The playoff field consists of 60 teams. Forty-one Pool A bids were awarded to conference automatic qualifiers (see 2022 Playoff Central). On May 16, the national selection committee released the 19 at-large bids and here are the 60 teams in the sixteen regionals. Each regional winner will play another in the super-regional round to determinethe eight teams in the D-III World Series to be played over the first weekend in June.
Our preview of the 16 Regional Tournament:
Arcadia
- Arcadia, 2. Oswego State, 3. Elizabethtown, 4. Husson
The clear favorite is Arcadia. No travel, familiarity with the home turf are always a bonus in the postseason where every edge is important. At 21-12 nobody except the most ardent fan expected the improvement we saw this season to almost 40 wins. They will find their toughest competition in Oswego State. The Lakers scored some big wins early and scored double digit runs in 13 of their 29 wins. Elizabethtown swept through the Landmark tournament but was 5-9 entering the post season. Husson also swept through their conference tournament but are on 15-game win streak. We predict Arcadia winning the regional.
Marietta (regional website)
- Marietta, 2. Christopher Newport, 3. Mount Aloysius, 4. Kalamazoo
If Arcadia was a clear favorite in the partner regional, Marietta is nearly being granted a bye. They have been dominate all season and they have had only a couple days where they were meerly mortal. Once was after they clinched the OAC regular season title and the other in their opener. The loss in their opener came from their region-mate, Christopher Newport. Will the Captains save their ace for a potential game two with Marietta and give Jay Cassady a chance to go 2-0 over Marietta? We will know on Friday. Mount Aloysius was able to get their offense purring and might give CNU some problems. Kalamazoo has stayed under the radar most of the season and can swing the bats as well as get outs from the mound. We look for Marietta to exit the regional with expectations of hosting the winner of the Arcadia regional.
Arcadia and Marietta winners meet in the super regional.
Whitewater (Regional website)
- UW-Whitewater, 2. Aurora, 3. Augustana, 4. MSOE
UW-Whitewater stumbled in the WIAC tournament, going 2-BBQ. Don't expect to see this again. Head coach John Vodenlich will have his Warhawks ready. They will play a surprising MSOE team that is having a record setting season. Looking to add to their high water mark in wins on the season, the Raiders hope to live up to their namesake. Aurora has been up-and-down all season. After they have a cold stretch, they warm up and prove that they can beat anyone. They were never colder in the NACC tournament but you cannot keep their bats silent for long. Augustana has not seen the postseason much but they have a solid team and expereinced leadership. Aurora is our pick to make it out of the Whitewater Regional.
Stevens Point
- UW-Stevens Point, 2. North Central (Ill.), 3. Coe, 4. Lawrence
Stevens Point showed their promise last season but without a conference bid and at-large bids restricted, they never got a chance to show what they could do in the playoffs. This year they earned a pass with the WIAC title and are hosting a regional and want to show that they are back since the Pat Bloom era. Their opening game will have quite the crowd. Lawrence is just an hour away and is having a cinderella season. Both the fan bases will be expecting big things for their team. North Central will be returning to the playoffs after a well publized snub last year. They have the pitching to roll through any regional but it is catcher Rob Marinec whose impact they need the most. If he plays, this regional could be a stepping stone to greater glory. If he cannot the Cardinals might see another team move on. Coe was expected to be a top team but after a .500 start they got lost in the success of other ARC teams. The TJ's are back and the Kohawks will cause one or more teams problems this weekend. There is added motivation as Coe gets another chance to play before hometown fans in the D-III World Series as the Cedar Rapids era is coming to an end. Stevens Point is our pick to advance.
Whitewater and Stevens Point winners meet in the super regional.
Immaculata (regional website)
- Immaculata, 2. Montclair State, 3. Ithaca, 4. Keystone
When Immaculata was suggested as a regional host, there were skeptics but here we are. The Mighty Macs were a surprise last year but even with a change in coaching, kept the momentum going Their opposition on day one will be a familiar face. Now in different conferences, both Immaculata and Keystone use to see each other in the CSAC regular season. With their 17th straight conference title, the Giants hope to live up to their tradition while Immaculata wants to be Giant killers. Second seeded Montclair State and Ithaca are teams with a long tradition in the playoffs and the only teams in this regional that have World Series titles on their resume. Both the coaches from the glory days are gone but the traditions are strong. We see Montclair winning out in their regional to play the next weekend.
Shenandoah (regional website)
- Shenandoah, 2. Stevens, 3. Catholic, 4. St. Joesph's (L.I.)
Shenandoah will be showcasing their ball park upgrades this weekend. The team roster had several big hits with injuries early in the season but have not skipped a beat. They get a team in St.Joseph's who thought they would have been off last weekend. Weather pushed the Skyline conference back a week so St. Joe's is coming off a winning weekend instead of sitting idle. Stevens was a bubble team who made it through into the playoffs and is in with a game with Catholic. A top regional team in a weak region, Catholic has new life after an early exit from their conference tournament. It will sting the fans of the other teams but we see Shenandoah advancing.
Immaculata and Shenandoah winners meet in the super regional
Lynchburg (regional website)
- Birmingham Southern, 2. Lynchburg, 3. Salve Regina, 4. Earlham
With the local minor league out of town this week, it kismet for Lynchburg to host at City Stadium instead of their campus field. You might expect Lynchburg to be the top team but Birmingham Southern was tabbed as the number one seed. Lynchburg opened their season with six innings of perfect pitching at the home of Birmingham Southern but that pitcher is gone to injury and can only be a spectator not a participant. Both teams have met expectations this season and makes it a toss up who will advance. They first have to get past their first round games with Salve Regina and Earlham. Lynchburg drew the short straw and will have to face the Seahawks ace, Patrick Maybach. Earlham finished second in the HCAC and left the tournament with conference's bid. Their reward is to face the number three team in the nation. Birmingham Southern defeated Lynchburg easily on their home field but the location now favors the Hornets. Look to see Lynchburg playing the following weekend.
Texas Dallas
- Trinity (Texas) vs. 2. Texas-Dallas
It will be a Texas showdown in one of the best-of-five series. Trinity (Texas) travels to Richardson, Texas to take on the home standing Comets. Both teams were expected to win their conferences and each did in the regular season. Only Texas-Dallas won their conference tourney and Trinity had to wait until the selection show to now if they were in with an at large bid. Expect the offenses to be the difference makers with Trinity (Texas) moving on.
Lynchburg and Texas-Dallas winners meet in the super regional
Cortland (Regional website)
- Cortland, 2. Endicott, 3. St. John Fisher, 4. Bridgewater State
Cortland has the longest active playoff appearance streak and is one of last year's World Series teams to make this year's playoff. The regional hosts will welcome Bridgewater State, a team that surprised the skeptics in wining both the MASCAC regular season and tournament titles. Awaiting the winner of this game will be Endicott or St. John Fisher. Endicott ended their season with a doubleheader loss to CCC rival Salve Regina but the tables were turned when they met in the conference tournament. The CCC was uncharacteristically tough this year with three teams making the regional rankings. The competition will serve them well when they meet up with St. John Fisher. The Cardinals opened their tournament defense with a loss and this woke up the offense that carried Fisher into the playoffs. The Gulls will need to tame this offense to have a chance to advance. The host Red Dragons are the team we see emerging victorious this weekend.
Brockport
- Wheaton (Mass.), 2. Baldwin Wallace, 3. Brockport, 4. Johnson and Wales
The winner of the Cortland Region could see any one of the four team in the Brockport regional. Wheaton (Mass.) stumbled in Florida but found their footing and since then have been nearly unbeatable on the diamond. On New York soil, their first opponent comes from the former New England region that was split into two after a reorganization. We do not know that Johnson and Wales have cooking but lets hope that they do better than their 17-25 record suggests. Winners of just two games in the first 16 they played, the Wildcats turned things around and parlayed a winning conference record into a playoff appearance. host Brockport and Baldwin Wallace meet in one of the toughest matchups in the playoffs. Both have a resume of winning big games and winning the their first game will be key in advancing out of the region. The top seeded Wheaton Lyons are our prediction to move on.
Cortland and Brockport winners meet in the super regional
Denison
- Denison, 2. Salisbury, 3. William Paterson, 4. Penn State Harrisburg
The title defense for Salisbury begins this weekend as the Sea Gulls are looking to be just the third team to win back-to-back D-III World Series titles. They played most of their games at home but when they left the friendly confines of their campus home, they still piled up the wins. Their first game will not be easy. A rejuvenated William Paterson team awaits Salisbury. The Pioneers won a tough NJAC tournament, sweeping through with ease after a narrow win with Kean. The host team, Denison started the season with an established pitching staff but the offense was a question mark. No more, the Big Red offense is alive and well and ready for the challenge of the regional round. The will meet Penn State Harrisburg who showed the baseball world that they could slug it out with the best. Denison is our pick to advance.
Webster (Regional website)
- Webster, 2. Wooster, 3. Bethel, 4. Crown
The UMAC was once the domain of St. Scholastica but on the eve of their departure to the MIAC, D-III nation has seen a number of different UMAC teams make the NCAA playoffs and each have made their mark. We will see how Crown fares against a very senior Webster team. The Gorloks have just lost once since the beginning of April as they reached the 30 win mark again. Wooster is in familiar territory, having been more often in the playoffs than not. They finished second to Denison and have to take their show on the road. Their pitching has matured and now are a threat to win it all. Their first opponent will be Bethel. The Royals played a solid game all season long and in a bit of a down year in the MIAC, survived to earn the Pool A bid. We predicted that Webster will not only reach the post season but excel and advance and this is still the case.
Denison and Webster winners meet in the super regional
Rochester (regional website)
- Eastern Conn. State, 2. Rochester, 3. Middlebury, 4. Swarthmore
Rochester is one of three New York regonals but the host is not the top seed. Eastern Connecticut State is not only the top seed in the regional but the top program in the nation. Exceptional pitching, hitting, defense are hallmarks of the Warrior program and at no other time has ECSU won more games than they have this year. Expect them to add to their program record when they meet Swarthmore. The Garnet come into the playoffs with a bit of a cloud on how they earned their pass into the playoffs. Don't think that this means Swarthmore is expecting to go 0-2. Host Rochester draws Middlebury in the opening round. The Yellowjackets have flirted with nation recognition as they moved in and out of the national polls throughout the season. Their pitching will be key to winning the opening game as the Middlebury offense has been making their mark on the Panther record book. ECSU should exit the regional with a super-regional opponent in their future.
Lebanon Valley (regional website)
- Rowan, 2. Washington & Jefferson, 3. Lebanon Valley, 4. Mitchell
Rowan was another team that made an early exit in their conference tournament. Don't let this make you think they have no chance to win. Their work all season made them an easy at-large choice and you know the Profs will have something to teach their opponent. Their opponent in game one will be Mitchell. It seems we are always talking about the Mariners this time of year. Mitchell has not moved out of the regional round but have a record of getting upset wins so the rest of the team should not take them lightly. Lebanon Valley showed a nine game improvement in their overall record this year and have a playoff appearance to show for it. Their first opponent will be Washington & Jefferson. The Presidents cruised through their conference schedule and tournament even with a couple conference rivals making strides forward. Last year it was an early exit for W&J and this must be on the minds of their senior leaders who want to make a deep run in this years playoff. The skill level of Rowan will prove to be too much and the Profs will go to the head of the class.
Rochester and Lebanon winners meet in the super regional
Chapman
- Chapman, 2. Pomona Pitzer, 3. Cal Lutheran, 4. Pacific
Three SCIAC teams in the playoffs is a minor miracle and with the addition of an opponent up the coast you have a rare opportunity for players and their fans to watch their teams play with a minimum of travel. Chapman has been the class of the SCIAC this year, well not in the SCIAC tournament. Will the short playoff series be a problem for the Panthers? We believe not, Chapman has plenty of toughness and will need it playing Pacific. The Boxers are making just their second trip to the playoffs but the second in consecutive years. They had a taste of nearly making the College World Series and are hungry to make that trip - so watch out Chapman. Pomona Pitzer and Cal Lutheran will be no strangers to each other having played four times, splitting the games 2-2. No game was more important that the win that put Cal Lutheran into the playoffs. With such an evenly matched field, it is hard to pick a winner but we have to forward a name and Chapman will move forward.
LaGrange
LaGrange vs. Centenary (La.)
This series will be a difficult one for the LaGrange Panthers. Still reeling from a devastating accident that took two important pitchers from the team, head coach David Kelton will have the most difficult job in the playoffs. They are matched up with Centenary (La.). When asked to find the one player that made a difference in winning the SCAC tournament, the answer was nobody as it was a team effort to advance into the playoffs. They will need another effort like that one to advance. We think that despite their grief, LaGrange will still overpower the Gents and welcome a west coast team to their ball park over the Memorial Day weekend.
Chapman and LaGrange winners meet in the super regional