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2026 NCAA Baseball Bracket Revealed; Jacksonville State Upsets Auburn

5/28/2026

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Summary

NCAA Unveils Bracket

The NCAA 2026 Baseball Tournament bracket was unveiled with games beginning Friday.
Selections used RPI, which omitted Mercer (No. 28) and Pittsburgh (No. 39).
Regional RPI averages range from 37.75 to 82.
Winners advance to Super Regionals the following weekend.
Jacksonville State (46-13, No. 25 RPI) beat Auburn twice, including a 15-4 mercy win, while UC Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora (1.05 ERA, 124 strikeouts) defeated Oregon and USC.

Summary

Bracket Sparks Controversy

Kentucky's inclusion was called the bracket's most controversial part despite its RPI No. 37.
Mississippi State, with an RPI No. 13, faced host-role questions but ultimately hosted.
Kansas earned the worst host RPI at No. 19 after winning the Big 12 regular season.
South Dakota State entered as the lowest-ranked team at RPI No. 239.
Saint Mary’s secured a 4-seed with an RPI of No. 140, showing the tournament’s wide seed quality range.

History

Historical Context

1975 marked the NCAA’s first regional format, with eight four-team double-elimination regionals feeding the College World Series. That structure laid the groundwork for the 1999 expansion to 64 teams and the four-team regional-to-best-of-three super-regional system, while the 2003 best-of-three championship series further shaped today’s 2026 tournament, and the double-elimination format remains a hallmark of the College World Series.

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NCAA Unveils Bracket

The NCAA 2026 Baseball Tournament bracket was unveiled with games beginning Friday.
Selections used RPI, which omitted Mercer (No. 28) and Pittsburgh (No. 39).
Regional RPI averages range from 37.75 to 82.
Winners advance to Super Regionals the following weekend.
Jacksonville State (46-13, No. 25 RPI) beat Auburn twice, including a 15-4 mercy win, while UC Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora (1.05 ERA, 124 strikeouts) defeated Oregon and USC.

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