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UNC outfielder Reece Holbrook was seen ripping the selection committee following its unveiling of the 2024 NCAA baseball tournament field. While his Tar Heels made it safely into the bracket with a No. 4 overall seeding, he took offense to one particular snub that was left out of the event.
The College of Charleston Cougars were omitted despite posting a 41-win season. Holbrook’s father, Chad, is the head coach.
The regular season CAA champs were left out of the field after falling to UNC Wilmington in the conference tournament final. The snub was one that was highly debated after the fact.
While strength of schedule didn’t rank as high as other bubble squads, the production on the field was undeniable. The Cougars finished the regular season on a 26-3 run, taking series from UNCW and Northeastern in the process.
CofC also boasted series wins over tournament teams Wofford and Penn.
Instead, Charleston was passed over for programs like Coastal Carolina, Florida, Kansas State, and Indiana. Interestingly enough, each of those teams had athletic directors on the committee, sparking a widespread conspiracy relating to the selection process.
After learning his team’s fate, Chad Holbrook blasted the NCAA by saying, “It appears the only metric we didn’t have was a representative with a voice in the room.”
College of Charleston coach Chad Holbrook reacts after missing the NCAA Regionals with a 41-14 overall record.pic.twitter.com/qM4mA7HQ5M
— Prospect Dugout (@prospectdugout) May 28, 2024
That opinion was felt by many, including his son.
UNC baseball player Reece Holbrook ripped the committee for its NCAA Tournament decision.
Shortly after hearing of the snub, as well as his father’s response to the situation, the Tar Heel posted a message on his X timeline.
“Such a joke,” the outfielder wrote. “Clearly not putting in teams based on résumé alone.”
The snub also landed a reply from UNC Wilmington coach Randy Hood, who effectively ended the Cougars’ season in the conference tournament championship game.
Here is @CoachHood17 of @UNCWBaseball voicing support for the @CAASports after @CofCBaseball & @GoNUbaseball were left out of the NCAA Tournament.
NU had an RPI of 35 and CoC finished 42 but were not selected to be in the group of 64 teams competing for a national championship. pic.twitter.com/2juqvZQNuZ
— Jake Eichstaedt (@Jake25Eich) May 27, 2024
College of Charleston joined Lamar as one of the few 40-win teams to be left out of the field. Conference affiliation and committee representation seem to have played a major part!
Reece will be the only Holbrook competing in the NCAA baseball tournament due to the Cougars’ omission. His Tar Heels will host LSU, Wofford, and Long Island in the Regional round.