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The Oregon State baseball team will host an NCAA regional as a Top 8 seed in the postseason tournament field. Rival Oregon did not receive the same treatment.
Despite sweeping a regular season series, the Ducks were left out of the Top 8 conversation. They will host a regional as a 12-seed, but their Super Regional fate remains unclear.
The NCAA Baseball Tournament bracket sees 64 total teams selected with 16 host teams. The field is split into four-team pods with those one-seeds being able to play the opening round in their home ballparks.
The 16 winners of Regional play then move onto the Super Regionals. The Top 8 national seeds get priority in hosting the second round should they advance.
Oregon State will receive that benefit after grabbing the eighth seed in the NCAA Tournament field. Despite being forced to play as an independent following the PAC 12’s demise, they assembled a strong schedule to build a top-notch regular season resume.
The Beavers earned wins over Virgina, Baylor, Cal Poly, and UC Irvine. They bested Big Ten teams Washington, Iowa, Ohio State, Rutgers, and UCLA. The results helped Oregon State build an RPI that ranked seventh in the nation.
They did not, however, beat rival Oregon. The Ducks were co-champions in their first Big Ten season. They swept the Beavers in a four-game set that wasn’t particularly close.
Oregon State was outscored 28-9 in that series. Oregon grabbed immediate bragging rights. They were not rewarded for the rivalry dominance by the NCAA selection committee.
The Ducks were given the No. 12 seed. They will host the Regional round but could be forced to travel to Chapel Hill if North Carolina wins its opening round. The selection committee provided insight on its decision after the fact.
Committee on why Oregon State over Oregon while Oregon was 4-0 vs the Beavs pic.twitter.com/iLTMmASjjQ
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 26, 2025
The Ducks were not compared directly to the Beavers said the committee chair. Other factors were at play.
That outcome likely made some on the Oregon side sick. Oregon State, meanwhile, will celebrate. They got the last laugh!
The Ducks’ decision to bail on the PAC 12 left the Beavers on the outside looking in when it came to conference realignment. Oregon State could not find a new league while watching Oregon nab a spot in the lucrative Big Ten.
Despite not have a baseball conference, Oregon State played a tougher schedule than the Ducks, which ironically included a number of Oregon’s opponents. The head-to-head results didn’t come into play.
The Beavers now have a path to the College World Series that runs through Corvallis. Oregon could have to play on the road in order to win a national title.