NCAA Baseball Super Regionals rules: Everything you need to know

The NCAA Baseball Super Regionals are around the corner, and it's a great time to be a college baseball fan. There will be highlights, upsets and much more as we've reached the business end of the season.

Hence, we only need to refresh your memory on the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals Rules.

---

NCAA Baseball Super Regionals Rules

Here's a look at some essential NCAA Baseball Super Regionals rules:

Mercy Rule in NCAA Baseball Super Regionals

While the SEC added a 10-run rule ahead of the 2023 college baseball season, and other conferences followed suit ahead of the 2024 college baseball season, postseason baseball still needs to hear the memo.

Hence, there's no mercy rule in postseason college baseball and, by extension, no Mercy Rule in NCAA Baseball Super Regionals.

According to Section 79 of the 2023-2024 NCAA Baseball Rules Book, there's no rule created to end a game early.

"SECTION 79. Either by conference rule or mutual consent of both coaches before the game, a contest may be stopped only after seven innings if one squad is ahead by at least ten runs. Each squad must play an equal amount of innings unless shortened because the home squad needs none or just part of its half of the final inning."

Pitching Regulations

Ahead of the 2023 college baseball season, the NCAA announced some new pitch clock regulations to help speed up the pace of games.

At the NCAA level, pitchers have 20 seconds to make a pitch with no runners on base. In a scenario where there are runners on base, a pitcher is required to begin the motion of pitching or make a pickoff to avoid a clock violation.

Furthermore, pitchers can take a step-off or fake throw to a base per hitter for the clock to rest. Hence, the clock can be reset if a defense member acts for a timeout and the umpire grants it. One of such is allowed per hitter, as well. Unlimited step-offs and pickoff attempts are no longer allowed in NCAA baseball.

The NCAA approved the requirements for every Division I game to have at least one "action clock" visible on the field by January 1, 2024. The requirement is for a visible clock for Division II and II begins on January 1, 2025.

---

How do the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals Work?

TheSuper Regionals begin after the Regionals. The Regionals' first round features 64 teams split into 16 brackets. The teams go through a double-elimination process until 16 teams proceed to the Super Regionals.

The 16 Regional winners proceed to the Super Regionals, placing them into eight pairings. The pairings will see the teams play a best-of-three series. The winners proceed to the Men's College World Series.

---

Historical performances of top seeds in NCAA Baseball Super Regionals

The NCAA awards eight teams with a national seed. Look at how the past 10 top seeds' performances in the NCAA Baseball Super Regionals:

• 2024: Tennessee - Did not make the Men's College World Series
• 2023: Wake Forest - Made the Men's College World Series
• 2022: Tennessee - Did not make the Men's College World Series
• 2021: Arkansas - Did not make the Men's College World Series
• 2019: UCLA - Did not make the Men's College World Series
• 2018: Florida - Made the Men's College World Series
• 2017: Oregon State - Made the Men's College World Series
• 2016: Florida - Made the Men's College World Series
• 2015: UCLA - Did not make the Men's College World Series
• 2014: Oregon State - Did not make the Men's College World Series