How many 4 seeds have made the College World Series? Taking a closer look at CWS history

The College World Series is the pinnacle of collegiate baseball, and it sees the best of the best do battle. Each team that enters the College World Series has a seeding, serving as a great prelude to the action.

So, with the 2024 CWS on the horizon, let's examine the teams that punched well above their weight class.

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How many 4 seeds have made the College World Series?

According to NCAA.com, only three regional 4 seeds have made it to the College World Series since 1999. In contrast, 141 regional 1 seeds have made the CWS since 1999.

Furthermore, since 1999, the NCAA selection committee has designated the top eight teams in the field. Hence, it's easier to give teams seeding ahead of the CWS. Since this move by the NCAA, only 11 fourth seeds have made CWS appearances.

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How many 4 seeds have won the College World Series?

The current CWS format began in 1999 when the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament gave eight teams national seeds and allowed 64 teams into the main tournament. Since then, 17 of the 23 CWS champs were No. 1 seeds in their Regionals, two were No. 2, while three were No. 3.

The only No. 4 seed to reach the mountaintop and win it all is Fresno State, who won the CWS in 2008, thanks to a run for the ages.

The program began with winning the Western Athletic Conference and reaching the Long Beach Regionals. Then, Fresno State breezed through the Regionals before defeating Arizona State in three games in the Tempe Super Regional.

Next up was a trip to Omaha, where Fresno State had their work cut out. However, the Fresno Bulldogs weren't fazed, as they beat No. 6 Rice and No. 2 North Carolina in the quarters and semis, respectively, securing a finals date with the No. 8-ranked Georgia.

Fresno State lost the first game but won the next two to become the national champions. They remain the lowest seed to win a CWS title and the only No. 4 seed to achieve such a feat.