SEC ties record with 10 teams in NCAA baseball tourney

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — A record-tying 10 Southeastern Conference baseball teams have been selected to compete for the 2023 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, according to an announcement Monday by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.

Florida was selected as the No. 2 overall seed, while Arkansas is No. 3, LSU is No. 5, Vanderbilt No. 6, Kentucky No. 12, Auburn No. 13, South Carolina No. 15 and Alabama No. 16. Tennessee and Texas A&M also earned bids. The SEC led all conferences with 10 selections.

This marks the fourth time that 10 SEC teams have earned NCAA Tournament bids. Ten teams were also selected in 2014, 2018 and 2019. A record eight SEC teams were named among 16 NCAA Regional hosts.

The top eight national seeds in order are Wake Forest, Florida, Arkansas, Clemson, LSU, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Stanford. Seeds 9-16 in order are Miami, Coastal Carolina, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Auburn, Indiana State, South Carolina and Alabama.

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be played Friday, June 2 to Monday, June 5 (if necessary). Regional winners will advance to best-of-three Super Regionals, with those eight winners advancing to the College World Series.

The 76th Men’s College World Series begins play Friday, June 16 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, Neb. The SEC has claimed eight national titles by six different teams since 2009, including three in the last three tournaments. Seven SEC teams have finished runner-up and there have been three SEC vs. SEC College World Series finals during that period.

Opening games, Friday, June 2

Lexington Regional — Kentucky vs. Ball State, Noon ET

Baton Rouge Regional — LSU vs. Tulane, 3 p.m. ET

Fayetteville (Ark.) Regional — Arkansas vs. Santa Clara, 3 p.m. ET

Gainesville Regional — Florida vs. Florida A&M, 5:30 p.m. ET

Clemson Regional — Tennessee vs. Charlotte, 6 p.m. ET

Auburn Regional — Auburn vs. Penn, 7 p.m. ET

Columbia (S.C.) Regional — South Carolina vs. Central Connecticut, 7 p.m. ET

Tuscaloosa Regional — Alabama vs. Nicholls, 7 p.m. ET.

Nashville Regional — Vanderbilt vs. Eastern Illinois, 8 p.m. ET

Stanford Regional — Texas A&M vs. Cal-Fullerton, 10 p.m. ET