How This Weekend Will Determine Stanford Baseball's ACC Tournament Fate

Last weekend, Stanford baseball had trouble against Grand Canyon. The Cardinal lost the first two games before an incredible come-from-behind victory to win senior night in extra innings. The win capped off their home stint on a positive note, and now the Cardinal go east to Raleigh before the ACC Tournament in Charlotte.

Stanford currently sits 15th in the standings at 9-18 in conference play, just ahead of Bay Area rival Cal. But their final place can change drastically in the final week, so let’s take a look on how much their placement could move this weekend.

The bottom half of the standings currently are:

11. Notre Dame (12-15)

12. Virginia Tech (11-16)

13. Pitt (10-17)

14. Boston College (10-17)

15. Stanford (9-18)

16. Cal (7-20)

The Cardinal could get as high as 12 or as low are 16, but it all depends on how this weekend ends.

Stanford takes on NC State on the road this week. The Wolfpack are one of the top teams in the conference with a 16-9 record in the ACC, and will surely be a tough test. In the other games, Cardinal fans should cheer for Virginia to take down Virginia Tech.

They should also hope Clemson takes down Pitt, and that Cal takes two of three against Boston College, though that feels wrong to say. It would be worth it if their winning were to help Stanford in the standings, however.

If Stanford somehow wins all three against NC State, they should get the No. 12 seed, as long as Virginia beats their in-state rival in the series. If Stanford wins two, they need to hope Cal beats Boston College in at least two, and that Pitt struggles against Clemson. They would likely be a No. 13 seed in that scenario.

If Stanford wins just one, they will automatically stay at the 15 seed, regardless of the Boston College vs Cal outcome.

Finally, if Stanford gets swept, they will be either a 15 or 16 seed depending on the Boston College vs Cal series. If the Eagles win the series, they will stay at 15, but a Cal series win would bump Stanford down to the bottom seed.

With this being the most likely scenario, the Cardinal would be set up to face either the No. 9 or No. 10 seed when the tournament kicks off on Tuesday, May 20. As things currently stand, that would set them up for a first-round matchup against either Louisville or Wake Forest, though the rankings are subject to change following this weekend's action.

Regardless of what happens, Stanford will be a lower seed in the tournament with room to make up. However, a good end to the season could give some momentum and even give the Cardinal a chance to go far in the ACC Tournament next week.