**SEC Struggles While Mid-Majors Shine in College Baseball Regionals**

In a surprising turn of events, just 12 of the 16 super regional berths have been secured in the ongoing college baseball regionals. Among these, Louisville, UTSA, Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Florida State, West Virginia, Arizona, Coastal Carolina, and UCLA clinched their spots by sweeping their opening round opponents. Joining the list on Monday were North Carolina and Oregon State. The fight to claim the remaining four super regional spots intensifies as teams gear up for decisive regional final games.

Scheduled for Monday, crucial matchups to watch include Ole Miss against Murray State at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, Oregon State against Southern California at 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU, Southern Miss versus Miami at 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU, and LSU taking on Little Rock at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Day 3 of regionals unveiled some key highlights, particularly the surprising underperformance from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). As of now, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi State, Georgia, and Texas have been eliminated, adding to the disappointment following Alabama’s earlier exit. Significantly, both Vanderbilt and Texas were ousted as No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in their own regionals, marking just the second time this has happened since 1999 under the current super regional format. This leaves Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and LSU fighting for survival in Monday's elimination games, while Auburn and Arkansas are the only SEC teams to have safely progressed to the super regionals.

The contrasting performance of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is notable, with Louisville, Florida State, and Duke already securing super regional spots. Miami, North Carolina, and Wake Forest remain strong contenders.

Mid-major programs have seized the opportunity created by the SEC’s struggles to make a significant impact. UTSA made history by defeating No. 2 Texas and advancing to its first-ever super regional. Coastal Carolina lived up to its reputation as the top mid-major, sweeping its regional to earn a place in the Auburn Super Regional. Southern Miss, Little Rock, and Murray State each pushed their regional finals to decisive games, signaling a potential strong mid-major representation in the super regional stage reminiscent of 2017 when five mid-major teams advanced.

A standout performance came from UTSA’s third baseman, Norris McClure, who was instrumental in his team’s victory over Texas with a 3-for-5 performance, narrowly missing a cycle. His first-inning home run set the pace for UTSA’s win and advancement to face UCLA in the Los Angeles Super Regional. This breakthrough success could propel UTSA’s head coach Patrick Hallmark into consideration for high-profile coaching positions.

Adding another layer of complexity, the NCAA baseball tournament’s schedule overlaps with the opening of the NCAA transfer portal. This timing has triggered a wave of players entering what is essentially college baseball’s version of free agency, hinting at significant roster changes across the board. BA continues to monitor and report on these pivotal player movements and transfers.

The upcoming decisive games on Monday promise to further shape the narrative of this year’s tournament, with SEC teams under pressure and mid-majors poised to capitalize on their newfound opportunities.