PREMIUM ANALYSIS: Thursday's RPI Report
CONFERENCE TOURNEY COVERAGE: Tourney schedule/results | Automatic bids
Conference tournaments can mean everything to some and very little to others. But all teams would like to enter the NCAA tournament playing a solid brand of baseball.
Bubble teams such as N.C. State, Kansas State and Mercer took steps forward on Wednesday with solid victories, while several teams, including SEC clubs Georgia and Auburn, suddenly are in rough shape.
We take an inside look back at Wednesday's conference tourney action.
Helped their case
N.C. State: The Wolfpack entered the ACC tournament barely on the good side of the bubble. However, they took a step forward on Wednesday with a 7-0 win over Florida State. The win likely put the Wolfpack in the NCAA field for good, but one more win this week would solidify their position.
Clemson: The Tigers were behind Arkansas in the NCAA Regional hosting pecking order entered Wednesday, but they gained some serious ground with a dominant win over Georgia Tech while the Hogs suffered a setback to Alabama. Clemson earned its 40th win of the season with the triumph over the Yellow Jackets.
Kansas State: The Wildcats barely were on the good side of the bubble this week, and they started the Big 12 tournament in solid fashion with a triumph over favorite Oklahoma. The Wildcats likely would punch their ticket to the postseason with a win over Texas A&M on Thursday.
Mercer: Wednesday was the perfect storm in the Bears' favor. They earned a solid 6-4 win over Kennesaw State while East Tennessee State suffered a tough setback to Jacksonville. The Bears probably need to win two more games in the Atlantic Sun tournament to be safe, but one more win might do it with a weaker than usual bubble.
St. John's: The Johnnies still have some work to do with an RPI of 50 and a weak overall postseason resume, but they took at least one step forward on Wednesday with an 8-3 win over Cincinnati. It's my thought the Johnnies need to reach the Big East tournament title game to have a better than average chance at an NCAA tournament berth.
Illinois State: Mark Kingston's Redbirds have done some nice things this season. They began the Missouri Valley tournament in solid fashion with a 4-3 win over Evansville. The Redbirds have an RPI of 58 with some work to do, but they have a decent chance to reach the MVC tourney title game.
Hurt their case
Auburn: The Tigers put themselves in a bad situation on Wednesday with a 7-3 setback to top SEC tournament seed South Carolina. With the loss, the Tigers dropped to one game over .500, meaning they must beat Georgia in an elimination game to be eligible for the NCAA tournament.
Georgia: It's safe to say the Bulldogs aren't expected to finish the season above .500. The Bulldogs entered Wednesday with a .500 record, but played a horrible brand of baseball in a 10-0 loss to Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs now are 28-29 and must win at least three games the rest of the week to be eligible for the NCAA tournament.
Florida State: The Seminoles, along with ACC foe Georgia Tech, Rice and Texas A&M are in the mix for a national seed, but took a step back on Wednesday with a tough setback to N.C. State. The 'Noles need to finish pool play with two wins to feel confident about their national seed situation.
Georgia Tech: While FSU took a small step back from a national seed standpoint on Wednesday, it wasn't alone. The Yellow Jackets were dominated by Clemson and now have some work to do the rest of the week to be in good shape from a national seed standpoint. Tech finishes pool play with games against N.C. State and FSU.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders entered the Big 12 tournament with a respectable RPI and overall record, but still have much work to do from a postseason resume standpoint. Tech, though, took a step back on Wednesday. Despite leading Texas A&M 5-0 in the middle innings, the Red Raiders dropped a 10-5 decision to the Aggies. Tech needs two win two or three games the rest of the week to make the NCAA tournament.
Rice: The Owls were a national seed in our latest projections this week, but started the Conference USA tournament with a bad loss to nemesis UAB. With the loss, the Owls can ill afford to lose another game in pool play to retain a national seed going into Selection Monday.
Arkansas: The Hogs are in the mix for an NCAA Regional host, but took a step back on Wednesday with a tough setback to Alabama. The Hogs got a double whammy, too, with Clemson earning a dominant win over Georgia Tech. The Hogs must avoid going 0-2 in the SEC tournament to keep their hosting chances alive and well.
Tulane: The Green Wave entered the Conference USA tournament as a long shot to reach the NCAA tournament, and they made their situation even more difficult with a tough 6-1 setback to Southern Mississippi. With the loss, the Green Wave has an RPI of 67 with a 30-25 overall record. In other words, the Green Wave very much is a long shot at this point.
East Tennessee State: The Buccaneers had a golden opportunity to earn a huge win over Jacksonville, but fell short of a victory. Though ETSU still sits pretty in the RPI department at 35, it simply doesn't have a postseason resume without winning a few games in the A-Sun tournament. ETSU is now 7-15 vs. RPI Top 100 teams. That's not a postseason-worthy resume.
Southeastern Louisiana: The Lions picked a bad time for a huge loss. They dropped a disappointing 12-0 decision to Sam Houston State at the Southland Conference tournament and now have an RPI of 52. The Lions have some work to do the rest of the week to make the NCAA tournament. Going 0-2 in the conference tourney would spell doom for Jay Artiness' club.
Florida Atlantic: The Owls were on the good side of the bubble in our NCAA projections this week, but that may change later this week if they don't start taking care of business. FAU dropped a disappointing 11-10 decision to Western Kentucky and still has two games against Troy and Arkansas-Little Rock. The Owls have some tough work ahead.
Texas State: There's a legitimate chance the Bobcats miss the NCAA postseason should they go 0-2 or 1-2 in the SLC tournament. The Bobcats have a solid RPI of 49 and are 15-13 vs. RPI Top 100, both good marks. However, going 0-2 in a tournament hosted at their ballpark could be a step back impossible to overcome.
Kendall Rogers is the college baseball editor for Perfect Game USA and has covered the sport for over 10 seasons. He can be reached at kendall@perfectgame.org