How to Make Seeding More Interesting for NCAA Baseball and Softball Tourneys

[HawaiiClone]

I just realized that the NCAA baseball and softball tournaments could have teams seeded 1-8 using the top 8 teams nationally as the one seeds. This would allow fans to know just by looking at the seeds when big upsets take place like in the basketball tournaments. The eight number 1 seeds would play the 4, 5 and 8 seeds in half of the first weekend's regionals (rgnls) while the 8 number 2 seeds would play the 3, 6 and 7 seeds in the other 1/2 of the first weekend's rgnls.

 

[theshadow]

Why?

Only 16 teams get seeded. They also get to host.

Anyone else winning/advancing is an upset. Pretty simple stuff.

 

[HawaiiClone]

Why?

Only 16 teams get seeded. They also get to host.

Anyone else winning/advancing is an upset. Pretty simple stuff.

Yeah, winning if you are not seeded is an upset, but this would show just how much of an upset it is. An 8 seed beating a 1 seed is a more significant upset than a 4 seed beating a 5 seed.

 

[HawaiiClone]

Why?

Only 16 teams get seeded. They also get to host.

Anyone else winning/advancing is an upset. Pretty simple stuff.

Watching the breakdown of the NCAA Softball Regionals on 'Rally Cap' on the SEC Network and they show i.e. a regional where Team A is nationally seeded number 7 and then there are three other teams that aren't seeded at all. It would help if those teams were at least seeded somewhere between 17 and 64 so we could get a sense of how much of an upset it is if they beat the 7th seeded team.

 

[HawaiiClone]

Why?

Only 16 teams get seeded. They also get to host.

Anyone else winning/advancing is an upset. Pretty simple stuff.

Going with this method, the NCAA Basketball tournaments could only have the top 16 teams seeded and any other teams winning would be an upset. However, we wouldn't know how much of an upset it was when the unseeded teams won.

 

[HawaiiClone]

I just realized that the NCAA baseball and softball tournaments could have teams seeded 1-8 using the top 8 teams nationally as the one seeds. This would allow fans to know just by looking at the seeds when big upsets take place like in the basketball tournaments. The eight number 1 seeds would play the 4, 5 and 8 seeds in half of the first weekend's regionals (rgnls) while the 8 number 2 seeds would play the 3, 6 and 7 seeds in the other 1/2 of the first weekend's rgnls.

Here's a sample of what it would like to have the seeding more closely resemble the seeding for the basketball tournament:

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Don't mess with something that isn't broken. I love the pod system baseball/softball uses. Even though the host school has a significant advantage teams get upset all the time, especially in baseball.

 

[HawaiiClone]

Don't mess with something that isn't broken. I love the pod system baseball/softball uses. Even though the host school has a significant advantage teams get upset all the time, especially in baseball.

This keeps the system the same. It just puts a seeding next to each team's name that makes it easier to see where they were seeded versus the rest of the tourney field.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

This keeps the system the same. It just puts a seeding next to each team's name that makes it easier to see where they were seeded versus the rest of the tourney field.

There are zero reasons to seed teams outside of the top 16.

 

[HawaiiClone]

There are zero reasons to seed teams outside of the top 16.

Not true. I would like to hear one reason why it wouldn't be good to see how much of an upset it is when a lower seeded team upsets a higher seeded team. In basketball, it adds a lot to be able to see that a 14 seed beat a 3 seed since it tells you that the 14 seed had a big upset. We're being cheated out of that story being told in baseball unless the person calling the game bothers to research it and explain it to the audience. In my time watching regionals, the guys calling the games hardly ever bother to do that. It's almost always more of a small recognition that there was an upset without the emphasis of it being a big upset.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Not true. I would like to hear one reason why it wouldn't be good to see how much of an upset it is when a lower seeded team upsets a higher seeded team. In basketball, it adds a lot to be able to see that a 14 seed beat a 3 seed since it tells you that the 14 seed had a big upset. We're being cheated out of that story being told in baseball unless the person calling the game bothers to research it and explain it to the audience. In my time watching regionals, the guys calling the games hardly ever bother to do that. It's almost always more of a small recognition that there was an upset without the emphasis of it being a big upset.

You are completely over estimating how many people care about the degree of an upset in college baseball.

 

[HawaiiClone]

You are completely over estimating how many people care about the degree of an upset in college baseball.

How do you know how much I am estimating the interest to be? Even if it's not super high, there is enough interest to make the seeding worthwhile.

 

[theshadow]

They don't actually seed any teams past the top 16, so you're asking for an artificial number in order to help you understand what's happening.

It's an odd hill to choose.

 

[HawaiiClone]

They don't actually seed any teams past the top 16, so you're asking for an artificial number in order to help you understand what's happening.

It's an odd hill to choose.

They seed the teams 1-4 in each sub regional. I am just saying they could instead do seeding which would help the tv viewer see that there was for example an 8 seed that won a sub regional and then went on to beat the 2 seed in the super regional.

 

[hawksuck75]

I worked in D1 college baseball for a number of years and I can tell you that the reason they only seed the top 16 in baseball/softball (used to just seed the top 8) is due to travel and putting more regional matchups rather than ranking the top 64 teams. These programs don't have the funds or fanbases to make cross-country travel happen so they don't number all 64 to help create a little more regionality to the tournaments. Its not 100% all regionality but you do see that if you look at previous brackets.

People do know that it is a big upset when a 3 or 4 comes out of a regional or makes it to Omaha. Would it be nice to seed all 64, yes it would make the bracket more fair. That being said it would be too costly for a non-revenue sport to do that.

 

[HawaiiClone]

I worked in D1 college baseball for a number of years and I can tell you that the reason they only seed the top 16 in baseball/softball (used to just seed the top 8) is due to travel and putting more regional matchups rather than ranking the top 64 teams. These programs don't have the funds or fanbases to make cross-country travel happen so they don't number all 64 to help create a little more regionality to the tournaments. Its not 100% all regionality but you do see that if you look at previous brackets.

People do know that it is a big upset when a 3 or 4 comes out of a regional or makes it to Omaha. Would it be nice to seed all 64, yes it would make the bracket more fair. That being said it would be too costly for a non-revenue sport to do that.

Yeah, unfortunately baseball doesn't make enough money now. And then you have AAA baseball which is controlled by the major league squads which have made it so there isn't the same level of interest as there is in the highest levels of college basketball and football.

 

[hawksuck75]

Yeah, unfortunately baseball doesn't make enough money now. And then you have AAA baseball which is controlled by the major league squads which have made it so there isn't the same level of interest as there is in the highest levels of college basketball and football.

It's definitely more of a regional college sport baring some unique spots around the country. AAA baseball actually isn't controlled by MLB. All MLB does is send coaches and players to these teams. Most minor league clubs are owned by business conglomerates that own a number of minor league teams throughout the country.

For example the Iowa Cubs are owned by Endevor Group which is the same company that owns the UFC and is basically the parent company of WME and IMG sports agencies.

 

[HawaiiClone]

It's definitely more of a regional college sport baring some unique spots around the country. AAA baseball actually isn't controlled by MLB. All MLB does is send coaches and players to these teams. Most minor league clubs are owned by business conglomerates that own a number of minor league teams throughout the country.

For example the Iowa Cubs are owned by Endevor Group which is the same company that owns the UFC and is basically the parent company of WME and IMG sports agencies.

Interesting about the ICubs ownership.

I have heard though that the Big League squad will tell the AAA squad to use the players in a way that isn't always in the best interest of getting wins for the team. This makes it less desirable for fandom. To add to this, losing some of the best players to the major league team is a bummer for fans. However, one could argue that the player who is sent down from the majors could step up and help the team win.

 

[BryceC]

I don't want to be disrespectful to the players that are there, but AAA baseball is basically a graveyard for guys who just aren't quite good enough for MLB. AA is where the action is now - a lot of guys refine there games there and go straight to MLB or they just spend a very short time with the AAA affiliate before heading to the majors.

The difference between AAA starters and MLB bench guys is pretty small. Honestly probably wouldn't make a big difference.

 

[hawksuck75]

I don't want to be disrespectful to the players that are there, but AAA baseball is basically a graveyard for guys who just aren't quite good enough for MLB. AA is where the action is now - a lot of guys refine there games there and go straight to MLB or they just spend a very short time with the AAA affiliate before heading to the majors.

The difference between AAA starters and MLB bench guys is pretty small. Honestly probably wouldn't make a big difference.

Correct regarding Triple-A. It is the G-League of Pro Baseball at this point. Double-A does have a way better game with all the young prospects coming through there. Believe thats why college baseball can thrive in the right communities because the games/rosters actually matter like College Football/Basketball etc.