| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 64 |
| Finals site | |
| Champions | Mississippi State (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Vanderbilt (5th CWS Appearance) |
| Winning coach | Chris Lemonis (1st title) |
| MOP | Will Bednar (Mississippi State) |
The 2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was the 74th edition of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. The 64-team tournament began on Friday, June 4, 2021, as part of the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season and concluded with the 2021 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, which started on June 19 and ended on June 30.[1] Mississippi State defeated Vanderbilt in the best-of-three final series to win their first national championship in program history.
The 64 participating NCAA Division I college baseball teams were selected out of an eligible 299 teams. There were 30[a] teams awarded an automatic bid as champions of their conferences, and 34 teams were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. Teams were divided into sixteen regionals of four teams, each of which conducted a double-elimination tournament. Regional champions then faced each other in Super Regionals, a best-of-three game series, to determine the eight participants in the College World Series.[1]
Grand Canyon,[3] NJIT,[4] Norfolk State[5] and Presbyterian[6] made their NCAA tournament debuts after winning their first conference tournaments in program history. Nevada qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2000,[7] Rider qualified for the first time since 2010[8] and Charlotte qualified for the first time since 2011.[9] Auburn and Louisville were the lone teams from the 2019 College World Series field to fail to qualify.
- ^ a b "Baseball Division I Championship". NCAA. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ Adams, Susan (February 18, 2021). "The Ivy League Cancels Spring 2021 Sports". Forbes. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ Obert, Richard (May 30, 2021). "Tyler Wilson's 9th-inning single sends Grand Canyon into the NCAA Division I baseball tournament for first time". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
GCU (39-19-1) rallied from a 4–1 deficit to reach the NCAA Division I baseball tournament for the first time in its history.
- ^ Rubin, Roger (May 30, 2021). "SBU baseball doesn't get chance to play for NCAA tournament". Newsday. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
With a full day of rain in the forecast, the conference and game officials decided to end the tournament without crowning a champion. As a result, the Highlanders – not the Seawolves – will get the bid.
- ^ Nimmo, Ray (May 22, 2021). "Norfolk State wins first MEAC baseball title with 11th-inning walk-off". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Morris, Julia (May 29, 2021). "Presbyterian baseball team wins first Big South Championship in program history". WYFF. Fayetteville, North Carolina. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
Presbyterian recorded the baseball program's first Big South Championship
- ^ Moran, Kirsten (May 29, 2021). "'It's been a long road coming.' Nevada baseball family members react to MW title". Nevada Sports Net. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
The Wolf Pack also earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals for the first time in twenty one years.
- ^ "Baseball Draws Louisiana Tech in NCAA tournament Regional". gobroncs.com. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
The Broncs are making their first appearance in the tournament since the 2010 season.
- ^ "Baseball Earns #2 Seed for Greenville Regional Opening Friday". charlotte49ers.com. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
The 49ers, earning a #2 seed becoming the highest-ever in program history and second overall at-large bid, get the invite from the NCAA for the first time since 2011.
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