NCAA Baseball Regionals 2013: North Carolina Named Top Seed After Stellar Season

The NCAA baseball regional tournaments for 2013 have officially been set in place, and the North Carolina Tar Heels have been honored as the overall No. 1 seed. The Tar Heels were rewarded with the top spot after finishing 52-8 in the regular season.

Eight losses in 60 games is unreal, especially for college players, who also apparently enjoy playing practical jokes on reporters after games; at least if you play for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

The creative Bearcats’ baseball team won’t be playing in the NCAA tournament this year, but there’s plenty of teams who could make a run for the College World Series.

The other top national seeds in the NCAA baseball regionals for 2013 are Vanderbilt, Oregon State, LSU, Cal State Fullerton, Virginia, Florida State and Oregon. The tournament will field 64-teams in 16 double-elimination regionals. Each regional will host four teams and games begin this Friday. Super regionals will be held next week, in a best of three format, and each winner will earn their spot in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Tar Heels are without a doubt the team to beat, though the 1999 Miami Hurricanes are the only No. 1 overall seed to make it all the way to the finals and win. While some consider college football’s BCS-style to be unfair for teams who are capable of winning championships but don’t get a bid, they certainly don’t have that problem in baseball.

The college baseball format gives unlikely teams an opportunity to make a run at the World Series, and in return makes the path that much more difficult for powerhouses like North Carolina and Vanderbilt.

The Arizona Wildcats won the National Championship last season, but they will miss the tournament this year for the first time since 2009. First-time participants, and complete underdogs at that, include Bryant, Canisius, Central Arkansas, Savannah State and South Dakota State.

Bryant, located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, is particularly an interesting case, as they are in their first year of eligibility after making the move from Division II before the season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels will have the spotlight when the regionals begin this Friday as they hope to advance and eventually win their first title ever.

Will North Carolina advance out of the NCAA baseball regionals in 2013 to make a run at the College World Series?

[Image via Creative Commons]