Tennessee baseball projected as No. 1 overall seed in 2024 NCAA Tournament
HOOVER, Ala. − Tennessee baseball is playing for an SEC Tournament title, but it likely has secured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless of the outcome of Sunday's game against LSU.
D1 Baseball and Baseball America both project the Vols to be the nation's No. 1 overall seed when the bracket is announce Monday (noon ET, ESPN2).
It would be the second time in three years that Tennessee has been the top seed entering the tournament. UT was the No. 1 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament when it was bounced in a three-game Knoxville Super Regional against Notre Dame.
The Vols (49-11) face LSU (40-20) in the SEC Tournament title game at Hoover Met on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN2). Tennessee has been in the tournament title game three times in the past four years and won the 2022 title.
Why Tennessee baseball is projected to be the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament
Tennessee is No. 1 in the RPI entering Sunday's game. It also is the nation's winningest team with 49 wins, while no other team has more than 45.
The Vols won a share of the SEC regular-season title and advanced deeper into the SEC Tournament than any team that could threaten for the top seed.
D1 Baseball's projection for Tennessee baseball
D1 Baseball projects Tennessee will be the No. 1 national seed and host the Knoxville Regional. No. 4 Jackson State would be UT's first opponent. No. 2 UC Irvine and No. 3 Georgia Tech are projected as the other two teams in the regional.
The projections pair UT with the Starkville Regional and No. 16 national seed Mississippi State. Southern Miss, which UT beat in a 2023 super regional, is the No. 2 seed.
Baseball America's projection for Tennessee baseball
Baseball America also projects Tennessee will be the No. 1 national seed and host a regional at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. No. 4 Jackson State would be UT's first opponent. No. 2 UC Irvine and No. 3 Evansville are projected as the other two teams in the regional.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball projections: Vols No. 1 seed in 2024 NCAA Tournament
