The 2024 Kansas Jayhawks’ baseball season has sadly come to a close, following a competitive run to the Big 12 conference tournament semifinals yet missing an at-large bid. Still, spirits are high around the program, which has taken strides in Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald’s second year. For the Hawks to be a competitive baseball program, in conjunction with its improvements on the gridiron under Lance Leipold and its sustained basketball excellence, will be an exciting thing to keep track of in the coming years.
Still, even without Kansas in the 64-team field, the NCAA baseball tournament is a great and very underrated event. The double-elimination format works for the sport, but it shares a lot in common with the more-famous basketball version. A large array of schools–large and small–from different conferences each having a dream to do something special. High leverage moments, do-or-die situations which test the mental and physical fortitude of the athletes. Unpredictable results, with upsets lurking around the corner with the champion having to win multiple tough games to take home the trophy. By the time the College World Series gets around, the tournament has already had great moments. The first games will begin this Friday (May 31) and by next Monday the final 16 should be set.
When it comes to the field, here are the overall ranks of the programs which made this year’s tournament, coming into the tournament.
- Texas – 1
- LSU – 5
- Oklahoma State – 6
- Florida State – 7
- Arizona – 8
- South Carolina – 11
- Florida – 12
- Oklahoma – 13
- Mississippi State – 14
- Clemson – 15
- North Carolina – 16
- Oregon State – 18
- Arkansas – 19
- Vanderbilt – 22
- Texas A&M – 23
- Fresno State – 25
- St. John’s – 26
- Virginia – 31
- Georgia Tech – 32
- Alabama – 33
- Wake Forest – 37
- North Carolina State – 38
- Georgia – 39
- Tennessee – 46
- Connecticut – 47
- Western Michigan – 50
- East Carolina – 53
- Coastal Carolina – 55
- Oral Roberts – 59
- Tulane – 65
- Nebraska – 69
- Louisiana-Lafayette – 72
- Duke – 73
- Illinois – 81
- Southern Mississippi – 84
- West Virginia – 86
- UC Irvine – 87
- UC Santa Barbara – 90
- Oregon – 92
- Stetson – 93
- Indiana State – 95
- Kentucky – 114
- Dallas Baptist – 115
- Louisiana Tech – 120
- Indiana – 124
- James Madison – 125
- Central Florida – 127
- Virginia Commonwealth – 131
- UNC Wilmington – 146
- San Diego – 165
- Penn – 166
- Kansas State – 171
- Grambling State – 213
- Army – 219
- Evansville – 223
- Long Island – 224
- Nicholls State – 227
- Southeast Missouri State – 239
- Bryant – 255
- Grand Canyon – 281
- Wofford – 284
- Niagara – 292
- High Point – 292
- Northern Kentucky – 292
Of this year’s field, Texas is the best historic program (at #1) to make the tournament, however neither 2, 3, nor 4 made it. Texas is not having a great season either as it is a 3-seed (which is equivalent to a 9-12 seed in basketball).
Florida State, the #7 program all time, has famously never won a College World Series despite making it to Omaha 23 times. Is this the year the Seminoles finally reverse the curse? #15 Clemson and #16 North Carolina are trying to do the same.
East Carolina, #53 all time, is the best program in the field to never make the CWS. The Pirates are the final 1-seed in the 2024 baseball tournament, so they will host a regional and have a decent shot to get to Omaha. Kentucky, the second overall 1-seed this year, is #114 and has never made a CWS either. The Wildcats have an ever better chance of achieving this milestone for its baseball program.
Oral Roberts, the #59 overall program and Cinderella darlings from a season ago, are trying to make it back to Omaha. They will stay in state and play in the Norman regional. One difference is that the Eagles have a far worse record this season than they did last year, when they were under-seeded given their regular-season success in 2023.
There are three programs making their debut appearances in the college baseball tournament… Niagara, High Point, and Northern Kentucky. High Point is making its debut in the postseason at the D-1 level of any of the big 3 collegiate sports. The Panthers have been close to making the Big Dance in basketball (they are a relatively recent D-1 program), but they finally broke the seal in baseball.
Charting the Hawks 