2022 ASUN ALL CONFERENCE and Tourney Preview

The schedule is now set for the 2022 ASUN Tournament but when the event kicks off on Tuesday morning at 11:00 AM the only thing that is certain is that if you think you know what is going to happen, you most certainly do not.  Such is the history of the ASUN Baseball Tournament.  A history that I have gotten to know well over the last 10 years first as an Assistant Coach at Kennesaw State and now in my first year of Broadcasting.  I will dive into that history a little more at the end of this article.  Before doing so, lets look at who should garner All-Conference honors for 2022 in the ASUN.  While I no longer have a vote, and I am not sure if they are voting within divisions or not, I am going to pick who I think deserve the superlatives, 1st and 2nd team, along with the All-Freshman team.  With the politics and shenanigans that sometimes take place in this voting, my team should prove to be an objective view of how the All-Conference honors should shake out.  The actual team should be announced sometime on Monday.  ***Projected winners of the Superlatives are bolded***. 

Coach of the Year

 This is a very competitive award that can be debated quite a bit.  In a normal year without Divisional play, the award would usually (not always) go to the Head Coach of the team who wins the regular season championship.  The Divisional play changes things a little bit but before giving you who I think should win here are a few that deserve some consideration. 

Chris Protho EKU

 After taking over the team in the Fall of 2020 he lead them to a 21-32 record in his first year.  He has followed that up with a 35-19 mark this year including a 20-10 mark to tie a top the ASUN West standings.  Those 35 wins tie a school record which dates all the way back to 1999 while the .648 winning % is the best in nearly 2 decades for the Colonels.  While Protho is not who I would lean towards for the Coach of the Year, no one can argue if he does win, as what he has accomplished this year is certainly worthy.

Jeff Forehand Lipscomb

 After what proved to be a very tough 2021 for the Bison of Lipscomb with an overall 18-29 record and 8-13 in ASUN North Play, Forehand’s Bison answered back in a big way in 2022 winning the ASUN West Division after an 0-5 start to Conference play.  They closed the regular season by winning 9 of their last 11 conference games en route to the West Division’s number 1 seed.  Just like Protho, Forehand is not my pick for Coach of the Year but if he does win, he is very deserving and I personally would be a fan of him winning. 

Ryan Coe Kennesaw State

 In my opinion, while the competition is very stiff, Ryan Coe in his first year at the helm of the Owls program should be the 2022 ASUN Baseball Coach of the Year.  It is never easy to follow a legend and that is exactly what Coe had to do following the storied career of Mike Sansing.  Coe has been more than up to the challenge.  Leading his 2022 Owls to as high as 10th in RPI during the year.  What is even more impressive is that he was not named the Owls Skipper until late in the 2021 Summer, inheriting a team that lost its top 5 hitters and top 2 starters from 2021.  What he and his staff has been able to accomplish is nothing short of amazing en route to a share of the ASUN East Division title. Coe’s Owls capped of the season in winning fashion as well using a series win on the road in Lynchburg the final weekend to accomplish the feat.  Other than a series where the Flames were without their top 2 offensive players vs Stetson, the Owls are the only team to take a series from them in Lynchburg since Liberty entered the league. 

ASUN Player of the Year

 This may be the toughest of all the awards the coaches will have to vote on.  Never in my history associated with the league, and arguably never in the history of the league, have there been this many players deserving of this recognition.  As I weighed out all the many deserving candidates, I took into heavy consideration the Teams final standing and the player’s overall impact on his club. 

Matt Higgins SR OF Bellarmine University

 Hitting .366 overall (7th)  and .421 in conference play (2nd) with 22 HRs (1st) and 61 RBI’s (T-2nd) on the year is one of the more impressive stat lines in the country not just the ASUN.  What is even more impressive for Higgins is that he was far and away the biggest threat in the Knights order.  Throw in 15 sb’s and a .1000 fielding percentage and Higgins proved he was a complete player.  The only thing that could possibly hold him back from this award is the Knights overall team performance.

Ian Farrow Soph OF FGCU

 Hitting .328 overall (12th) and .360 in conference play (11th) with 20 HRs (2nd) and 71 RBI’s (1st) on the year and authoring one of the more impressive weekends on the year 6-9 3 HR 12 RBI vs KSU May 7-8 is another very strong candidate for player of the year.  One hurdle for Farrow to navigate will be getting the Eagles POY nod over teammates Alejandro Figueredo (conferences leading hitter) and Brian Ellis (currently has a 66 game on base streak working heading into the tournament).  Should ASUN Coaches chose Farrow as Player of the Year very few could argue such a decision. 

Kendal Ewell Soph OF EKU

 Hitting .386 overall (3rd) and .451 in conference play (1st) with 14 HR (6th) and 50 RBI’s (14th) on the year Ewell has a stat line that while no doubt garner him several 1st place votes in Player of the Year honors.  His .451 avg in conference play leads the league by 30 points over Bellarmine’s Higgins.  His Colonels finished tied for 1st in the ASUN West.  If there is any knock on Ewell at all it is his .940 fielding percentage as an OF but very few of the Coaches will look at that. 

Alejandro Figueredo JR INF FGCU

 Hitting .398 overall (1st) and .382 in conference play (6th) with 13 HR (9th) and 61 RBI’s (T-2nd) on the year Figueredo has been the anchor of the Eagles order.  Figueredo hitting behind Ian Farrow has been a big reason Farrow has been able to put up the numbers he has.  Figueredo has had his own protection in ASUN veteran Joe Kinker in one of the conference’s deepest and most explosive lineups.  As with Farrow, Figueredo has big time competition coming just to get his team’s nomination.  If Figueredo does get the nod of the Eagles, you can’t argue much if he takes home the award as the ASUN’s best player. 

Josh Hatcher SR OF Kennesaw State

 Hitting .397 overall (2nd) and .411 in conference play (3rd) with 9 HR (20th) and 46 RBI (17th) Hatcher also leads the ASUN in hits with 96 and doubles with 25.  No player as garnered more national attention for the ASUN or rewrote the record books more than Hatcher in 2022.  He became just the 3rd player in NCAA D1 History to have 2 cycles in one season.  The former National Champion did not stop there breaking the KSU single season doubles record with 25 and KSU record for doubles in a game with 4.  If coaches, choose to vote for the best overall player from one of the 4 teams that finished atop their Divisional standings Hatcher is the choice in my opinion.  If they do not take this into consideration, I think it still comes down to Higgins and Hatcher and both are deserving of such an honor. 

ASUN Pitcher of the Year

 Normally this award is a hotly contested award in the ASUN conference. 2013 and 2021 were 2 of the tightest races as ETSU’s Kerry Doane and Kennesaw’s Stephan Janas dueled it out in 2013 while Liberty’s Trevor Delaite and Kennesaw’s Jake Rice duked it out in 2021 with the Owls coming up just short both times.  Other times you see someone dominate the award and make themselves the clear-cut winner like Logan Gilbert did in 2017 and 2018.  In 2022 it seemed as if no one really wanted to win this award. 

Isaiah Magwood Jacksonville State

 Magwood finished tied atop the ASUN in wins among pitchers with 7.   6 of those wins came in conference play in which he had a 6-2 record and proved to be very good down the stretch leading the Gamecock team to an ASUN tournament birth.  Magwood also finished 2nd in the league with a 2.68 ERA.  In a year where no one came close to double digit wins Magwood could be in the conversation for Pitcher of the Year. 

Joe Adametz III Liberty

Adametz only finished the year with a 6-3 record but that was no fault of his own.  He lead the ASUN in overall ERA at 2.02 and Conference ERA at 1.94.  The biggest knock against Adametz and one that has proved to hurt a few ASUN Pitcher of the Year hopefuls in the past is that he did not throw on Friday nights.  Gilbert won the award as a Sunday guy for Stetson in 2017, could Adametz follow suit?

Garrett Horn FR Liberty

 I am going to make the bold prediction that Horn could win a Conference Pitcher of the Year award before his career is over should the injury that has kept him out the past few weeks prove to be minor.  Unfortunately, it probably will not come this year or in the ASUN with Liberty’s impending departure.  However, Horn was arguably the most dominant arm in the league in 2022 with a 6-1 record in only 7 starts and a dazzling 1.93 ERA while striking out an eye popping 80 hitters in just 51.1 innings pitched.  He leads the league in K/per9 at 13.61 in conference play.  Had he been in the rotation longer or not missed the last 2 weeks he may be the front runner for the award.

Tyler Cleveland Central Arkansas

 Cleveland is tied for the league in wins (7), leads in innings pitched (95.1) , strikeouts (101), strikeouts in conference play (77), and complete games (4).  His ERA of 2.93 ranks 3rd while is conference ERA of 2.53 also ranks 3rd.  He started opening day and took the ball every Friday night for the Bears.  Combine that with the stats above, and in my opinion he should hear his name called as ASUN Pitcher of the Year. 

ASUN Defensive Player of the Year

The Defensive Player of the Year award is always one that has intrigued me in the league.  In my opinion this award should never go to an OF or 1B although you see them nominated a lot and win.  Exceptions could be made for a premium defensive CF who changes the game and takes runs off the board with his defensive prowess.  Otherwise, I think this award should go to the best infielder or catcher in the league. 

Tyler Simon SR SS Kennesaw State

 One may have to see Tyler Simon day in and day out over the last 5 years to appreciate him for the amazing defensive value he brings the Owls as I do.  2022 proved to be statistically the season he made the most errors in his career but some of those are a result of having more range than most.  His ability to make the Sportscenter Top 10 play look routine is unparalleled but many coaches may not be able to look past his 2022 error total of 13. 

Alex Carignan C Jacksonville State

Carignan has set himself apart as arguably the best all-around backstop in the entire ASUN.  Making only 1 error in 332 chances with just 3 passed balls on the year is impressive stuff.  Combine that with nailing nearly 60% of would-be base stealers and he should definitely be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. 

Christian Pregent C Stetson

 What Christian Pregent has been able to do behind the plate defensively the last 2 years has been nothing short of amazing.  In 680 chances the last 2 seasons he has only a single error which came last year.  This year alone he is errorless in 338 chances with just 2 passed balls.  On top of all that he has caught nearly 60% of base stealers on the year and a league leading 16 overall.  In my opinion, Pregent is a great choice for ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.

Freshman of the Year

Freshman of the Year is another award and vote that could prove to be very tight.  There are some coaches in the league that believe that this award should go to a position player and they will vote that way.  The vote does not always play out that way however as the last 2 Freshman of the Year Award winners have been pitchers with Liberty’s Trey Gibson in 2021 and Stetson’s Daniel Paret in 2019.  These 2 winners come after a run of position players won the award including one of the ASUN’s finest ever FGCU’s Richie Garcia.  There have been CO-Players of the Year in the past (2017 Co-Defensive Players of the Year KSU’s Grant Williams and Lipscomb’s Michael Giglioti) and I am calling for it here again. 

Garrett Horn FR LHP Liberty 

As mentioned above in consideration for Pitcher of the Year honors Garret Horn should be a tremendous player for the Flames moving forward provided, he stays healthy.  Throwing on Friday nights as a freshman in the ASUN does not happen often and Horn was exceptional in the role.  A 6-1 overall record and ERA under 2 while averaging over 14 k’s per 9 innings will put Horn squarely in the mix for this award.  Had he been able to make his last 2 starts he may have been the second consecutive Liberty pitcher to win the ASUN Freshman of the Year.  If he does win you cannot argue the decision one bit.

AJ Causey FR RHP/1B Jacksonville State

Just as you do not see many freshmen pitching on Friday night’s in the ASUN, you do not see many 2 way guys either, let alone one who closes for his team.  AJ Causey did both this year for the Gamecocks.  While he was limited to only 28 at-bats he had 24 appearances on the mound with a 4-4 record and 8 saves good enough for 4th in the ASUN.  Causey probably won’t win Freshman of the Year but his 1st year at JSU was impressive none the less.

Brennen Norton FR 3B Jacksonville State 

Norton is another Gamecock freshman who will be in the conversation for this award.  Hitting .317 on the year with 6 homeruns and 21 RBI in 42 games played and 40 starts.  If I were the Gamecocks and could only nominate one of these two guys, I would go with Causey but Norton’s season sets a great foundation for his college career. 

Caleb Ketchup FR SS Lipscomb

Ketchup, the redshirt Freshman and UGA transfer, made a splash in his first year for the Bisons.  Playing the most premium position of all the possible Freshman of the Year candidates at SS, Ketchup hit .290 with 5 HR and 23 RBI while also leading the ASUN with 30 SB.  He became the first ASUN player since former Bison great Michael Gigglioti in 2017 to steal 30 bases in a season.  For those who like a guy that played a premium position well while also putting up offensive numbers and doing something that hasn’t been done in the league in 5 years, Ketchup is the guy. 

Dominic Stagliano FR RHP Stetson

Stagliano finished the season a perfect 5-0 for the Hatters with 2 saves.  He threw 53.1 innings which ranks 2nd to only to KSU’s Smith Pinson for the league’s freshmen.  His ERA of 3.21 was 2nd among ASUN freshmen and his 55 strikeouts ranked 3rd behind Pinson and Horn.  Stagliano falls short of ASUN Freshman of the Year but may be the next in a long history of great Hatter pitchers.

Donovan Cash FR 1B Kennesaw State Co-Winner

Donovan Cash heated up as the season progressed and finished the 2022 regular season on an absolute tear.  Cash had multi-Hit games in 10 of his last 12 along with 5 homeruns during that same stretch, which allowed him to finish the regular season with a .367 avg with 9 HRs 19 2B’s and 54 RBI’s.  His average ranks him 6th in the conference and 1st among freshman while his 19 doubles rank 5th and 1st among freshman as well.  If Cash does not win the award, he should unquestionably be in the top 2 in voting. 

Smith Pinson FR RHP Kennesaw State

 The Owls will have a tough choice in who to nominate between Cash and Pinson.  There is one thing that is of little doubt however, the Owls do not finish 1st in the ASUN East without the efforts of the big freshman from Lee County High School.  Pinson finished the regular season with a 6-4 record and team leading 3.50 ERA while also adding 3 saves.  He threw a freshman high 61.2 innings on the year while striking out 77 and walking only 11.  His strikeout to walk ratio ranked as one of the nation’s best for most of the year. 

Harrison Povey FR OF FGCU Co-Winner

 The Eagles have a history of winning this award.  Former winners include ASUN greats Richie Garcia and Michael Murray along with Christian Profitt.  Povey along with KSU’s Cash and Lipscomb’s Ketchup were the only everyday regulars in the conference each playing 53+ games.  Povey finished the regular season with a .290 average 15 homers 61 RBI’s (T-2nd).  The knock on his year if coaches dig this far will be is .248 average in conference play which is 110 points lower than KSU’s Cash.  Homerun numbers tend to weigh heavy historically for the coaches voting and for this reason I could see Povey winning the award.   

ALL CONFERERNCE TEAMS

1st Team                                    2nd Team

C Alejandro Rodriguez FGCU      Will King EKU

1B Donovan Cash KSU               Malik Williams Libscomb

2B Cole Frederick Jax State      Aidan Sweatt UNF

SS Tyler Simon KSU                   Isaiah Byers UNF

3B Cash Young KSU                   Abraham Sequera UNF

OF Ian Farrow FGCU                   Derek Orndorff Liberty

OF Matt Higgins Bellarmine        Brian Ellis FGCU

OF Josh Hatcher KSU                 Kendal Ewell EKU

DH  Alejandro Figueredo FGCU   Luke Harper UNA

SP  Garrett Horn Liberty            Ike Buxton Lipscomb

SP  Tyler Cleveland Cen Ark      Joe Adametz Liberty

SP  Isaiah Magwood Jax St       Michael Dunkelberger Lipscomb

RP  Will Brian EKU                     Trey Nordmann Lipscomb

Also Deserving/Just Missing out: Tyler Vogel RP JU, Cameron Hill OF Stetson, Christian Coipel 1B JU, Hunter Hicks 1B Cen Ark, Connor Emmet OF Cen Ark, Gray Betts C Liberty, Aaron Anderson OF Liberty, Zac Corbin OF KSU, Austin Thrasher OF UNA, Brock Edge OF UNF, Three Hillier OF Liberty, Mason Fluharty RP Liberty

All Freshman Team 

Donovan Cash KSU

Smith Pinson KSU

Zac Corbin KSU

Garrett Horn Liberty

Caleb Ketchup Lipcomb

Harrison Povey FGCU

Jakob Bullard Stetson

Dominic Stagliano Stetson

Jonah Diaz JU

Casey Sorg Bellarmine

Tanner Leonard Central Arkansas

AJ Causey Jax State

Brennen Norton Jax State

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW/PROJECTION

One thing is for sure if you are a person who likes to gamble do not go putting your money on the projected favorite or top seed.  In 2022 the top seed is Liberty.  Only 2 times since 2003 has the Regular Season Champion won the ASUN Conference Tournament (2018 Stetson, 2012 Belmont) In that same time the 3 seed has won 6 times while the lowest seed entering the event has won 4 times including last year as JU won the 2021 ASUN Tournament without winning a single conference series prior to the Postseason.  What that JU win also showed anyone who pays close attention to ASUN Baseball, is the same thing that we have seen manifest itself time and time again over the years in baseball especially in this tournament.  That thing is not mere talent alone but it is the simple reality that sometimes the ball bounces your way and it is just meant to be.  For instance, last year JU not only knocked off the South’s number 1 seed in FGCU whom they had lost to 5 of 6 times in the regular season giving up 64 runs in the process but they knocked off Liberty in game 1 of the Final 4.  In that Liberty game, the Dolphins used 2 first inning runs due in large part to a very uncharacteristic misplay by one of the nation’s top defensive CF’s to claim a 2-0 lead.  Liberty scored a single run in the 1st and from there JU starter Tyler Santana returned to his dominant form (after struggling much of the year) allowing only 3 hits through 8 innings.  A failed squeeze in the 9th by the conference’s leading homerun hitter facing a tough lefty/lefty matchup preserved the lead for the Dolphins and the 2-1 win in game 1.  In game 2 JU found themselves down 4-0 and dead in the water vs UNF starter Austin Bogart who cruised through 6 shutout innings before JU scored 3 in 7th and 1 in 8th to tie it, eventually winning in extra innings.  JU would cement their 2021 ASUN Tournament Championship by scoring 5 runs with 2 outs in the 7th inning in the Championship game vs the conference’s top team Liberty en route to the 7-3 win.  It was the only time in 2021 that Liberty had lost 2 games to any ASUN opponent.  The point is anything can happen in a tournament and usually does and if you want to claim the ASUNs Automatic Bid to the Dance sometimes you need Lady luck on your side.  Whose dugout will Lady Luck rest in next week in Fort Myers?  That remains to be seen but let’s look at the things we do know. 

ASUN Recent Winners and Their Seeds

2003 Jacksonville 6 of 6                                                                      2012 Belmont 1 of 6

2004 FAU 3 of 6                                                                                  2013 ETSU 4 of 8

2005 Stetson 4 of 6                                                                             2014 Kennesaw State 3 of 8

2006 Stetson 3 of 6                                                                             2015 Lipscomb 2 of 6

2007 Jacksonville 4 of 6                                                                      2016 Stetson 6 of 6

2008 Lipscomb 3 of 6 (top 2 teams not eligible for tourney)            2017 FGCU 3 of 6

2009 Jacksonville 3 of 6 (top 2 teams not eligible for tourney)         2018 Stetson 1 of 6

2010 Mercer 2 of 6                                                                             2019 Liberty 2 of 6

2011 Belmont 6 of 6                                                                           2021 Jacksonville 8 of 8

Best Offense: Tie FGCU and Kennesaw State

The old adage is that offense wins games but defense wins championships.  However, in the postseason, especially a long tournament such as this you will have to swing the bats to win.  No teams swung the bats better in 2022 than the Owls and Eagles.  The Owls lead the league in Hitting and were the toughest team in the league to strikeout.  They ranked only behind the Eagles in Hits and Runs Scored.  While the Owls proved to be a scrappy bunch that never quits capable of also leaving the yard, the Eagles were unquestionably the most explosive offense in the league.  Leading the league in homeruns, doubles, and outpacing the rest of the league by more than 70 runs, FGCU averaged nearly 8.5 runs per game.  The winner of the tournament will have to play 5 games to win it all and when the top arms are used up it will be the team left swinging the bats the best that hoists the trophy at week’s end.  These two teams could have the offensive edge.  Sleeper here would be the Lipscomb Bisons whose pedal to the metal running game could take advantage of some teams next week. 

Best Pitching: Toss Up

Only 2 teams in the Tournament have 3 starters that have made double digit starts on the year (Liberty/Jacksonville).  This is hardly ever the case in the ASUN so 2022 is somewhat of an anomaly in that way.  It speaks to the struggles that many of these teams have had on the mound this year.  If Garrett Horn is healthy and can pitch for Liberty, one might give them the slight edge here.  If he is not, there may not be a team that has any real edge.  The Dolphins have had the most consistent rotation since conference play began and possess one of the conference’s top bullpen arms in Tyler Vogel.  Overall, Liberty and Lipscomb possess the League’s top two ERAs and Lipscomb could have the best 1-2 and closer combination in the league with Michael Dunkelberger, Ike Buxton, and Trey Nordmann.  The setup of the tournament especially for Pool A teams could make how/when you use your best arms the key to victory.  It will be interesting to see how the Pool A teams set up their pitching. 

Best Defense: EKU slight edge

EKU and Liberty lead the way defensively in fielding percentage but no team is without their defensive issues/liabilities.  In addition, both the Flames and Colonels play their home games on turf which is very different than the surface they will have to navigate at Swanson stadium.  Liberty, in particular, has had big time defensive issues at times in 2022 which is very uncharacteristic for them and they struggled mightily at times the last weekend of the regular season vs KSU.  Of the 2 EKU has given up the fewest unearned runs on the year so give them the very slight edge in a complete toss up across the board defensively. 

Coaching Edge: Toss Up in Unique Tournament Format

It can be argued that no ASUN Tournament in history will have more strategy involved than the 2022 version.  With the double pool play structure, and 3 teams advancing from Pool A and only 1 team from Pool B, the Pool A Coaching Staffs will have a lot more decisions to make.  For Pool B teams, it is very simple you must play to win every game just like a normal tournament year.  The old guard in Dave Tollet (FGCU) and Jeff Forehand (Lipscomb) have been here many times before and that experience may prove to be valuable in 2022.  Unfortunately, both are going to have to navigate uncharted waters in pool A and how they play it could be the difference in their teams winning or losing the tournament.  Both Forehand and Tollett have won the ASUN Tournament in recent history and each will have the chance to do so again in 2022.  Quite the opposite of the old guard in the ASUN, are two new Head Coaches in EKU’s Chris Protho (2nd year) and KSU’s Ryan Coe (1st Year).  Protho has broken records in a short time at EKU, while what Coe has done with the KSU bunch has been remarkable in 2022.  Coe has also had the knack of saying exactly what needs to be said at the right times and pushing the right buttons when needed.  Such an ability generally proves to be very valuable in postseason tournament play.  In addition, Jax State’s Jim Case and Jacksonville’s Chris Hayes both won conference tournaments just last year.  Personally, Case is one of my favorites in all of College Baseball and his demeanor lends itself to postseason success.  UNF’s Tim Parenton has the uncanny ability to keep his Ospreys loose which is a big key to winning at the end of the year.  Scott Jackson of Liberty has the top team in the event per RPI and is viewed by many as one of the top Mid-Major coaches in the country. He has had to navigate his most difficult challenges as a Head Coach to date in 2022 and still has his Flames as the number 1 seed.

So Who Wins?

Given my History with KSU and broadcasting duties next week in Fort Myers, I do not think it would be right for me to pick a winner.  However, as I have tried to lay out here in great detail, a lot will hinge on both the decisions the Pool A Head Coaches make, and which dugout Lady Luck decides to set up shop in down in Fort Myers.  The last time the Tournament took place at Swanson Stadium, Kennesaw State came out on top.  Only time will tell if History repeats itself.  The one thing I do know is that it will be fun to watch and absolutely any of these 8 teams can walk out a winner.

2022 NCAA Field of 64

I2022 NCAA Field of 64

 The game of Baseball is a unique sport that has always provided parity.  It is further unique in the fact, that while the gap in resources between the Power 5’s and Mid Majors may sometimes be very large the gap in the product on the field has been shrinking for the last decade.  The past several years circumstances including the Covid pandemic and transfer portal have helped to further shrink that gap in the on-field product.  It is for that reason I think 2022 could be the year that you see another Cinderella ride their glass slippers all the way to Omaha.  Before those 8 tickets are punched 64 teams will start with a dream that those slippers may fit neatly in their dugout.  I attempted several years back to try and nail the 64 teams whose names would eventually be revealed with a chance to Dance in the NCAA Tournament.  I was able to get 63 of 64.  While the odds are against me doing that well this time, I will take a stab at it none the less.

 Once you give spots to the 31 Automatic qualifiers that leaves 33 at-large bids to go to teams who were not fortunate enough to luck out in a Conference Tournament crapshoot where anything can happen and usually does.  In 2022, beyond the 31 auto bids, there are 12 Host sites that will occupy at large bids along with what I believe to be 17 other locks.  This leaves 3 spots up for grabs for 10 teams who could make a compelling argument for them.  Unfortunately for these 10 teams, bubbles were popping all over the country on Saturday and Sunday to dwindle the number down to 3.  Below I will list the 3 teams that I feel get those remaining spots along with a little context as to why. 

 At the end of the article, I will give how I feel the teams will be seeded.  For the sake of time, and the fact that I am exhausted from a week at the conference tournament and broadcasts each day, I will not try to put together the big puzzle of where all 64 teams will fit in the committee’s bracket.  We can all wait a little over a half day, for the committee themselves to put that puzzle together. 

1 Seeds                       2 Seeds                  3 Seeds                   4 Seeds

Tennessee                   Wake Forest              Kennesaw State          Binghamton

Oregon State               Vanderbilt                   VCU                             Hofstra

UNC                             Notre Dame                Campbell                     Wright State

Stanford                      Georgia Tech               Michigan                     Canisius

Virginia Tech               UGA                             UCSB                           Coppin State

ECU                             Oklahoma                   UCONN                       Central Michigan

Maryland                    Virginia                        Louisiana                     Missouri State

Oklahoma State          LSU                           San Diego                    Air Force

Auburn                        Tx State                     Dallas Baptist              Long Island

Texas                           Gonzaga                      Kentucky                     SEMO

Tex A&M                     Oregon                        LA Tech                       UNC-Greensboro

Miami                          FSU                            Arizona                        Southeast Louisiana   

Univ of FL                    NC State                   Coastal Carolina          Alabama State

Southern Miss             TCU                           Columbia                      New Mexico State

Louisville                     Arkansas                   UCLA                           Oral Roberts

GA Southern               Tx Tech                      Liberty                         Army

Last 3 Spots

Kentucky Wildcats 

I am going to start with what will prove to be my most controversial decision first.  There is an old adage that is most prominent in the world of Professional Wrestling but it applies just the same in baseball.  That adage is “To be the Man you Gotta Beat the Man.” For the purposes of this argument “The Man” in 2022 is the University of Tennessee and there are very few that would disagree with that fact.  Well UK “walked that Isle” and proved to be the only team in the country that could “beat the man” in the University of Tennessee and take a series from them.  Combine this fact with their run in the SEC Tournament and I think that UK should be in.  

UCLA Bruins

The 3rd place team from the 4th strongest conference in the country and they made a deep run into their tournament before falling in dramatic walk-off fashion to Oregon State who will be a host site.  Combine that with having one of the nations’ most beloved players in Kenny Oyama and I think the Bruins find their way into the field. 

Liberty Flames

I have seen the Liberty Flames play quite a bit in 2022.  At the beginning of the year, they were no doubt one of the top 30 teams in the country.  Some injuries have plagued them down the stretch, but they still managed to sweep through the first 4 games of the ASUN tournament before losing the Championship game to Kennesaw State.  There are Power 5 Conference teams still on the board, but I think a team that won a share of the Regular Season Championship should be in the field of 64 before the 10th or 11th best team in a conference. In the end their series win over the host site Florida Gators may be what pushes them in the field.

Just Missing Out

 Wofford University

Wofford was in prime position to punch the So-Cons Automatic berth before dropping a DH on Championship Sunday to UNC-Greensboro who fought their way through the loser’s bracket.  With more powerful power 5 brands in the conversation, the Terriors may find themselves squeezed out.  In recent years, regular season championships have weighed more heavily for the committee.  If that holds true again, Wofford may squeak into the field. 

 Clemson University

Clemson entered the ACC Tournament needing to do some work to solidify their chances of getting an at-large bid.  They would be an 11th ACC team In the field if they do make it in.  The fact that they went 0-2 in the ACC Tourney could weigh heavily in the committee’s mind and ultimately keep them out in favor of a team like Liberty. 

Rutgers Scarlett Knights

Rutgers has had a wonderful year.  Finishing 2nd in the Big 10 regular season behind only Regional Host the University of Maryland.  That combined with the fact that they reached the Tournament Championship should be enough in a normal year to earn a spot in.  Unfortunately, 2022 is not a normal year and the loss to Michigan might end their season. 

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.