The Road to Cary begins Thursday as the 2016 NCAA D2 Baseball Championship regional tournaments get underway.
Over the past few weeks, we offered a snapshot and predictions on how each of the eight regions would play out with our BRacketology Powered by BennettRank projections. In this installment, however, with the regional fields now set, we can offer a clearer prediction as to which eight teams will advance to next week’s D2 Baseball College World Series in Cary, N.C. As we have done in other sports, the team with the better BennettRank is projected to win each game.
And, with that, here are our predictions…
NOTES: All BennettRanks as of May 15; records listed are against “countable” D2 opponents and are as of May 15. All times listed are subject to change.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #1 BR-21 Colorado Mesa over #6 BR-36 Lubbock Christian
Game 2: #2 BR-10 St. Edward’s over #5 BR-66 Texas A&M-Kingsville
Game 3: #3 BR-47 Angelo State over #4 BR-55 West Texas A&M
Friday, May 20
Game 4: Lubbock Christian (Loser Game 1) over Texas A&M-Kingsville (Loser Game 2) (Texas A&M-Kingsville Eliminated)
Game 5: Colorado Mesa (Winner Game 1) over West Texas A&M Loser Game 3 (West Texas Eliminated)
Game 6: St. Edward’s (Winner Game 2) over Angelo State (Winner Game 3)
Saturday, May 21
Game 7: St. Edward’s (Winner Game 6) over Colorado Mesa (Winner Game 5)
Game 8: Lubbock Christian (Winner Game 4) over Angelo State (Loser Game 6) (Angelo State Eliminated)
Game 9: Colorado Mesa (Loser Game 7) over Lubbock Christian (Winner Game 8) (Lubbock Christian Eliminated)
Sunday, May 22
Game 10: St. Edward’s (Winner Game 7) over Colorado Mesa (Winner Game 9)
PROJECTED SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-10 St. Edward’s
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ATLANTIC REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #5 BR-50 Seton Hill over #4 BR-87 Shepherd
Game 2: #2 BR-64 West Chester over #7 BR-219 Chowan
Game 3: #3 BR-14 Mercyhurst over #6 BR-46 East Stroudsburg
Friday, May 20
Game 4: East Stroudsburg (Loser Game 2) over Chowan (Loser Game 2) (Chowan Eliminated)
Game 5: #1 BR-4 Millersville over Seton Hill (Winner Game 1)
Game 6: Mercyhurst (Winner Game 3) over West Chester (Winner Game 2)
Saturday, May 21
Game 7: East Stroudsburg (Winner Game 4) over Seton Hill (Loser Game 5) (Seton Hill Eliminated)
Game 8: West Chester (Loser Game 6) over Shepherd (Loser Game 1) (Shepherd Eliminated)
Game 9: Millersville (Winner Game 5) over Mercyhurst (Winner Game 6)
Sunday, May 22
Game 10: East Stroudsburg (Winner Game 7) over West Chester (Winner Game 8) (West Chester Eliminated)
Game 11: Mercyhurst (Loser Game 9) over East Stroudsburg (Winner Game 10) (East Stroudsburg Eliminated)
Monday, May 23
Game 12: Millersville (Winner Game 9) over Mercyhurst (Winner Game 11)
PROJECTED ATLANTIC REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-4 Millersville
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WEST REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #1 BR-19 California Baptist over #6 BR-40 Cal State-East Bay
Game 2: #2 BR-27 Dixie State over #5 BR-31 Cal State-Monterey Bay
Game 3: #4 BR-28 Chico State over #3 BR-36 Cal Poly Pomona
Friday, May 20
Game 4: Cal State-Monterey Bay (Loser Game 2) over Cal State-East Bay (Loser Game 1) (Cal State-East Bay Eliminated)
Game 5: California Baptist (Winner Game 1) over Cal Poly Pomona (Loser Game 3) (Cal Poly Pomona Eliminated)
Game 6: Dixie State (Winner Game 2) over Chico State (Winner Game 3)
Saturday, May 21
Game 7: California Baptist (Winner Game 5) over Dixie State (Winner Game 6)
Game 8: Chico State (Loser Game 6) over Cal State-Monterey Bay (Winner Game 4) (Cal State-Monterey Bay Eliminated)
Game 9: Dixie State (Loser Game 7) over Chico State (Winner Game 8) (Chico State Eliminated)
Sunday, May 22
Game 10: California Baptist (Winner Game 7) over Dixie State (Winner Game 9)
PROJECTED WEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-19 California Baptist
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MIDWEST REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #1 BR-30 Quincy over #8 BR-162 Alderson Broaddus
Game 2: #4 BR-58 Southern Indiana over #5 BR-94 Missouri S&T
Game 3: #2 BR-99 Grand Valley State over #7 BR-145 Hillsdale
Game 4: #3 BR-88 Indianapolis over #6 BR-91 Ashland
Friday, May 20
Game 5: Missouri S&T (Loser Game 2) over Alderson Broaddus (Loser Game 1) (Alderson Broaddus Eliminated)
Game 6: Ashland (Loser Game 4) over Hillsdale (Loser Game 3) (Hillsdale Eliminated)
Game 7: Quincy (Winner Game 1) over Southern Indiana (Winner Game 2)
Game 8: Indianapolis (Winner Game 4) over Grand Valley State (Winner Game 3)
Saturday, May 21
Game 9: Southern Indiana (Loser Game 7) over Ashland (Winner Game 6) (Ashland Eliminated)
Game 10: Missouri S&T (Winner Game 5) over Grand Valley State (Loser Game 8) (Grand Valley State Eliminated)
Game 11: Quincy (Winner Game 7) over Indianapolis (Winner Game 8)
Sunday, May 22
Game 12: Southern Indiana (Winner Game 9) over Missouri S&T (Winner Game 10) (Missouri S&T Eliminated)
Game 13: Southern Indiana (Winner Game 12) over Indianapolis (Loser Game 11) (Loser Eliminated)
Monday, May 23
Game 14: Quincy (Winner Game 11) over Southern Indiana (Winner Game 13)
PROJECTED MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-30 Quincy
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SOUTH REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #4 BR-9 Delta State over #5 BR-51 Lynn
Game 2: #2 BR-6 West Florida over #7 BR-230 Claflin
Game 3: #3 BR-5 Nova Southeastern over #6 BR-8 West Georgia
Friday, May 20
Game 4: West Georgia (Loser Game 3) over Claflin (Loser Game 2) (Claflin Eliminated)
Game 5: #1 BR-1 Tampa over Delta State (Winner Game 1)
Game 6: Nova Southeastern (Winner Game 3) over West Florida (Winner Game 2)
Saturday, May 21
Game 7: West Georgia (Winner Game 4) over Delta State (Loser Game 5) (Delta State Eliminated)
Game 8: West Florida (Loser Game 6) over Lynn (Loser Game 1) (Lynn Eliminated)
Game 9: Tampa (Winner Game 5) over Nova Southeastern (Winner Game 6)
Sunday, May 22
Game 10: West Florida (Winner Game 8) over West Georgia (Winner Game 7) (West Georgia Eliminated)
Game 11: Nova Southeastern (Loser Game 9) over West Florida (Winner Game 10) (West Florida Eliminated)
Monday, May 23
Game 12: Tampa (Winner Game 9) over Nova Southeastern (Winner Game 11)
PROJECTED SOUTH REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-1 Tampa
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EAST REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #4 BR-95 Felician over #5 BR-159 Bridgeport
Game 2: #2 BR-17 Southern New Hampshire over #7 BR-157 Dowling
Game 3: #6 BR-116 Molloy over #3 BR-123 St. Thomas Aquinas
Friday, May 20
Game 4: St. Thomas Aquinas (Loser Game 3) vs Dowling (Loser Game 2) (Dowling Eliminated)
Game 5: #1 BR-12 Franklin Pierce over Felician (Winner Game 1)
Game 6: Southern New Hampshire (Winner Game 2) over Molloy (Winner Game 3)
Saturday, May 21
Game 7: Felician (Loser Game 5) over St. Thomas Aquinas (Winner Game 4) (St. Thomas Aquinas Eliminated)
Game 8: Molloy (Loser Game 6) over Bridgeport (Loser Game 1) (Bridgeport Eliminated)
Game 9: Franklin Pierce (Winner Game 5) over Southern New Hampshire (Winner Game 6)
Sunday, May 22
Game 10: Felician (Winner Game 7) over Molloy (Winner Game 8) (Molloy Eliminated)
Game 11: Southern New Hampshire (Loser Game 9) over Felician (Winner Game 10) (Felician Eliminated)
Monday, May 23
Game 12: Franklin Pierce (Winner Game 9) over Southern New Hampshire (Winner Game 11)
PROJECTED EAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-12 Franklin Pierce
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #4 BR-13 South Carolina-Aiken over #5 BR-28 Tusculum
Game 2: #2 BR-3 Lander over #7 BR-59 Mount Olive
Game 3: #6 BR-23 Catawba over #3 BR-53 Belmont Abbey
Friday, May 20
Game 4: Belmont Abbey (Loser Game 3) vs Mount Olive (Loser Game 2) (Mount Olive Eliminated)
Game 5: #1 Columbus State over USC-Aiken (Winner Game 1)
Game 6: Lander (Winner Game 2) over Catawba (Winner Game 3)
Saturday, May 21
Game 7: USC-Aiken (Loser Game 5) over Belmont Abbey (Winner Game 4) (Belmont Abbey Eliminated)
Game 8: Catawba (Loser Game 6) over Tusculum (Loser Game 1) (Tusculum Eliminated)
Game 9: Columbus State (Winner Game 5) over Lander (Winner Game 6)
Sunday, May 22
Game 10: USC-Aiken (Winner Game 7) over Catawba (Winner Game 8) (Catawba Eliminated)
Game 11: Lander (Loser Game 9) over USC-Aiken (Winner Game 10) (USC-Aiken Eliminated)
Monday, May 23
Game 12: Columbus State (Winner Game 9) over Lander (Winner Game 11)
PROJECTED SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-2 Columbus State
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CENTRAL REGION
Thursday, May 19
Game 1: #1 BR-22 St. Cloud State over #8 BR-72 Minnesota State-Mankato
Game 2: #4 BR-41 Arkansas-Monticello over #5 BR-45 Missouri Western
Game 3: #2 BR-32 Central Missouri over #7 BR-62 Southwestern Oklahoma
Game 4: #6 BR-15 Emporia State over #3 BR-63 Minnesota-Duluth
Friday, May 20
Game 5: Missouri Western (Loser Game 2) over Minnesota State-Mankato (Loser Game 1) (Minnesota State-Mankato Eliminated)
Game 6: Southwestern Oklahoma (Loser Game 3) over Minnesota-Duluth (Loser Game 4) (Minnesota-Duluth Eliminated)
Game 7: St. Cloud State (Winner Game 1) over Arkansas-Monticello (Winner Game 2)
Game 8: Emporia State (Winner Game 4) over Central Missouri (Winner Game 3)
Saturday, May 21
Game 9: Arkansas-Monticello (Loser Game 7) over Southwestern Oklahoma (Winner Game 6) (Southwestern Oklahoma Eliminated)
Game 10: Central Missouri (Loser Game 8) over Missouri Western (Winner Game 5) (Missouri Western Eliminated)
Game 11: Emporia State (Winner Game 8) over St. Cloud State (Winner Game 7)
Sunday, May 22
Game 12: Central Missouri (Winner Game 10) over Arkansas-Monticello (Winner Game 9) (Arkansas-Monticello Eliminated)
Game 13: St. Cloud State (Loser Game 11) over Central Missouri (Winner Game 12) (Central Missouri Eliminated)
Monday, May 23
Game 14: Emporia State (Winner Game 11) over St. Cloud State (Winner Game 13)
PROJECTED CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: BR-15 Emporia State
