College Baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily fulfill that role. Unlike football and basketball, players do not have to go to college to turn professional. However, if they enroll at a four-year college, they must complete three years to regain eligibility, unless they reach age 21 before starting their third year of attendance. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level, with one notable example of such a player being Bryce Harper. There are over 280 NCAA Division I teams alone throughout the country (College). All of these teams face the same rules, obstacles, restrictions, and more throughout the year.

As with other U.S. intercollegiate sports, most college baseball is played under the auspices of the NCAA or the NAIA. College and university baseball teams that are club teams are organized under the National Club Baseball Association. The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending tournaments. The final rounds of the NCAA tournaments are known as the College World Series; one is held on each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA. The College World Series for Division I takes place in Omaha, Nebraska in June, following the regular season. The playoff bracket for Division I consists of 64 teams, with four teams playing at each of 16 regional sites (in a double-elimination format). The 16 winners advance to the Super Regionals at eight sites, played head-to-head in a best-of-three series. The eight winners then advance to the College World Series, a double elimination tournament (actually two separate four-team brackets) to determine the two national finalists. The finalists play a best-of-three series to determine the Division I national champion. In 2012, the winner of the College World Series was the Arizona Wildcats.