College Baseball 2008: The Road To Omaha Starts Here...Maybe

Here is a look at some of the projections for the Regional sites:

ESPN.com’s Field of 64 Predictions for 5-5-08

Coral Gables Regional: Miami (#1 national seed), Florida, Washington State, Bethune-Cookman

Ann Arbor Regional: San Diego, Michigan, Notre Dame, Wright State

Tempe Regional: Arizona State (#2 national seed), UC Irvine, Houston, Canisius

Fullerton Regional: Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, UCLA, Army

Cary Regional: North Carolina (#3 national seed), UNC Wilmington, Missouri, College of Charleston

Columbia Regional: South Carolina, Virginia, Elon, Charlotte

Tallahassee Regional: Florida State (#4 national seed), Southern Miss, Oregon State, Monmouth

Baton Rouge Regional: Coastal Carolina, LSU, New Orleans, Southern

Athens Regional: Georgia (#5 national seed), Georgia Tech, Tulane, Jacksonville State

Greenville Regional: NC State, East Carolina, Kentucky, Stony Brook

Houston Regional: Rice (#6 national seed), Mississippi, Texas, Dartmouth

Stillwater Regional: Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Oral Roberts, Louisiana-Monroe

Lincoln Regional: Nebraska (#7 national seed), Wichita State, TCU, Kent State

Palo Alto Regional: Stanford, Long Beach State, UC Davis, Fresno State

College Station Regional: Texas A&M (#8 national seed), Arizona, Dallas Baptist, UTSA

Nashville Regional: Vanderbilt, California, St. John's, Lipscomb

Rivals.com’s Field of 64 Predictions for 5-5-08

CORAL GABLES REGIONAL

Host: Miami

1. Miami (1) 2. Florida 3. Elon 4. Columbia  

COLUMBIA REGIONAL

Host: South Carolina

1. South Carolina 2. Georgia Tech 3. Houston 4. Furman

TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL

Host: Florida State

1. Florida State (2) 2. Texas 3. New Orleans 4. Army

ATHENS REGIONAL

Host: Georgia

1. Georgia 2. Southern Miss 3. Missouri 4. Bethune-Cookman

CARY REGIONAL

Host: North Carolina

1. North Carolina (3) 2. UNC Wilmington 3. Kentucky 4. Duquesne

GREENVILLE REGIONAL

Host: East Carolina

1. East Carolina 2. Virginia 3. St. John’s 4. Kent State

TEMPE REGIONAL

Host: Arizona State

1. Arizona State (4) 2. Pepperdine 3. Long Beach State 4. Monmouth

IRVINE REGIONAL

Host: UC Irvine

1. UC Irvine 2. San Diego 3. UCLA 4. Texas-San Antonio

COLLEGE STATION REGIONAL

Host: Texas A&M

1. Texas A&M (5) 2. TCU 3. Alabama 4. Stony Brook

BATON ROUGE REGIONAL

Host: LSU

1. Coastal Carolina 2. LSU 3. Tulane 4. Louisiana-Monroe

HOUSTON REGIONAL

Host: Rice

1. Rice (6) 2. Cal 3. Dallas Baptist 4. Jackson State

PALO ALTO REGIONAL

Host: Stanford

1. Stanford 2. Vanderbilt 3. UC Davis 4. Fresno State

LINCOLN REGIONAL

Host: Nebraska

1. Nebraska (7) 2. Wichita State 3. Arkansas 4. Illinois-Chicago

FULLERTON REGIONAL

Host: Cal State Fullerton

1. Cal State Fullerton 2. Oregon State 3. Santa Clara 4. Jacksonville State

STILLWATER REGIONAL

Host: Oklahoma State

1. Oklahoma State (8) 2. Arizona 3. Oral Roberts 4. Lipscomb

RALEIGH REGIONAL

Host: N.C. State

1. N.C. State 2. Michigan 3. Ole Miss 4. Canisius

This Week in the SEC:

The road to Hoover may get a little straighter after the second to last weekend before the SEC tournament begins.  Here is a look at possible rooting interests in each game. 

Kentucky @ Tennessee:  The team to win this series will hold the tie-breaker and better secure themselves a spot in the tournament.  A sweep would be huge for either team, it would also likely make some room for a third western division team to get into the tourney.  Both teams will likely be pulling against both Alabama and Ole Miss.  These two teams currently hold the sixth and seventh seed respectively.  It would be easier for the winner of this series to overtake one of them, rather than say a South Carolina or Florida team whom holds a two game lead over them in the current tourney seedings.

LSU hosts Mississippi State:  The Tigers are looking to build on their nine game win streak and send Alex Box Stadium out with series win.  The Tigers are also hoping to widen their current half game lead in the western division.  The Tigers will be rooting against both Ole Miss and Alabama in hopes of widening the gap.  The Bulldogs must win four of their last six to stay mathematically available for the SEC tourney.  A sweep by the Tigers over the Bulldogs would eliminate any chances for a SEC tourney bid.  The Bulldogs will be more focused on their play, but they will also be pulling against all the SEC western division teams.

Alabama hosts Florida:  Alabama will be pulling against LSU and Arkansas.  The Tide is currently a half game out of first in the SEC west, so any LSU losses combined with victories will help Alabama regain their western division lead.  Florida will be pulling for Arkansas, in hopes of moving ahead of South Carolina.  A Kentucky or Tennessee sweep would be a nice insurance policy for the Gators.

Arkansas hosts South Carolina:  Arkansas will be pulling for the Gators to gain some ground on Alabama. A Mississippi State victory wouldn’t be so bad either.  South Carolina will be pulling for the current leader of the SEC East, Georgia, to help move ahead of second place Vanderbilt.  A Kentucky or Tennessee sweep would also be nice for the Gamecocks for the reasons mentioned above.

Auburn @ Ole Miss:  Auburn will be pulling for Mississippi State since their final series will be against LSU.  Auburn won’t have a problem pulling against Alabama, in hopes of catching up with the Tide.  Ole Miss will have similar rooting interests, even though it will be tougher for Rebel fans to root for the Bulldogs.

Georgia @ Vanderbilt:  Georgia will be rooting for Arkansas and Alabama, in hopes of widening their current three game lead for first in the SEC east.  The Commodores will have similar rooting interests, keeping Florida and South Carolina off of their heels.

Current SEC Tournament Seedings:

1. Georgia

2. LSU

3. Vanderbilt (beat SC 2 of 3)

4. South Carolina (beat Florida 2 of 3)

5. Florida

6. Alabama (beat Ole Miss 2 of 3)

7. Ole Miss

T8. Kentucky (plays Tenn. this weekend)

T8. Tennessee (plays Kent. this weekend)