their moments, but the best alum in 2026 is Reds first baseman/outfielder Steer, who is hitting .277/.351/.461 after topping 20 home runs the previous three seasons. — Schoenfield
No. 6 Texas Longhorns
Top prospect: CF Aiden Robbins
I could easily pick LHP Dylan Volantis here, but I’ll lean to the position player in Robbins. Like many of the players listed here, Robbins has above average raw power and excellent feel to get to it in games, but he also has above average speed and might be able to stick in center field long term. His chase rate and contact rate out of the zone are his weaknesses. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves
It would be fun to go with Kody Clemens, son of Roger, as he is on track for his most at-bats in a season at age 30, but Braves pitcher Elder is having the best campaign of the six former Longhorns in the majors. Elder is 5-3 with a 2.63 ERA after adding a new cutter, bouncing back from a 5.59 ERA over the previous two seasons. An All-Star in 2023, Elder has a chance to make his second All-Star team. — Schoenfield
St. John’s at No. 7 Alabama
St. John’s Red Storm
Top prospect: C Adam Agresti
Agresti splits time between catcher and first base, but he is a strong framer, so he’s not just faking it behind the dish. He has above average raw power at 6-3, 225 pounds, and he has very good feel to tap into it in games, with enough bat-to-ball ability to support the pop. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: RHP Gavin Hollowell, Chicago Cubs
Reliever Hollowell has appeared in one game for the Cubs — enough to earn himself top honors since he’s the only St. John’s player in the majors this year. St. John’s has reached six Men’s College World Series, but the most recent of those was in 1980. That team featured two future major league stars: Frank Viola, the 1988 AL Cy Young winner who won 176 MLB games, and fellow left-hander John Franco, who ranks seventh on the all-time saves list. — Schoenfield
No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide
Top prospect: SS Justin Lebron
Lebron entered the year with stealth 1-1 buzz and still has those same raw tools, with many scouts hanging plus grades on his speed, defense at shortstop and his arm with above average grades on his power. The question is his natural feel to hit and how much he’ll improve on it: His steep path designed to tap into his power limits contact within the zone. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: Connor Prielipp, Minnesota Twins
With longtime reliever David Robertson now retired, this slot is wide open. Let’s go with Twins rookie Prielipp, who is 2-3 with a 5.26 in eight starts but has 42 strikeouts in 39 innings. Prielipp barely pitched at Alabama, winning just four games in his career due to COVID and then Tommy John surgery, and then he had another surgery in 2023 after the Twins drafted him in 2022. If he can stay healthy, he has top-of-the-rotation potential. — Schoenfield
Little Rock at Troy
Little Rock Trojans
Top prospect: RHP Brannon Westmoreland
There is not an early-round pick on this roster, and possibly not even a top-10 round pick. Westmoreland is the ace of the staff, and he relies heavily on his 92-94 mph fastball with arm-side run that peaks at 96 mph. He has solid command and stands 6-6, but his off-speed stuff is fringy. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: Haven’t had a player drafted since 2019
The Trojans not only don’t have a current major leaguer, but they haven’t even had a player drafted since 2019. Pitcher McKinley Moore was a 14th-round pick that year and appeared for three games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. He was in the New York Yankees’ system briefly in 2025 and is currently pitching independent ball for Gastonia in the Atlantic League. The most notable former Little Rock player is third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, who spent seven seasons in the majors, though even he was drafted out of the University of Nevada after transferring. — Schoenfield
Troy Trojans
Top prospect: C Jimmy Janicki (2027)
Janicki is one of the best prospects for the 2027 draft and would likely go in the top 10 picks this year if he were eligible. He’s a strong defender with an above average arm, plus raw power and strong contact rates. Janicki’s only weakness right now is his poor pitch selection. — McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: OF Brandon Lockridge, Milwaukee Brewers
Brewers outfielder Lockridge is the first Trojans player in the majors since pitcher Chase Whitley in 2018. The speedster was drafted way back in 2018 by the Yankees, finally reaching the majors with the Padres in 2024 before going to the Brewers in a trade last summer. The best Troy player ever was 1980s pitcher Danny Cox, who won 18 games for the 1985 Cardinals and has the distinction of being the best post-1900 pitcher born in the United Kingdom. — Schoenfield
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