NEW ORLEANS, La. — For the third-straight season and sixth time since 2000, four Sun Belt baseball programs will represent the conference in NCAA Baseball Regionals from May 31-June 3. The Sun Belt has been a multi-bid conference in 29-of-35 seasons since 1989.
The Sun Belt is 1-of-4 conferences with four-or-more teams in the NCAA field, joining the SEC, ACC and Big 12.
Sun Belt regular-season champion Louisiana (40-18) is headed to the Bryan-College Station Regional at Blue Bell Park. The Ragin’ Cajuns will open their 19th all-time NCAA appearance—and third-straight—against Texas (35-22) at 6:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CT on Friday, May 31, on ESPNU. Texas A&M (44-13) and SWAC tournament champion Grambling (26-26) will also compete in College Station, Texas.
Back-to-back Sun Belt tournament champion Southern Miss (41-18) is bound for the Knoxville Regional at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Golden Eagles, who are making their 20th all-time NCAA appearance and eighth-straight, will square off against Indiana (32-24-1) in their regional opener at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT on Friday, May 31, on ESPN+. SEC regular-season and tournament champion Tennessee (50-11) and Horizon League tournament champion Northern Kentucky (35-22) will also compete in Knoxville, Tenn.
Coastal Carolina (34-23) is headed to the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingmore Stadium. The Chanticleers will commence their 20th all-time NCAA appearance—and their fifth over the last six events—against Vanderbilt (38-20) at 12:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. CT on Friday, May 31, on ESPN2. Clemson (41-14) and Big South tournament champion High Point (34-25) will also compete in Clemson, S.C.
James Madison (34-23) is bound for the Raleigh Regional at Doak Field. The Dukes, who will be making their ninth all-time NCAA appearance and their first since 2011, will face South Carolina (36-23) in their regional opener at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT on Friday, May 31, on ESPN+. NC State (33-20) and America East regular-season and tournament champion Bryant (36-19) will also compete in Raleigh.
The winner of each double-elimination regional tournament will compete in NCAA Super Regionals from June 7-10, with the Super Regional victors advancing to the 2024 College World Series in Omaha, Neb., from June 14-24.
First appeared on sunbeltsports.org