The playoff field consists of 60 teams. Forty-one Pool A bids were awarded to conference automatic qualifiers (see 2023 Playoff Central). On May 14, the national selection committee released the 2 pool B bids and 17 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 determine the eight teams in the D-III World Series to be played over the first weekend in June.
Our preview of the 16 Regional Tournament:
Johns Hopkins Regional (regional website)
- Johns Hopkins (host), 2. Randolph-Macon, 3. St. John Fisher, 4. Penn State-Altoona
We wonder which Randolph-Macon team will show up. The team that opened the season with nine straight wins or the one that limped through the final games of the season with a 2-5 record in their last seven. Head coach Ray Hedrick is experienced and is sure to look to change the Yellow Jacket's fortunes. They will meet a St. John Fisher team that has won 16 of 16 to close out the season with a veteran coaching staff that is familiar with the playoffs. Penn State Altoona is hoping that some of the magic that propelled them from a sixth-seed in the AMCC to a playoff berth will hold for another week. The one problem is that they will not be facing the likes of Alfred State or Hilbert, but the number one team in the nation. Look for Johns Hopkins to move quickly through the regional with an eye on another World Series appearance.
Mitchell Regional (regional website)
- Wheaton (Mass.), 2. Tufts, 3. Mitchell (host), 4. Husson
Being on familar turf and not having to travel makes Mitchell a dark horse to come up with a Regional title. They have a tough first draw in Tufts who is a solid two seed in the Regional. Husson travels south and will face the top seed on Thursday. Wheaton (Mass.) made it through the season with their longest losing streak at one game. It is never a risk to go with the number one seed but this is a team that does not lose in bunches and is fresh from a tournament championship where they had to come out of the elimination rounds. The confidence that a loss is not the end of the season will be on display as the Lyons should end the weekend with a matchup with the winner of the Johns Hopkins Regional.
Johns Hopkis Regional and Mitchell Regional winners meet in the super regional.
Cortland Regional (regional website)
- Cortland (host), 2. Ithaca, 3. Eastern Connecticut State, 4. St. Joseph's (L.I.)
Cortland will be happy that Brockport is not in their regional, nor a potential super-regional opponent. The Golden Eagles are the only team to defeat the Red Dragons in the last two months of the season. Home field advantage should see Cortland playing next week as well. St. Joseph's (L.I.), the opening opponent for Cortland, will be coming in with momentum as they swept through their conference tournament and hold the only win against one in the Regional field (Ithaca). The Bombers draw a tough opener with the defending national champions. Eastern Connecticut was not expected to be here after most of their best players and head coach all opted for a D-1 program. The Warriors will not have the same scary lineup as last year but they have a squad that stuck aound with the top teams all year round.
Bridgewater State Regional (regional website)
- Endicott, 2. Middlebury, 3. Johnston & Wales, 4. Bridgewater State (host)
Earning a second straight playoff bid, the Bridgewater State Bears will have their hands full from the get-go. They will face a top 5 program in the Endicott Gulls that showed that they are one of the best programs in 2023. Endicott had stiff competition in their no-conference schedule and from Salve Regia in their conference. Middlebury showed what they are capable of in their west coast swing where they earned wins over the best programs in Southern California. It should have surprised nobody that the Panthers are here with an experienced team. Looking ahead, the regional title game should be a contest between Endicott and Middlebury with the Gulls heading into the super-regional round.
Cortland Regional and Bridgewater State Regional winners meet in the super regional.
Marietta Regional (regional website)
- Marietta (host), 2. Mary Washington, 3. Case Western Reserve, 4. Adrian
We all knew that Marietta could pitch and that it was whether they could hit that would determine how far they would go. It turned out that Brian Brewer's squad hit just fine and the Pioneers were awarded a top seed and hosting duties in a regional. Their first task will be an Adrian team that uncharacteristically finished outside the top teams in the MIAA. A tournament title has given them new life. Mary Washington earned an at-large bid and gave the three team Coast 2 Coast Conference a clean sweep with all three teams making the 60 team playoff field. They take on a Case Western team that is still smarting from a playoff snub last year and want to show that they belong with the elites in DIII baseball. Marietta is our pick to click this weekend.
Misericordia Regional (regional website)
- Salve Regina, 2. Misericordia (host), 3. Washington & Jefferson, 4. Keystone
Misericordia had a solid but lightly recognized season. If it was not for a 1-6 record against Arcadia in the MAC Freedom, you would see them as a top seed as well as host. Washington & Jefferson draws the Cougars in the opening game and both teams are similar, talented on both sides of the ball and with long-term head coaches that have plenty of playoff experience that includes a World Series appearance. A fourth seeded-Keystone is an anomaly but the Giants come into the regional with a SOS in the 200's and no wins among the teams in the 60-team field. Salve Regina comes in with a top 25 SOS and eight wins over playoff teams. Their nemisis this season was Endicott and if they play them, it will be in Perfect Game field in Cedar Rapids. Expect the top seeded Seahawks to come out winners this weekend.
Marietta Regional and Misericordia Regional winners meet in the super regional.
Denison Regional (regional website)
- Denison (host) 2. Baldwin-Wallace, 3. Spalding, 4. Beloit
Both Spalding and Beloit might not have been the conference favorites at the beginning of the season but here they are holding their conference playoff bids. It would be a true Cinderella story if either team could come out of the regional against the powerhouse teams that sit seeded one or two. In an alternative universe, Baldwin Wallace would be the top seed and hosting a regional but instead they ended up in the Denison Regional. This is the toughest 1-2 in the playoffs with both teams spending every week in the D3baseball /NCBWA Top 25. Baldwin Wallace has their sights on a second straight appearance in the D-III World Series but the late season loss to Denison is too much to ignore. Denison advances.
Aurora Regional (regional website)
- Aurora (host), 2. John Carroll
Aurora had to fight for their conference bid through the elimination round where John Carroll went through the winners bracket. The difference between the two programs was that Aurora had a resume that would potentially earn an at-large bid but John Carroll had to win to get into the NCAA playoffs. While the Spartans have the advantage over the Blue Streaks, a win in this five-game series would put a bow on JCU's 50th season celebration.
Denison Regional and Aurora Regional winners meet in the super regional.
UW-La Crosse Regional (regional website)
- UW-La Crosse (host), 2. Buena Vista, 3. Bethel, 4. Bethany Lutheran
Out of the traditional top four WIAC teams, the least likely to be at the top of their game was UW-La Crosse back in January. Well we got that wrong and the Eagles are the class of the 2023 WIAC season and we expect in the regional as well. Just as we thought UW-La Crosse would finish 4th in the WIAC, we did not see Bethel finishing fourth in the MIAC. We knew they were a dangerous team and the Royals prove it by sweeping through the conference tournament. Buena Vista will make their opening game with Bethel a must watch contest. These two teams played three games at the begging of the season and the combined score was 9-9. All four teams had to fight through weather with Bethany Lutheran coming out of a rain marred UMAC tourney. We hope the skies will be sunny for these weather weary teams.
UW-Stevens Point Regional (regional website)
- UW-Stevens Point (host), 2. Webster, 3. Loras, 4. Augustana
The top seed and host team is not the favorite here as every one of these four teams is capable of winning the Regional. The Pointers will have a draw with a team that despite having a 300+ SOS has a better record in common opponents. The confidence of a Loras team that won the ARC AQ will be matched with the Gorloks that saw Spalding deal them two losses on the final day to put Webster in Pool C. We like Webster coming out of the regional to face the La Crosse Regional winner.
UW-La Crosse Regional and UW-Stevens Point Regional winners meet in the super regional.
Shenandoah Regional (regional website)
- Shenandoah (host), 2. Christopher Newport, 3. Immaculata, 4. TCNJ
Shenandaoh might not have won the ODAC title but they have proved that they are a top 5 team in the nation and were awarded a top seed and earned regional hosting duties. No disrespect to Christopher Newport as they have shown they are back in the national title hunt, but Shenandoah upgraded their team from last year's narrow defeat to Catholic in the super-regional round. Immaculata and TCNJ will not be push-overs and both teams have positive baseball resumes but this is the year of the South Region - opps region 6.
N.C. Wesleyan Regional (regional website)
- Lynchburg, 2. N.C. Wesleyan (host), 3. Elizabethtown, 4. Lebanon Valley
It could have been home cooking for the Lynchburg Hornets but City Stadium was not available with the regular occupant playing this coming weekend. The Hornets will have to take their game to Rocky Mount,. N.C., the home of the Battling Bishops. N.C Wesleyan is on a 15 game win streak and, as in the Shenandoah Regional this one is paired with, it will be southern cooking that will win out, sending Elizabethtown and Lebanon Valley, the representatives from Pennsylvania, home without a regional title. As much as a N.C. Wesleyan-Christopher Newport super regional has throw-back appeal, we forecast a rematch of the ODAC final.
Shenandoah Regional and N.C. Wesleyan Regional winners meet in the super regional.
Birmingham Southern Regional (regional website)
- Birmingham-Southern (host), 2. La Verne, 3. Franklin, 4. Lewis & Clark
If I had one regional to visit, it would be on the campus of Birmingham Southern. It is not just for the baseball but the hospitality of the baseball parents. Last year, the Panthers had to travel to Virginia to get their regional win but winning at home in front of their fan base will be that much sweeter. Facing a possible school closure early this year, this could have been the last hurrah for BSC but the school is remaining open and all the baseball players have to worry about is winning, not where they will land if the college had closed their doors this summer. The HCAC team, Franklin this year, will have a long bus ride as did Earlham in 2022. La Verne proved that they were the best in the SCIAC despite a 1-2 record in the conference tournament. Coming from the west coast, they have the second longest trip as Lewis & Clark are coming from the opposite corner of the United States. The Pioneers are also coming with the longest layoff, not having played a game in three weeks, having earned their bid back on April 23rd. This is a veteran team so if there is any rust, they will shake it off quickly.
East Texas Baptist Regional (regional website)
- East Texas Baptist (host), 2. Pacific, 3. Trinity (Texas), 4. Cal Lutheran
Now here is a toss up. On paper it looks like it is East Texas Baptist's to win but Pacific is a hungry team that just two years ago was one win from a World Series appearance. Trinty (Texas) was in Cedar Rapids last year and have the experience for another run at their second national title. Don't count out Cal Lutheran who might be the hottest team and needed to win their conference to get here. In fact the wins over Chapman on Saturday was enough to knock the Panthers out of the playoffs with the auto bid and it turns out, an at-large bid as well. No matter who wins we expect to see them take a 490 mile bus ride to Birmingham, Alabama.
Birmingham Southern Regional and East Texas Baptist Regional winners meet in the super regional.
Arcadia Regional (regional website)
- Arcadia (host), 2. Rowan, 3. Brockport, 4. Susquehanna
Sorry Susquehanna, this is a tough regional to be placed. Arcadia is having another stellar season and it was just a year ago they saw a regional win slip through their fingers. Rowan also has something to prove as well with an early exit in the NJAC tournament. Brockport too has something to prove. They have lived under the shadow of Cortland and they are dragon slayers this year. We caught the Golden Eagles early in the season as they struggled to win but that was months ago and this is a more confident team. Look for Rowan to right the ship and come out of this regional for a shot at the winner of the Harrisburg Regional.
Penn State Harrisburg Regional (regional website)
- Salisbury, 2. Penn State-Harrisburg (host)
Salisbury was a monster team last year. They only lost their first baseman from a team that played in the Championship series in the last two years. The good news is that they reached into the portal and pulled out an upgrade. With a healthy pitching staff, this will be a nightmare weekend for the home standing Lions. In the only game between these two programs this year, PSH won conviningly so every player in a Lion's uniform knows that this is a series they can win. Our crystal ball suggests that the Sea Gulls will be flying into the super-regional round.
Arcadia Regional and Penn State Harrisburg Regional winners meet in the super regional.