Sizing Up Nebraska Baseball NCAA Tournament Probabilities

The Nebraska Baseball team should be safely in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers who sit at 45th in the latest live RPI, are the Big Ten Champions from the regular season. They have a healthy strength of schedule, and a respectable record of 13-12-1 against the RPI top 100.

Both Baseball America and D1Baseball have the Huskers in the postseason, albeit in different places.

Baseball America has the Huskers traveling to Baton Rouge to play in a regional hosted by Louisiana State. The Huskers are a projected two seed, playing as the home team against a quality Southeastern Louisiana team. Closing out the projected regional would be Marist taking on LSU.

College Sports Madness, a lesser known publication has the Huskers as one of the last teams in the field. They project the Huskers as a three seed in the Fayetteville regional hosted by Arkansas. College Sports Madness also projects Texas to make this regional as the Huskers opponent. UNC-Greensboro finishes this projected region against the home Hogs.

D1Baseball projects the Huskers to head to Louisville to take on Southeastern Louisiana as well. Louisville and Ohio University round out this projected regional. Louisville and Nebraska would be a good contest for the Huskers. Louisville has dropped four of their last five contest, including one against Indiana.

Out of all three of those projections, avoiding LSU would be best for Nebraska. LSU has the arms to make very quick work of the Huskers. Southeastern Louisiana has the bats to make things interesting in that regional as well.

Fayetteville could be a decent place to go for the Huskers. Nebraska and Texas would be a contest that would get both sides excited. The Huskers did play Arkansas earlier this season, losing 15-5. Sending the Huskers for a potential rematch does not make a whole lot of sense.

An intriguing option would be for the Huskers to be sent to Houston. Houston was one of the last regional hosts announced, and could make for a competitive regional. Nebraska, as even a three seed could have a possible matchup with Texas and a date with the winner of Texas Southern and Houston. A path is easier to see through that regional.

Fort Worth or Lubbock could be two other places where the Huskers could end up. Either of those would be tough, even though Texas Tech and TCU both suffered earlier than anticipated exits in the Big 12 Tournament.

If for some reason the Huskers were to miss the NCAA Tournament, it would be a stunning blow. There were several bids stolen by league’s who were predicted to get one team in the NCAA Tournament, but will now be two bid leagues.

Iowa stole the bid in the Big Ten. Rice won the Conference USA bid, stealing it and finishing the year at just 31-30. Oklahoma State stole the Big 12 bid, Xavier stole the Big East, and Dallas Baptist stole the Missouri Valley bid as well.

The Huskers, even though a lower RPI team than Indiana, Maryland, and Michigan do have some advantages over each of those teams. The Huskers own series wins over Indiana and Maryland. The Huskers also were a hot team down the stretch compared to both Maryland and Michigan.

Indiana has a RPI of 26, leading them to most likely be safe. Michigan has racked up 42 wins, and even though they went 0-2 in the Big Ten Tournament, they are most likely safe. Maryland on the other hand, went 3-2 in the Big Ten Tournament and should feel the most pressure.

The Big Ten is most likely a four team league, with Maryland on the outside looking in. D1 has Maryland out, with Nebraska safely in.