Tony Vitello in a Tennessee baseball game clinched the SEC title
Tennessee baseball grabbed the SEC title with a 9-2 victory over Georgia.
Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
A trip to Omaha, Nebraska, is just two wins for eight teams in the NCAA Baseball Tournament this week as the event enters super regional play.
Eight schools will host the Top Three Series from Friday through Monday, with the winners progressing to the College World Series in Omaha to play in the national championship.
Four experts from the USA TODAY Sports Network have chosen the regional super winners. Here are their predictions:
more: assigned to the NCAA Super Regional segment. Here’s how to replant the 16 teams that are still standing
more: Tennessee baseball sends a warning shot at Knoxville Regional: Drive teams at your own risk
Blacksburg Super Regional
Oklahoma: He quickly became an Omaha surprise after his season-ending high. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Virginia Tech: The No. 4 ranked hockey swept into a fairly easy draw in their area. Oklahoma has done well in this post-season, but Virginia Tech has the offense to change that. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Virginia Tech: Oklahoma is hot, but Virginia Tech can totally mash up. In their last 14 home games, the Hokies have averaged 8.9 runs per game with a 13-1 record. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech is the No. 4 National seed but might be the second best team to head to Omaha. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Chapel Hill Super Regional
Arkansas: Omaha’s previous experience of the Razorbacks is useful while booking another return trip. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Arkansas: The Razorbacks fulfilled their potential in the Stillwater Regional and proved they had the clutches and squash needed to win. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
North Carolina: Tar Heels plays like everyone else at the moment. If the Arkansas offense explodes in Stillwater Regional, things should be interesting, but North Carolina is the most consistent team. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Arkansas: The Razorbacks finally looked like a juggernaut in bringing down Oklahoma. UNC wasn’t great. Arkansas moves. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
College Station Super Regional
Texas A&M: The Aggies are one of the few teams that can match Louisville’s offensive prowess, and the Cardinal simply doesn’t have the ability to keep up. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Texas A&M: The Aggies swept their territory, and while Louisville would take one game, the talented Texas A&M lineup and the mighty Bullpen would win. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Texas A&M: It’s hard to pick against the Aggies when it seems like they never lose a three-game streak. Texas A&M hasn’t dropped a streak since the first week of April and will keep Aggies’ offense loaded that way. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Texas A&M: Louisville was uninspired in its regional area while dealing with a soft group that included Oregon and Michigan. Texas A&M will roll. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Corvallis Super Regional
Oregon: Deep and talented Beavers will take advantage of the oppressive weather conditions in Oregon to maintain the Auburn lineup. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Auburn: Tigers offense exploded to sweep the powerful Auburn Regional, while Oregon had close games against Vanderbilt and New Mexico State. Auburn rocks too well to be denied. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Oregon: The Beavers’ arms end up being a bit too much for Auburn in what could be the most evenly combative of the Territories. Auburn has established its dominance in the area, but the Oregon team is more than capable of slowing the movement of the tigers. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Auburn: This may be the most interesting rivalry of the Super Tour. Auburn appears to be the better team to go in and play elite baseball. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Greenville Super Regional
East Carolina: The Pirates hold the record for most championship matches without ever making it to Omaha. But they seemed hungry enough to make sure that streak ended. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
East Carolina: The Pirates are one of the most exciting teams in college baseball and host their first regional team. Their outstanding bats and home pitch feature will lead them to Omaha. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Texas: The Longhorns continue to justify all the pre-season praise. East Carolina isn’t going to turn into a local area, but Texans have plenty of talent to finish their season anywhere except Omaha. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Texas: The Longhorns have a great combination of shooting and hitting, which makes them a threat not only in the Super but in the College World Series. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Hattiesburg Super Regional
Miss South: The Golden Eagles’ exceptional stadium staff will play perfectly in the regional super. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Ole Miss: The Rebels have beaten Miss South once this year and have improved dramatically in the second half of the season. Sweep a tough territorial and you’ll reach Omaha on Golden Eagles. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Miss South: Depth of tone is always important in post-season, and Miss Southern is just as important as everyone else. The in-state showdown brings both teams close, but Southern Miss has an edge because of its on-hill options. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Miss South: Intra-state competition is fun. The Ole Miss comes in well, but the Southern Miss has been more consistent all season. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Knoxville Super Regional
Notre Dame: Why not the Irish? Unseeded teams have proven particularly dangerous for the No. 1 seed overall in the regional super, as 12 of the top seeded in the past 21 tournaments have been eliminated by an unranked team, four of them in the super. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Tennessee: The volunteers in their area proved that they could dominate and come back. Their elite shooting and batting will make them surpass the easy draw at Notre Dame. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Tennessee: This volunteer team is like a great soccer team in Alabama: choose against it at your own risk. Notre Dame has the talent to keep up, but Tennessee’s journey back to the World College Chain seems inevitable. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Tennessee: Volumes in the area were pushed by Campbell and Georgia Tech. This will serve them well in their drive towards Omaha. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Stanford Super Regional
Stanford: The Cardinal faced panic in his territory, but that would start a fire under Stanford’s command as he returned to Omaha. – Aria Gerson, Tennessee
Stanford: UConn vs. The depth of the monument to the cardinal and its jammth will succeed. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Stanford: UConn is a fun story. Stanford is a powerhouse. The Cardinal’s arms overpower her and take the Husky out of Cinderella’s path. Nick Seuss, Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger
Stanford: UConn emerged from the challenging College Park regional area with Wake Forest and Maryland. But Stanford is better than those teams and better than a good UConn lineup. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel