# 2026 NCAA Division I baseball tournament
The 2026 [NCAA Division I](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i) baseball tournament was the 79th annual edition of the NCAA's 64-team Division I baseball championship, played from May 29 to June 23, 2026, and won by the [Oklahoma Sooners](https://www.edgepedia.org/oklahoma-sooners), who defeated the [North Carolina Tar Heels](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-carolina-tar-heels) 13-2 in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the Men's College World Series finals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.[1](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/sixteen-regional-sites-selected-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) • [2](https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d1/oklahoma-captures-third-mcws-title-defeating-north-carolina-13-2) • [3](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) It was Oklahoma's third Division I baseball national championship and its first since 1994.[3](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Champion | Oklahoma, 13-2 over North Carolina in winner-take-all Game 3 of the MCWS finals[2](https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d1/oklahoma-captures-third-mcws-title-defeating-north-carolina-13-2) |
| Title count | Oklahoma's third DI baseball championship and first since 1994[3](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) |
| Conference streak | An SEC program won the championship for the seventh consecutive tournament[4](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html) |
| Field and format | 64 teams; 16 four-team, double-elimination regionals; best-of-three super regionals; double-elimination MCWS in Omaha with best-of-three finals[5](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20NCAA%20Division%20I%20Baseball%20Championship%20Bracket%20-%20thru%206-6.pdf) |
| Key dates | Selection show May 25; regionals May 29-June 1; super regionals June 5-8; MCWS June 12-21/22[1](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/sixteen-regional-sites-selected-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) • [5](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20NCAA%20Division%20I%20Baseball%20Championship%20Bracket%20-%20thru%206-6.pdf) |
| Oklahoma's path | Lost its last four regular-season series, then beat the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 national seeds[3](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) |
| Runner-up | North Carolina, which beat Mississippi 6-2 in the CWS behind Colin Hynek's three-run homer[6](https://wtop.com/sports/2026/06/colin-hyneks-3-run-hr-secures-north-carolinas-6-2-college-world-series-win-over-mississippi/) |
## Format and schedule
The championship followed the standard Division I structure: teams advance through regionals and super regionals to reach the Men's College World Series, where a double-elimination format leads to a best-of-three championship series.[7](https://www.ncaa.org/championship/division-i/baseball/) The Division I Baseball Championship Subcommittee announced the 16 regional sites on May 24, 2026, and the full 64-team bracket on Monday, May 25 at noon Eastern on ESPN.[1](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/sixteen-regional-sites-selected-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) The committee set the entire 64-team bracket through both the super regionals and the first round of the Men's College World Series and did not reseed the field after play began.[1](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/sixteen-regional-sites-selected-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship)
**Seeding rules.** The selection committee ranked the top 32 teams, with teams 17 through 32 grouped in pods as two seeds paired with the top 16 national seeds.[8](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/final-college-baseball-bracket-predictions-mondays-selections-according-d1baseball) Geographical considerations applied where possible, and two teams from the same conference could not be placed in the same regional.[8](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/final-college-baseball-bracket-predictions-mondays-selections-according-d1baseball)
**Rounds and dates.** Regionals ran Friday, May 29 through Monday, June 1 at 16 campus or neutral sites as [double-elimination tournaments](https://www.edgepedia.org/double-elimination-tournament). Super regionals were played June 5-7 or June 6-8 as best-of-three series. The Men's College World Series ran June 12-21/22 in [Omaha, Nebraska](https://www.edgepedia.org/omaha-nebraska), with double-elimination brackets feeding a best-of-three finals.[5](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20NCAA%20Division%20I%20Baseball%20Championship%20Bracket%20-%20thru%206-6.pdf)
## The field
Sixteen teams hosted regionals, each earning an automatic place in the 64-team field. Among the hosts and opening matchups announced with the bracket:[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
- **Los Angeles Regional**, hosted by UCLA: No. 1 UCLA (51-6) against No. 4 Saint Mary's (CA) (34-25), with [Virginia Tech](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-tech) (30-24) and Cal Poly (36-22) in the other pairing.[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
- **Atlanta Regional**, hosted by [Georgia Tech](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgia-tech): No. 1 Georgia Tech (48-9) against UIC (27-27-1), with No. 2 Oklahoma (32-21) against [The Citadel](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-citadel) (35-24).[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
- **Athens Regional**, hosted by Georgia: No. 1 Georgia (46-12) against LIU (30-20), with Boston College (36-21) against Liberty (41-19).[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
- **Chapel Hill Regional**, hosted by North Carolina: No. 1 North Carolina (45-11-1) against VCU (37-23), with Tennessee (38-20) against East Carolina (36-22-1).[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
- **Austin Regional**, hosted by Texas: No. 1 Texas (40-13) against Holy Cross (25-28), with UC Santa Barbara (38-18) in the other pairing.[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
- **Auburn Regional**, hosted by Auburn: No. 1 Auburn (38-19) against Milwaukee (25-31), with UCF (31-21) against NC State (32-22).[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
Oregon State appeared in the field as an independent during its conference transition year.[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced) In the Athens Regional, Georgia went 3-0, beating Liberty 6-1 in the deciding game after Liberty had eliminated [Boston College](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-college) 8-3.[3](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship)
## Oklahoma's run to the title
Oklahoma entered the tournament with a 32-21 record as the No. 2 seed in the Atlanta Regional.[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced) The Sooners had lost their last four series of the regular season, then went on to knock off the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5 national seeds on the way to the title.[3](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship) In super regional play, Oklahoma beat Kansas 8-1 in one game of its series.[5](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20NCAA%20Division%20I%20Baseball%20Championship%20Bracket%20-%20thru%206-6.pdf)
**The finals.** North Carolina forced a winner-take-all Game 3 by holding Oklahoma to two runs in a 6-2 win on Sunday.[4](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html) In Monday night's Game 3, Oklahoma's offense responded with a 13-2 victory. Jackson [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) struck out the final three batters of the ninth inning to seal the championship.[4](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html) The win gave Oklahoma its first national title in over 30 years and third overall.[2](https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d1/oklahoma-captures-third-mcws-title-defeating-north-carolina-13-2)
**The SEC streak.** The championship extended the [Southeastern Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/southeastern-conference)'s run of Men's College World Series titles to seven consecutive tournaments.[4](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html) Oklahoma's move to the SEC placed the 2026 title within that streak.[4](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html)
## North Carolina's tournament
North Carolina hosted the Chapel Hill Regional as a No. 1 seed with a 45-11-1 record.[9](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced) Playing in Omaha on the night of Friday, June 12, North Carolina pulled away from a tight contest against [Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mississippi) in the eighth when Colin Hynek launched a home run with two runners aboard, and the Tar Heels went on to take the [College World Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-world-series) matchup 6-2.[6](https://wtop.com/sports/2026/06/colin-hyneks-3-run-hr-secures-north-carolinas-6-2-college-world-series-win-over-mississippi/) The Tar Heels advanced through the bracket to the finals, where they took Game 2 before losing the decisive Game 3.[4](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html)
## Other notable results
[West Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-virginia) (45-15) won its super regional 2-0 over Cal Poly, taking the two games 12-2 and 17-1, and advanced to the College World Series.[5](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20NCAA%20Division%20I%20Baseball%20Championship%20Bracket%20-%20thru%206-6.pdf) The Hattiesburg Regional was hosted by Southern Miss. (44-15) with Little Rock (36-26), Jacksonville State (46-13), and Virginia (36-21) as the other qualifiers.[10](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20Baseball%20-%2016%20regional%20bracket.pdf)
## References
1. [Sixteen regional sites selected for the 2026 DI baseball championship, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/sixteen-regional-sites-selected-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship)
2. [Oklahoma captures third MCWS title, defeating North Carolina 13-2, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d1/oklahoma-captures-third-mcws-title-defeating-north-carolina-13-2)
3. [Oklahoma wins the 2026 NCAA DI baseball championship, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-06-22/oklahoma-wins-2026-ncaa-di-baseball-championship)
4. [Oklahoma wins 2026 Men's College World Series, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/oklahoma-wins-2026-men-s-college-world-series.html)
5. [2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Bracket (thru 6-6), NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20NCAA%20Division%20I%20Baseball%20Championship%20Bracket%20-%20thru%206-6.pdf)
6. [Colin Hynek's 3-run HR secures North Carolina's 6-2 College World Series win over Mississippi, WTOP News](https://wtop.com/sports/2026/06/colin-hyneks-3-run-hr-secures-north-carolinas-6-2-college-world-series-win-over-mississippi/)
7. [Division I Baseball, NCAA.org](https://www.ncaa.org/championship/division-i/baseball/)
8. [Final college baseball bracket predictions before Monday's selections, according to D1Baseball, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-24/final-college-baseball-bracket-predictions-mondays-selections-according-d1baseball)
9. [2026 NCAA Division I baseball championship bracket announced, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2026-05-25/2026-ncaa-division-i-baseball-championship-bracket-announced)
10. [Baseball - 16 Regional brackets, NCAA.com](https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/2026%20Baseball%20-%2016%20regional%20bracket.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › College and amateur baseball › NCAA Division I baseball tournament*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license