Baseball America | Blog | Baseball America College Blog | One Surprise Among 16 NCAA Regional Hosts

The NCAA Division I baseball committee released the 16 sites for the regional round of the NCAA tournament. The 64-team field will be announced Monday at noon ET.

The 64 teams will break down into 16 four-team, double-elimination regional tournaments. Surprisingly, that list did not include Kentucky and instead included Miami, which reached the ACC tournament championship but did not win the league, losing in the title game just after regionals were announced. Here are the 16 regional sites, presented in alphabetical order. All are at campus sites with one exception, Purdue, which will be played at the home park of the Gary Railcats, an independent minor league team:

Arizona
Baylor
UCLA
Florida
Florida State
Louisiana State
Miami
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Oregon
Purdue (at Gary, Ind.)
Rice
South Carolina
Stanford
Texas A&M
Virginia

BA national writer and college baseball expert Aaron Fitt had projected 15 of those 16 correctly but had Kentucky as a host instead of Miami. The big question going into Monday will be where the Wildcats will go—to Purdue as a No. 1 seed or as a No. 2 seed? To an Atlantic Coast Conference site, such as Virginia or North Carolina, as a No. 2 seed? The Wildcats had a better season in many ways than the Hurricanes, finishing higher in the Southeastern Conference than Miami did in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But the Hurricanes own four victories in four tries against North Carolina, including a win this past week. Kentucky's RPI was lower than Miami's according to Boydsworld.com, as the Wildcats played a weak nonconference schedule.

Miami's inclusion as a host game the ACC five host sites, compared to four for the Pacific-12 Conference and just three for the SEC, definitely a surprise. This week at the SEC tournament, Mississippi State coach John Cohen had lobbied for his fast-finishing team to be a host and stated it his case for the SEC to have a fifth host; in other words, the league was confident it was getting four hosts.

Florida State is a host for the 29th time and Miami for the 24th time, while LSU is a host for the 20th time. Purdue is a first-time host after winning the Big Ten championship (regular-season and tournament) for the first time since 1909. The event will be played at U.S. Steel Field in Gary. Oregon, meanwhile, is a host for the first time as well, an amazing run for the program that was just reborn four seasons ago.

During the SEC Tournament final, Division I committee chairman Kyle Kallander of the Big South Conference declined to answer a specific question from ESPN's Kyle Peterson comparing Miami to Kentucky, but he did say not all regional hosts are No. 1 seeds, perhaps dropping a hint that Miami could be a No. 2 seed—or that Kentucky could be a No. 1 at one of these 16 host sites.

We'll have much more analysis of the full 64-team field tomorrow both at BaseballAmerica.com and on our weekly College Podcast, available at BaseballAmerica.com and on iTunes.

Absolute atrocity that Kentucky isn't hosting. No words for this.

Posted by Daniel Buckingham | May 27, 2012 at 2:59 pm | Shortcut

Miami is not a surprise at all. BA did not like Miami all year but you were the only poll to have them unranked. Their RPI and SOS clearly stated they deserved to host over Kentucky. Miami may be a surprise in your world but in the world of reality they deserved to host.

Posted by MJ | May 27, 2012 at 3:10 pm | Shortcut

We get it MJ. We disagree with you and the RPI, as well as the committee. It’s not personal though. Miami’s not a girl we like or dislike. We thought it was an ordinary resume, and not one worthy of being a regoinal host. The people who matter, the Division I baseball committee, thought otherwise.

Posted by John Manuel | May 27, 2012 at 3:17 pm | Shortcut

I would say Kentucky deserved it more than Miami, Daniel. The word “atrocity” might better describe Kentucky’s nonconference schedule, which apparently kept the Wildcasts from being a regional host. Next time, play only one team from the greater Buffalo area as opposed to both Buffalo and Canisius. I count five non-league games on the road for Kentucky; that didn’t do enough apparently. I thought Kentucky was deserving, but Kentucky has itself to blame a bit as well.

Posted by John Manuel | May 27, 2012 at 3:21 pm | Shortcut

As a Hurricane fan, I'm admittedly surprised that they were chosen to host. However, is it possible that the committee took their injury situation into account just as the basketball committee does? Let's face it, their resume with O'Brien (now back) was definetely host worthy.

Posted by Darren | May 27, 2012 at 4:34 pm | Shortcut

Nice that Oregon St. won the series from all the Pac 12 Schools that get to host. Then they don't get too.

Posted by Rodger | May 27, 2012 at 5:21 pm | Shortcut

Still a tough pill to swallow for a Kentucky program that slipped towards the end of the year. Compare that with an Oregon program that also slipped at the end of the year, likely being swept by the Beavers and it is hard to see how Oregon gets a bid and Kentucky goes on the road. Very similar resumes and ends to the season for both Oregon and Kentucky.

Posted by CWS Passion | May 27, 2012 at 5:38 pm | Shortcut

John and Aaron, all throughout the season you give us your best insight, and if that objective opinion doesn't coincide with our biased desires for our favorite team, then you are haters, morons, don't like this team, like that team, etc. And yet you never respond in kind. I don't know how you do it.
Speaking of which, I have a question for you. Which of the two scenarios would Miami prefer to avoid – being a two seed to Kentucky, or being a one seed with Vandy as the two seed?

Posted by David | May 27, 2012 at 6:27 pm | Shortcut

Once again BA is pretty spot on picking the hosts. My concern is the overload of regional sites at power conference schools. Four from the Pac-12 and not Fullerton? As with everything else NCAA, it always comes down to money, how many tickets can be sold, etc.

Posted by Dougner | May 27, 2012 at 6:59 pm | Shortcut

As a Kentucky fan, I hope that the Cats are heading to the Gary Indiana regional as either the #1 or #2 seed. And yes Kentucky needs to schedule tougher, but when you come off an 8-22 season in the SEC last year, they scheduled cupcakes with the hope they would have enough wins to just make the NCAA tournament.

Posted by Cole | May 27, 2012 at 7:11 pm | Shortcut

could kentuckys incredibly poor facility have something to do with it?

Posted by john shows | May 27, 2012 at 8:46 pm | Shortcut

Nonconference schedule should have nothing to do with it. Look at the overall body of work. UK swept S. Carolina and beat LSU twice and finished 18-12 in THE toughest conference. It is proven every year when BA has five teams ranked in the top 12, 2 make it to Omaha but none win it. The SEC is trying to win it for the fourth time in a row and there are still doubters. Obviously, there was some SEC jealousy and hatred on the committee and I'm concerned about the bracket tomorrow, especially when committee member refused to answer the question regarding UK vs. Miami.

Posted by ed | May 27, 2012 at 8:47 pm | Shortcut

John,

not always been a fan of BA as a NC State fan…but you and your crew have won me over some this year with your coverage of the Pack…keep up the good work….

Posted by DWM | May 27, 2012 at 9:10 pm | Shortcut

Put Miami and Kentucky in a Regional with Miss. State and I bet the Dogs come out on top! Unless you play at that short porch in Lexington then who knows what happens when pop flies sail over the fence. #hailstate We would have had 45,000 people show up for a 3 day set in Starkville but I guess we will go on the road now and outdraw the home team #bulldognation

Posted by Chris | May 27, 2012 at 9:21 pm | Shortcut

Why didn't Clemson is a host site? and how come they will be at large site tomorrow and I hope there they won't be facing a team from the SEC

Posted by Brett Ashworth | May 27, 2012 at 10:01 pm | Shortcut

Kentucky deserved to host based on their in-conference performance.
It is an insult that will not be forgotten soon by other SEC schools for our league to have only three host sites.
We need to get out of the geographic diversity business and stop giving host opportunities to schools like Purdue that play well considering who they play.
This will sort itself out when we hit the field.
I say at least 5 SEC schools will make it to Super Regional play.
If I am wrong then the selection committee was right, but I doubt they are.

Posted by Dan Ryan | May 27, 2012 at 10:08 pm | Shortcut

Dear Selection Committee,
Please send Kentucky to the Miami Regional.

Posted by Clyde Phillips | May 27, 2012 at 10:26 pm | Shortcut

Hey, I just attempted to subscribe to your RSS feed, and got a 501 server error? Is anyone else having the same problem? If you can let me know what could be causing it or otherwise help me, that would be awesome :)

Posted by Demarcus | May 28, 2012 at 5:15 am | Shortcut

just some thoughts on some of your posts; Roger while i agree i think OSU deserved a host over one of the other pac schools specifically stanford(i'm a little biased i acknowledge) you're wrong in that we lost the series to Arizona. But we won the series against everyone else that gets to host in our conference, but i'm guessing our RPI is what kept us from that. Ed the idea that non-conference schedule should have nothing to do with it, then saying it should be the complete body of work makes no sense. Complete body of work includes non-conference games. Kentucky knew going into the season that playing bad teams out of conference even if you win will lower your RPI, which effects your chances at getting to host in the post season. Lastly Dougner, should Fullerton have hosted i can't say, but using the Pac as the conference you're going to pick on for who you should have gotten a bid from was a bad choice. All four teams hosting have a better RPI then Fullerton, and have better overall records while playing in a tougher conference.

Posted by shane | May 28, 2012 at 9:47 am | Shortcut

We’ll look into it

Posted by John Manuel | May 28, 2012 at 10:37 am | Shortcut

Congrats to Purdue on a great season by any standard and a well deserved "home" regional!!!

Posted by douglas brown | May 28, 2012 at 11:04 am | Shortcut

[...] One interesting development is that Kentucky was a surprise snub as a regional host in favor of Miami. As a result, the Boilermakers could host as a No. 2 seed, but that is a major unknown. It is also possible that Kentucky will be sent as a No. 1 seed to Miami. The committee chairman has stated that not all hosts are No. 1 seeds: [...]

Posted by 2012 NCAA Baseball Tournament Projections: Purdue, Indiana State, And Valparaiso Projected Together | South Bend IN DIRECTV Service | May 28, 2012 at 6:12 pm | Shortcut