College Softball News

NCAA Tournament Projections 3.0

By Eric Lopez

Posted on May 2, 2018

May 13, 2018, is selection Sunday for the Division I NCAA Tournament.

Here is how the field may look if the season ended today.

Conference Rankings (Based on RPI)

1. SEC
2. Pac-12
3. Big 12
4. American
5. ACC
6. ASUN
7. Big Ten
8. Sun Belt
9. Big West
10. CAA

Below is a breakdown by conference on who I believe would be in the NCAA Tournament field if the season ended today.

(#) RPI ranking of each team, (*) wins the automatic bid.

• ACC (2)– *Florida State (6), Notre Dame (42)
• American (3):  * USF (43),  Wichita State (31), Houston (44)
• Big East (1) * DePaul
• Big 12 (4):  *Oklahoma(4), Baylor (15),  Oklahoma State (28),  Texas (34)
• Big Ten (5):  *Michigan (32), Nebraska (36), Ohio State (30) Minnesota (25), Northwestern (35),
• Pac-12 (7):   *Oregon (1), UCLA (2),Washington (5)  Arizona State (7), Arizona (12), Oregon State (21), California (29)
• SEC (13):   *Florida (3), Georgia (8) Tennessee (9),South Carolina (10), LSU (13), Texas AM (11), Auburn (17),  Arkansas (18), Mississippi State (20), Kentucky (14), Alabama (16),  Missouri (23), Ole Miss (37)
• A-10 (1): *UMass
• America East (1): *UMass-Lowell
• A-Sun (2): *Kennesaw State (39), Florida Gulf Coast (38)
• Big Sky (1): *Weber State
• Big South (1): *Liberty (33)
• Big West (2):  *Cal State Fullerton (49), Long Beach State (19)
• CAA (2):  *James Madison (24), Hofstra (26)
• C-USA (1) : * Louisiana Tech
• Horizon (1):  *Illinois-Chicago
• Ivy (1):  *Dartmouth
• MAAC (1): *Monmouth
• MAC (1):  *Ohio
• MEAC (1):  *Morgan State
• MVC (1):  *Drake (41)
• MWC (1): * Fresno State
• NEC (1): * Saint Francis
• OVC (1): * Eastern Kentucky
• Patriot( 1): *  Boston U
• Southern (1): *UNCG (47)
• Southland (1):  *Nicholls State
• Summit (1): * North Dakota State (56)
• Sun Belt (2): * Texas State (27), Louisiana Lafayette (22)
• SWAC (1):  * Texas Southern
• WAC (1):  *New Mexico State
• WCC (1): * BYU (55)

Last four In

1. Missouri (23)
2. Ole Miss (37)
3. Texas (35)
4. Nebraska (36)

First six out

1. Louisville (39)
2. Wisconsin  (51)
3. Tulsa (52)
4. Boston College (53)
5. McNeese State (48)
6. San Jose State (45)

Bubble Teams
(School | Record vs Top 100 | Record vs Top 50 | Notable Wins)

• Missouri (15-24) (10-20): LSU, Miss State, Georgia, Auburn twice, Arkansas, USF twice
• Northwestern (18-12) (10-8): Alabama, Minnesota twice, Nebraska twice, Ohio St twice, Houston
• Ohio State  (17-7) (8-4) : Wichita State twice, Texas, Louisville twice, Cal State Fullerton
• Houston (18-14) (7-9): Ole Miss, Texas, Wichita State twice, USF, UCF, Tulsa twice
• Wichita State (18-17) (7-10): Nebraska twice, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma State twice, Houston, Tulsa
• UCF (13-14) (6-9): Florida, Long Beach State, Hofstra, Houston twice, Tulsa Three times, USF
• Notre Dame (17-17) (7-8): Minnesota twice, Michigan, Louisville 3 times, Boston College
• Ole Miss (7-18) (7-20): Oregon, Texas, South Carolina, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Miss State
• Boston College (15-19) (6-13): Florida State, Texas State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Notre Dame twice
• Nebraska (12-17) (5-12): Texas A&M, Wichita State, Northwestern, Boston College, Tulsa
• Tulsa (17-22) (6-13): Oklahoma State twice, Wichita State twice, USF, Houston
• California (12-13) (6-12): Long Beach State, Oregon State
• Texas (16-18) (5-17) : Arizona, Texas State, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Houston
• Florida Gulf Coast (11-13) (6-7): USF twice, Hofstra, Kennesaw State
• Wisconsin (14-16) (7-11): Auburn, Ohio State, Texas, Nebraska  3 times.
• Lipscomb (8-10) (4-6): Ole Miss, Louisville, Houston, Florida Gulf Coast
• FIU (13-16) (4-7) : South Carolina, Florida, FGCU twice
• Longwood (9-6) (4-2) : James Madison, California, Liberty twice
• Illinois (11-13) ( 3-6): Missouri twice, Northwestern
• McNeese State (8-11) (3-7) : Florida State, Baylor, Arkansas
• Louisville (14-16) (2-11) :  Northwestern twice, Boston College 3 times.
• San Jose State (9-13) (2-7): Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton

Host Projections/ Top 50 records/ Top 25 records

1-Oregon (26-7)

2-UCLA (23-2)

3-Florida (25-6)

4- Oklahoma (15-2)

5- Arizona State (21-8)

6-Washington (19-8)

7- Georgia (20-7)

8- Florida State (17-7)

9- Tennessee (20-9)

10- Texas A&M (19-11)

11-South Carolina (19-9)

12- Arizona (16-13)

13- LSU (16-12)

14-Auburn (16-13)

15- Arkansas (13-11)

16- Alabama (11-17)

 In The Mix to Host  

Baylor (9-12)

Oklahoma State (10-10)

Kentucky (9-15)