SelectionSunday
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Below are the 33 at-large selections + a dozen tournament-eligible teams that ended up on the wrong side of the bubble. First is their record vs. the entire 64-team field, second is their non-conference record vs. tournament-qualifying teams.
Obviously, it’s quite often difficult comparing apples to oranges instead of apples to apples, but the idea here is to show which teams played challenging overall schedules, which teams challenged themselves outside of conference play, and most importantly, how they performed when they DID PLAY quality competition (read: tournament-caliber teams).
The numbers are not very kind to some of the at-large teams selected (Gonzaga, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest), while others (Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon State) appeared to have gotten the shaft from the Selection Committee. Nebraska and Oklahoma State, especially, I challenge any college baseball fan to look at their resumes and tell me with a straight face they deserved an at-large bid.
Nebraska, for example, only played 5 games vs. NCAA qualifiers (winning 2), and the last one they played was @ Long Beach State on March 5 (completing a series they lost, by the way). That's less games vs. NCAA qualifiers than any other at-large team in the field. Not to mention, the Cornhuskers didn't play either the B1G's regular season (Gophers) or tournament (Ohio State) champion.
Sorry but in this day & age of unbalanced conference schedules where you don't play everyone, conference records (Huskers were 16-8 in B1G) just shouldn't carry the same weight, especially with examples like Nebraska where a team played only 3 of the other 7 conference tournament qualifiers. Yes, schools don't control their conference schedules, but that doesn't mean you can't get punished for having a weak(er) one. The 'Huskers clearly got a gift from the Selection Committee. I hope they take advantage and represent the B1G well.
Tearms are listed in order of winning percentage vs. NCAA qualifiers.
Record vs. Field of 64 (Overall)
#14 Texas Tech (13-5, 72.2%)
#24 UCSB (9-4, 69.2%)
#2 Louisville (22-11, 66.7%)
#3 Miami (19-10, 65.5)
#1 Florida (17-9, 65.4%)
#43 Arizona State (15-8, 65.2%)
#36 East Carolina (13-7, 65%)
#59 Maryland (11-6, 64.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#45 Oregon State (10-6, 62.5%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#31 Louisiana Tech (8-5, 61.5%)
#29 Tulane (9-6, 60%)
#55 Washington (9-6, 60%)
#13 Florida State (20-14, 58.8%)
#50 Minnesota (5-4, 55.6%)
#21 Arizona (12-10, 54.5%)
#10 NC State (19-16, 54.3%)
#18 North Carolina (19-16, 54.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#52 Long Beach State (8-7, 53.3%)
#5 Ole Miss (12-12, 50%)
#39 Boston College (12-12, 50%)
#53 BYU (7-7. 50%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#63 West Virginia (7-7, 50%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#41 South Alabama (5-5, 50%)
#17 Virginia (14-15, 48.3%)
#7 LSU (11-12, 47.8%)
#11 Mississippi State (11-12, 47.8%)
#8 South Carolina (8-9, 47.1%)
#20 Georgia Tech (15-17, 46.9%)
#23 Rice (12-14, 46.2%)
#27 FAU (6-7, 46.2%)
#9 Vanderbilt (10-12, 45.5%)
#33 NC-Wilmington (5-6, 45.5%)
#46 Creighton (5-6, 45.5%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#26 Duke (11-14, 44%)
#40 Southeastern Louisiana (5-7, 41.7%)
#48 Nebraska (2-3, 40%)
#58 Houston (9-14, 39.1%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#25 Wake Forest (10-17, 37%)
#38 Michigan (5-9, 35.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#47 Northwestern State (7-14, 33.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#60 Marshall (4-9, 30.8%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#30 Gonzaga (3-8, 27.3%)
#31 Oklahoma State (3-8, 27.3%)
Record vs. Non-Conference Opponents in Field of 64
#20 Georgia Tech (7-0, 100%)
#63 West Virginia (3-0, 100%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#1 Florida (7-1, 87.5%)
#18 North Carolina (12-2, 85.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#24 UCSB (6-1, 85.7%)
#43 Arizona State (11-3, 78.6%)
#2 Louisville (7-2, 77.8%)
#9 Vanderbilt (3-1, 75%)
#45 Oregon State (3-1, 75%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#10 NC State (7-3, 70%)
#21 Arizona (7-3)
#14 Texas Tech (8-4, 66.7%)
#5 Ole Miss (6-3, 66.7%)
#52 Long Beach State (6-3, 66.7%)
#41 South Alabama (4-2, 66.7%)
#46 Creighton (4-2, 66.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#50 Minnesota (4-2, 66.7%)
#55 Washington (4-2, 66.7%)
#31 Louisiana Tech (2-1, 66.7%)
#36 East Carolina (7-4, 63.6%)
#59 Maryland (7-4, 63.6%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#3 Miami (5-3, 62.5%)
#13 Florida State (6-4, 60%)
#29 Tulane (6-4, 60%)
#7 LSU (3-2, 60%)
#53 BYU (4-3, 57.1%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#23 Rice (7-6, 53.8%)
#11 Mississippi State (3-3, 50%)
#27 FAU (3-3, 50%)
#8 South Carolina (2-2, 50%)
#32 Oklahoma State (2-2, 50%)
#39 Boston College (2-2, 50%)
#25 Wake Forest (1-1, 50%)
#40 Southeastern Louisiana (5-6, 45.5%)
#17 Virginia (2-3, 40%)
#48 Nebraska (2-3, 40%)
#58 Houston (3-5, 37.5%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#47 Northwestern State (5-10, 33.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#30 Gonzaga (2-4, 33.3%)
#33 NC-Wilmington (2-4, 33.3%)
#26 Duke (1-2, 33.3%)
#38 Michigan (1-2, 33.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#60 Marshall (0-2, 0%) -- did not receive at-large bid
Gift At-Large Bids: #25 Wake Forest, #30 Gonzaga, #32 Oklahoma State, #48 Nebraska
Got Hosed: #18 North Carolina, #45 Oregon State, #59 Maryland
Obviously, it’s quite often difficult comparing apples to oranges instead of apples to apples, but the idea here is to show which teams played challenging overall schedules, which teams challenged themselves outside of conference play, and most importantly, how they performed when they DID PLAY quality competition (read: tournament-caliber teams).
The numbers are not very kind to some of the at-large teams selected (Gonzaga, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest), while others (Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon State) appeared to have gotten the shaft from the Selection Committee. Nebraska and Oklahoma State, especially, I challenge any college baseball fan to look at their resumes and tell me with a straight face they deserved an at-large bid.
Nebraska, for example, only played 5 games vs. NCAA qualifiers (winning 2), and the last one they played was @ Long Beach State on March 5 (completing a series they lost, by the way). That's less games vs. NCAA qualifiers than any other at-large team in the field. Not to mention, the Cornhuskers didn't play either the B1G's regular season (Gophers) or tournament (Ohio State) champion.
Sorry but in this day & age of unbalanced conference schedules where you don't play everyone, conference records (Huskers were 16-8 in B1G) just shouldn't carry the same weight, especially with examples like Nebraska where a team played only 3 of the other 7 conference tournament qualifiers. Yes, schools don't control their conference schedules, but that doesn't mean you can't get punished for having a weak(er) one. The 'Huskers clearly got a gift from the Selection Committee. I hope they take advantage and represent the B1G well.
Tearms are listed in order of winning percentage vs. NCAA qualifiers.
Record vs. Field of 64 (Overall)
#14 Texas Tech (13-5, 72.2%)
#24 UCSB (9-4, 69.2%)
#2 Louisville (22-11, 66.7%)
#3 Miami (19-10, 65.5)
#1 Florida (17-9, 65.4%)
#43 Arizona State (15-8, 65.2%)
#36 East Carolina (13-7, 65%)
#59 Maryland (11-6, 64.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#45 Oregon State (10-6, 62.5%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#31 Louisiana Tech (8-5, 61.5%)
#29 Tulane (9-6, 60%)
#55 Washington (9-6, 60%)
#13 Florida State (20-14, 58.8%)
#50 Minnesota (5-4, 55.6%)
#21 Arizona (12-10, 54.5%)
#10 NC State (19-16, 54.3%)
#18 North Carolina (19-16, 54.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#52 Long Beach State (8-7, 53.3%)
#5 Ole Miss (12-12, 50%)
#39 Boston College (12-12, 50%)
#53 BYU (7-7. 50%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#63 West Virginia (7-7, 50%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#41 South Alabama (5-5, 50%)
#17 Virginia (14-15, 48.3%)
#7 LSU (11-12, 47.8%)
#11 Mississippi State (11-12, 47.8%)
#8 South Carolina (8-9, 47.1%)
#20 Georgia Tech (15-17, 46.9%)
#23 Rice (12-14, 46.2%)
#27 FAU (6-7, 46.2%)
#9 Vanderbilt (10-12, 45.5%)
#33 NC-Wilmington (5-6, 45.5%)
#46 Creighton (5-6, 45.5%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#26 Duke (11-14, 44%)
#40 Southeastern Louisiana (5-7, 41.7%)
#48 Nebraska (2-3, 40%)
#58 Houston (9-14, 39.1%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#25 Wake Forest (10-17, 37%)
#38 Michigan (5-9, 35.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#47 Northwestern State (7-14, 33.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#60 Marshall (4-9, 30.8%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#30 Gonzaga (3-8, 27.3%)
#31 Oklahoma State (3-8, 27.3%)
Record vs. Non-Conference Opponents in Field of 64
#20 Georgia Tech (7-0, 100%)
#63 West Virginia (3-0, 100%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#1 Florida (7-1, 87.5%)
#18 North Carolina (12-2, 85.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#24 UCSB (6-1, 85.7%)
#43 Arizona State (11-3, 78.6%)
#2 Louisville (7-2, 77.8%)
#9 Vanderbilt (3-1, 75%)
#45 Oregon State (3-1, 75%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#10 NC State (7-3, 70%)
#21 Arizona (7-3)
#14 Texas Tech (8-4, 66.7%)
#5 Ole Miss (6-3, 66.7%)
#52 Long Beach State (6-3, 66.7%)
#41 South Alabama (4-2, 66.7%)
#46 Creighton (4-2, 66.7%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#50 Minnesota (4-2, 66.7%)
#55 Washington (4-2, 66.7%)
#31 Louisiana Tech (2-1, 66.7%)
#36 East Carolina (7-4, 63.6%)
#59 Maryland (7-4, 63.6%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#3 Miami (5-3, 62.5%)
#13 Florida State (6-4, 60%)
#29 Tulane (6-4, 60%)
#7 LSU (3-2, 60%)
#53 BYU (4-3, 57.1%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#23 Rice (7-6, 53.8%)
#11 Mississippi State (3-3, 50%)
#27 FAU (3-3, 50%)
#8 South Carolina (2-2, 50%)
#32 Oklahoma State (2-2, 50%)
#39 Boston College (2-2, 50%)
#25 Wake Forest (1-1, 50%)
#40 Southeastern Louisiana (5-6, 45.5%)
#17 Virginia (2-3, 40%)
#48 Nebraska (2-3, 40%)
#58 Houston (3-5, 37.5%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#47 Northwestern State (5-10, 33.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#30 Gonzaga (2-4, 33.3%)
#33 NC-Wilmington (2-4, 33.3%)
#26 Duke (1-2, 33.3%)
#38 Michigan (1-2, 33.3%) -- did not receive at-large bid
#60 Marshall (0-2, 0%) -- did not receive at-large bid
Gift At-Large Bids: #25 Wake Forest, #30 Gonzaga, #32 Oklahoma State, #48 Nebraska
Got Hosed: #18 North Carolina, #45 Oregon State, #59 Maryland