The regionals just handed us one of the strangest opening weekends in tournament history, and now the road to Omaha narrows to sixteen teams and eight best-of-three showdowns. Survive your super regional, and you punch a ticket to Charles Schwab Field for the Men’s College World Series, starting June 12. Lose, and the season is over.
If you tuned out after Selection Monday, here’s the one stat that tells you everything: every single team from last year’s College World Series is already gone. Not one of them — not reigning champ LSU, not Coastal Carolina, not Oregon State, not Arkansas, not UCLA — made it out of the regional round. Four of them didn’t even make the tournament. That has never happened before. The entire Omaha field from a year ago wiped off the board before the second weekend even started.
And it gets weirder. For the second straight year, the top two overall national seeds got bounced in the regionals — this time No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Georgia Tech, after No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 2 Texas went down the same way in 2025. Two No. 4 seeds, Little Rock and St. John’s, clawed their way into super regionals — the first time in tournament history two four-seeds have reached the second weekend. Chalk did not show up to work this year.
So who’s actually got the best shot at Omaha? Here’s the lay of the land across all eight matchups, roughly in order of how clear each favorite’s path looks.
The Heavy Favorites
Alabama (hosting St. John’s) — The Crimson Tide are about as well-positioned as anyone left. They’ve been scorching at home, swept through Tuscaloosa, and now host a No. 4 seed that didn’t beat a single tournament team during the regular season. The catch: St. John’s is a different animal now than the team that started 1-10, and anyone who can win twice in Tallahassee can scare you anywhere. But on paper, this is the cleanest road in the bracket. Bama is chasing its first CWS trip since 1999.
Georgia (hosting Mississippi State) — The highest remaining seed and a popular pick to win the whole thing. The Bulldogs have arguably the deepest lineup in the country, and they’ve already beaten Mississippi State four times this season. The wrinkle: star third baseman Tre Phelps sits out the opener on a one-game ejection suspension. Even so, this is a loaded team playing at home.
West Virginia (hosting Cal Poly) — The Mountaineers earned this one the hard way, clawing out of the loser’s bracket and winning a pair of nail-biters over Kentucky to set off a postcard-worthy celebration in Morgantown. Now they host a Cal Poly squad that swept Los Angeles without ever having to face top-seeded UCLA.
Troy (hosting Little Rock) — Don’t let the No. 3 seed fool you. Troy has been red-hot, dropping 50 runs across its last four regional games — including 26 in two against a strong Florida staff — and they’ve held their own against SEC competition all year. By the metrics, this is one of the most lopsided matchups of the round in Troy‘s favor.
The Coin Flips and Tough Draws
North Carolina (hosting USC) — The Tar Heels lean on elite pitching, and they’re even nastier at home. Their challenge is a USC offense that suddenly can’t stop hitting, hanging 19, 15, 14, and 7 across its four wins in College Station. Pitching versus a hot bat — classic super regional tension.
Kansas (hosting Oklahoma) — The party rolls on in Lawrence. The Jayhawks, league champs and on a steady climb under Dan Fitzgerald, draw old Big 12 rival Oklahoma in what should be a raucous home environment. Shortstop Tyson LeBlanc was the bat of the regional, going off for three timely homers.
Texas (hosting Oregon) — Texas hosts a super regional for the first time since 2021 and has been nearly untouchable at Disch-Falk Field. They’ve got high-end talent up and down the roster and arguably the best starter-closer combo in the country. But Oregon arrives with a quietly dominant pitching staff that’s allowed almost nothing over its last nine games. The Ducks can hang if they keep slinging it.
Auburn (hosting Ole Miss) — An all-SEC slugfest. Auburn survived a genuine scare from Milwaukee in the regional before righting the ship, while Ole Miss is battle-tested after a brutal Lincoln regional that included a 14-inning opener. Auburn catcher Chase Fralick homered in every game of his regional. This one feels like a true toss-up.
The Underdogs With a Puncher’s Chance
The eight road teams all have to win in someone else’s ballpark, which is why they’re the longer shots. But a few are dangerous: Mississippi State might be a top-five team on pure talent and just got an unlucky draw at Georgia; USC is playing with house money and a scalding offense; Oregon‘s arms travel well. And then there’s St. John’s and Little Rock, the two Cinderella four-seeds — Little Rock, fun fact, was the only team to beat eventual champion LSU in last year’s postseason. Both are two wins from Omaha. Nobody expected them here, which is exactly why nobody should count them out in a tournament that has torched every expectation so far.
Draft Stock on the Line
Super regionals aren’t just about Omaha — they’re a live audition. With the MLB Draft coming in July, scouts will be locked in on a deep group of prospects this weekend. A few names worth knowing:
- Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama — A three-year standout whose bat has heated up at the right time. Mocks have him going somewhere in the top 10–15, and a deep Tide run could push him higher. Notably, the UCLA shortstop now favored to go first overall will be watching from home after the Bruins’ early exit.
- Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia — Did something no one in SEC history had done before: a 25-homer, 25-steal season. That kind of power-speed combo behind the plate is exactly what makes scouts lean forward.
- Mason Edwards, LHP, USC — The Big Ten’s best arm and the national strikeout leader, riding an unbeaten season with a sub-2.00 ERA. A late-blooming velocity story who now sits mid-90s with a nasty curve.
- Carson Tinney & Aiden Robbins, Texas — Tinney, a Buster Posey Award finalist, and Robbins both crushed 20-plus homers in their first SEC seasons. The Longhorns’ lineup has real draft-board juice.
- Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss — A sophomore-eligible arm with a deep bag of power breaking balls; likely to start Game 2 at Auburn with his stock on the line.
- Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State — Back-to-back 20-homer seasons and a strong showing with the wood bat on the Cape. He’ll share a marquee stage with Georgia‘s flamethrowing transfer Joey Volchko in the Athens series.
Watch closely and you might be watching a future first-rounder before he ever signs a pro contract.
The Eight Super Regionals at a Glance
- Morgantown: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Cal Poly
- Lawrence: No. 15 Kansas vs. Oklahoma
- Troy: Troy vs. Little Rock
- Tuscaloosa: No. 7 Alabama vs. St. John’s
- Chapel Hill: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Southern California
- Austin: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Oregon
- Auburn: No. 4 Auburn vs. Ole Miss
- Athens: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 14 Mississippi State
When and Where to Watch
Super regionals run Friday, June 5 through Monday, June 8, each a best-of-three series carried across the ESPN networks. Start dates are staggered, so some teams could punch their Omaha ticket before others even finish Game 2. Here’s the slate (all times ET; Game 3s are if-necessary):
- Morgantown — West Virginia vs. Cal Poly: Fri 12 p.m. (ESPN2), Sat 12 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Troy — Troy vs. Little Rock: Fri 5 p.m. (ESPNU), Sat 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Chapel Hill — North Carolina vs. USC: Fri 3 p.m. (ESPN2), Sat 2 p.m. (ESPN)
- Auburn — Auburn vs. Ole Miss: Fri 8 p.m. (ESPN2), Sat 5 p.m. (ESPN)
- Athens — Georgia vs. Mississippi State: Sat 11 a.m. (ESPN), Sun 12 p.m. (ESPN)
- Lawrence — Kansas vs. Oklahoma: Sat 6 p.m. (ESPN2), Sun 6 p.m.
- Tuscaloosa — Alabama vs. St. John’s: Sat 9 p.m. (ESPN2), Sun 3 p.m.
- Austin — Texas vs. Oregon: Sat 8 p.m. (ESPN), Sun 9 p.m. (ESPN)
The eight winners head to Omaha, where the Men’s College World Series opens Friday, June 12 at Charles Schwab Field, building toward a best-of-three championship series the following weekend.
The bracket has already thrown out the script once. Eight more series, and we’ll know which eight teams get to write the next chapter in Omaha.
Buckle up. Three-game series, no margin for error, and a tournament that has already proven it owes nothing to the favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the 2026 college baseball super regionals start? The super regional round runs Friday, June 5 through Monday, June 8, 2026. Start dates are staggered across the eight sites, so some series open Friday and others Saturday.
How many teams are in the super regionals? Sixteen teams remain, paired into eight best-of-three series. The eight winners advance to the College World Series.
Which teams made the 2026 super regionals? West Virginia, Cal Poly, Troy, Little Rock, North Carolina, USC, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, Mississippi State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, St. John’s, Texas, and Oregon.
Where and when is the 2026 College World Series? The Men’s College World Series begins Friday, June 12, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, with the best-of-three championship series the following weekend.
Who is favored to reach Omaha? The host SEC and ACC heavyweights — led by Alabama and Georgia — hold the clearest paths, but a wildly unpredictable bracket has already eliminated the entire 2025 College World Series field and both of the top two overall national seeds.
How can I watch the super regionals? Every series airs across the ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU). See the full schedule with game times above.
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