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The Boston College baseball team lost a bad game to NJIT in the opening game of a doubleheader on Sunday. They had plenty of opportunities to cancel that contest. They refused to run from competition.
In a day and age when cancellations are the norm, the Eagles chose to play. Unfortunately, they proved others right in their decisions to flee.
That loss could have direct impacts on the team’s chances of hosting an NCAA Regional. For a program not often affiliated with baseball success, that would be a significant blow.
Boston College is an NCAA Tournament team.
The Eagles entered the weekend at 35-16 and in third place in the ACC. They are safely in the postseason field. An opportunity to land a Top 16 seed was on the table with two series left to play.
The first came this weekend against NJIT. The Highlanders are not a good baseball team.
They boast an RPI that ranks 296th in the country having gone 15-27 through 42 games. A loss for Boston College would stain the NCAA Tournament resume.
To minimize the opportunity for a setback, the first game of the three-game set was cancelled. Saturday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather, though the Eagles opted to play a doubleheader rather than cancelling Game 2, too.
No one would’ve blamed Boston College for scrubbing the series altogether. Others around the country are doing so at a high rate.
In the ACC alone, we’ve seen Miami abruptly cancel a matchup with FIU just five hours before first pitch. NC State did the same to an HBCU earlier in the year.
The cancellations are a result of resume preservation. Teams, particularly those on the NCAA Tournament bubble, can’t afford a bad loss. It will end postseason pursuits.
The Eagles chose to compete… and lost.
Final
NJIT 8
BC 7— Boston College Baseball (@BCBirdBall) May 10, 2026
Boston College got in a quick 3-0 hole before battling back to take a 4-3 lead. A five-run fifth for the Highlanders blew the game open. They’d hold off a late Eagles run to win 8-7 on the road.
It will likely go down as one of the worst losses by a postseason participant this year. It could have direct impacts on the selection committee.
Boston College does have the luxury of a guaranteed spot in the field.
The RPI is Top 25 in the nation. They are in the top third of one of college baseball’s best leagues. Barring a winless finish to the season, they should be safe.
With that said, their seeding is all that remains unknown. A host opportunity is all but off the table. That’s disappointing for both fans and players.
Boston College had a strong baseball program in the 1960s, making three College World Series appearances. They’ve been largely irrelevant since.
The Eagles have played in the NCAA Tournament just three times since 1967. They have not hosted in any of those invites. This could’ve been a huge first.
Now, it may be lost.
Boston College could’ve run from competition. It chose to play. That might gain some respect from college baseball viewers, but at what expense?
The decision backfired in embarrassing fashion. We’ll see how the Eagles respond to the loss, and how their postseason outlook is affected.