The 2026 NCAA baseball tournament regionals began with 64 teams vying for a spot in the College World Series, and the opening weekend delivered major surprises.
Top overall seed UCLA was eliminated by Saint Mary's in a 6-5, 10-inning thriller on May 31, marking one of the biggest upsets in recent tournament history.
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UCLA had held the No. 1 spot throughout the regular season, but early tournament action proved that nothing is guaranteed on the road to Omaha.
Other top seeds also faced challenges.
No. 4 Auburn lost its opener to Milwaukee 13-8, while No. 9 Southern Miss fell to Little Rock 7-4.
No. 10 Florida State was upset by St. John's 6-5, and No. 14 Mississippi State handled its opener but faced a tough regional final against Louisiana.
The SEC, which had five of the last six national champions, placed seven teams as regional hosts.
However, LSU missed the tournament despite winning two of the previous three titles, ensuring a new champion will be crowned.
Key Regional Results
In the Los Angeles Regional, Saint Mary's eliminated UCLA after Cal Poly dominated Saint Mary's 14-1 earlier. Saint Mary's then faced Cal Poly for the regional title.
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The Hattiesburg Regional saw Little Rock and Jacksonville State advance, with Jacksonville State eliminating Virginia 7-6 on May 31.
In Gainesville, No. 8 Florida defeated Miami 22-10 but later lost to Troy 16-11, forcing a final game on Monday.
No. 5 North Carolina advanced from the Chapel Hill Regional by defeating East Carolina 9-3 on May 31.
No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 13 Nebraska both advanced to their respective regional finals, while No. 2 Georgia Tech and No. 15 Kansas also remained undefeated.
No. 6 Texas clinched its regional with a 6-4 win over UCSB on May 31, and No. 11 Oregon faced Oregon State in the Eugene Regional final.
The regionals continue through June 1, with winners advancing to the super regionals scheduled for June 5-8.
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The College World Series in Omaha runs from June 12 to June 21 or 22.
