College Baseball Conference Tournaments Heat Up Ahead of NCAA Regionals

The 2026 college baseball conference tournaments are underway across the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten, shaping automatic NCAA bids and at-large prospects. Arkansas erased LSU’s early 1-0 lead to win 2-1 in the SEC semifinals, while Georgia rallied past Florida 8-7 to set a title game against Arkansas. In the ACC, Georgia Tech secured a 9-3 victory over Miami and will meet North Carolina, fresh from a 13-5 win over Pittsburgh. Kansas captured its first conference title in 20 years with a 9-0 triumph over West Virginia. In the Big Ten, Oregon advanced past Washington 9-4 and shut out Nebraska 8-0, earning a championship matchup with UCLA, which posted a 4-3 win over Purdue and a 7-5 win over USC. The SEC’s new ABS system is also being monitored.

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The SEC, ACC and Big 12 each use single-elimination brackets, while the Big Ten employs a double-elimination format for the first three days before switching to single-elimination for the quarterfinals and beyond. These structures determine each conference’s automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament. The SEC’s new ABS (automated base-stealing) system was introduced this season.

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Arkansas’ comeback featured an RBI by Cam Kozeal and a solo home run from Ryder Helfrick. Kansas secured its first conference title in two decades with a dominant 9-0 win over West Virginia. Oregon posted 9-4 and 8-0 victories over Washington and Nebraska, respectively. UCLA’s path included narrow 4-3 and 7-5 wins over Purdue and USC, while Mulivai Levu delivered a walk-off home run for Oregon in a 7-5 win over USC. Georgia’s 8-7 win over Florida and Georgia Tech’s 9-3 triumph over Miami also stood out.

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The 15 reported games produced 132 runs, averaging 8.8 runs per contest. Combined margins total 60 runs, an average margin of 4.0. Kansas’ 9-0 shutout over West Virginia is the largest margin; six games were decided by a single run.

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• Thursday – Washington 7-1 over Michigan; Purdue 8-1 over Iowa.

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• Friday – Ohio State 3-2 over Rutgers; Michigan State 4-3 over Iowa; Michigan 3-0 over Ohio State.

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• Saturday – Oregon 9-4 over Washington; Oregon 8-0 over Nebraska; UCLA 4-3 over Purdue; UCLA 7-5 over USC.

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• Sunday – Championship games: UCLA vs. Oregon at 3 p.m.; SEC final Arkansas vs. Georgia; ACC final Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina.

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The conference outcomes determine automatic NCAA bids for Kansas (Big 12), Arkansas (SEC), Georgia Tech (ACC) and the eventual Big Ten champion (UCLA or Oregon). Teams eliminated early, such as LSU, Florida and West Virginia, must rely on at-large selections, where recent performance and strength of schedule will be evaluated by the selection committee.

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Sunday will host three finals: the SEC title (Arkansas vs. Georgia), the ACC title (Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina) and the Big Ten championship (UCLA vs. Oregon at 3 p.m.). Winners earn automatic NCAA tournament berths, while the remaining field will be finalized when regional brackets are announced next week.

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Two sources differ on the 7-5 victory over USC: one attributes the win and a walk-off home run by Mulivai Levu to Oregon, while another lists UCLA as the 7-5 victor. The article lacks venue details, exact game times (aside from the Big Ten final), and official statements from conference officials.

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