Three Reasons Oregon State Might Not Host a Regional

This piece looks at three reasons why Oregon State might hit road this postseason

Oregon State infielder AJ Singer, left, dives safely back to first base under cover from Oregon infielder Gabe Miranda as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers on March 3, 2026, at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last June, Mitch Canham's Oregon State Beavers baseball team returned to their rightful place at the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since Canham became their skipper.

To get back to Charles Schwab Field in The Big O, Canham's Beavers might have to do it on the road. Using the NCAA's latest RPI rankings - which were published Thursday morning - and a glance at team records & schedules, this piece spotlights three hurdles for a hypothetical Corvallis Regional.

Against common opponents, RPI #15 Oregon outshined their in-state rival

Despite losing to Oregon State in early March, the Beavers' arch-rivals in Eugene have rallied towards another postseason run. Reigning Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year Mark Wasikowski led the Ducks to a 38-15 overall record, with a 20-10 (.666) mark in conference play leading up to this weekend's Big Ten baseball tournament.

The season's highlight likely occurred two weeks ago against the consensus #1 team in the polls, UCLA, as Oregon won a 9-6 stunner. Tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, junior utility player Jack Brooks slugged a bases-clearing three run double through the left center gap, and Oregon held on for the upset win.

Against common opponents, the Ducks showed mixed results. A Washington side that routed Oregon State on April Fools Day lost their season finale series against Oregon last weekend, and the Purdue team who dispatched Oregon State in late February dropped 2 out of 3 to the green & yellow in early March. However, the same mid-major Portland team that tested the Beavers (winning 1 of 2, and taking the second matchup to extra innings) swept the Ducks, taking two games in late March and early April.

An additional difference between the two schools - and perhaps the reason national outlet D1Baseball.com projects Oregon to welcome Oregon State to Eugene a week from now - is that the Ducks have the edge in RPI rankings.

Oregon State's schedule was much weaker than RPI #16 Ole Miss

Like Oregon State, the team behind Hotty Toddy has a storied tradition of college baseball brilliance. They also play in one of the nation's toughest conferences: the SEC boasts nine teams in the top sixteen of the RPI rankings, including the Rebels.

Ole Miss began their season with a nine game win streak, before falling to common opponent Baylor in late February. After starting March hot by taking 7 out of 9, the Oxford ballclub slumped, losing three straight to in-state rival Mississippi State, before taking back-to-back series' from top 25 Florida and LSU teams, and beating a top 25 Southern Miss squad in a midweek matchup. Since starting a weekend series at Tennessee in mid April, the Rebels have won half their games, falling back-to-back against top 25 ranked Alabama last Saturday, and in the opening game of the SEC Tournament Tuesday versus Missouri.

While Ole Miss' recent form lags behind the orange & black, their strength of schedule excels. The Rebels' opponents have combined to win over 61% of their games this season, making the fourth toughest schedule in the nation. By the same metric, Oregon State's opponents have won over 54% of the time, good for the 59th toughest schedule in Division I.

RPI #18 West Virginia gets two more chances to leapfrog ol' O-S-U

Favored by many to win the Big XII Conference tournament - and featured in a piece by our own John Severs this week - West Virginia has not disappointed. The Mountaineers' season continues tonight in their conference tournament semifinal.

While the Mountaineers are lower in RPI rating, polls, and strength of schedule (4 spots weaker, 63rd) they have one glaring advantage this weekend: the spotlight. While the Beavers take the weekend off, West Virginia can show the country - and more importantly, the selection committee - why they deserve to earn the crucially important16 seed, hosting a postseason regional.

If they win out, beating Arizona State tonight and the winner of Kansas/Oklahoma State tomorrow, West Virginia will have a tough resume to beat: a second seed and a conference tournament championship in one of America's toughest leagues, 39 regular season wins, a white hot 23-9 (71.8%) mark against Big XII competition, and impressive form. Since May 1st, the Mountaineers have taken 11 of 12 games, with potentially two more victories en route.