When Does College Baseball Start In 2024?
When Does College Baseball Start In 2024?
When does the 2024 college baseball season begin? Here's what to know about when NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III baseball starts.
The countdown is on for the start of the 2024 college baseball season. Some of the Division II baseball teams will be in action starting the first week of February, while Division I and Division III will get down to business mid-month.
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There will be a few early-season tournaments showcasing teams from around the country, as well as high-profile matchups to get the season going.
FloBaseball will be there nearly every step of the way, so subscribe early, and don’t miss a minute of the excitement.
When Does NCAA Division I College Baseball Start?
Officially, teams are allowed to begin practice Jan. 26, but the appropriate date to mark on the calendar is Feb. 16. That’s when regular-season action will get underway at the Division I level.
From start to finish, the Division I baseball season means 132 days together for the players and coaches, and teams may play in more than 50 games (56 is the maximum number of contests before the postseason).
By the time they achieved the Division I national championship in 2023, LSU had played 71 games, compiling a 54-17 record.
Because the weather might not yet be ideal for batting and baserunning, many teams will hit the friendly skies and head for warmer locations and kickoff events.
The list of events includes the MLB Desert Invitational and 2024 Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic in Arizona, Coastal Carolina’s Baseball at the Beach Tournament in South Carolina, the 2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas, and 2024 Snowbird Baseball in Florida.
When Does Division II College Baseball Start?
Baseball teams in Division II may not begin practicing before Jan. 10 or the first day of classes, whichever is first. Their first outside competition may not happen prior to Feb. 1.
Teams in Division II may play a maximum of 50 contests, not counting the postseason.
Angelo State, which turned in a 56-9 record and won the 2023 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, will kick off its 2024 season and title defense Feb. 2 against Eastern New Mexico.
ASU is the three-time defending Lone Star Conference champion and won’t waste anytime putting that title on the line, as Eastern New Mexico also is part of the 13-team LSC.
When Does Division III College Baseball Start?
In Division III, teams may practice as early as September, though there are restrictions on how many hours/days each week players can practice/play.
Teams at this level play less games, with a limit of 40 (games, scrimmages, exhibitions) before the conference and national tournaments.
On the way to the Division III national title in 2023, the University of Lynchburg was 48-8, which included 18 postseason games.
The Hornets’ 2024 campaign will begin Feb. 16 against East Texas Baptist as part of the Birmingham-Southern Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama.
Another example, last year’s Division III runner-up—Johns Hopkins—will kick off its 2024 season with a meeting with Rutgers-Newark and the Baltimore Invitational the weekend of Feb. 23.
When Is The 2024 NCAA Men’s College World Series?
In 2024, the Men’s College World Series will take place June 14-24 (or June 23), again visiting its longtime home in Omaha, Nebraska—Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
LSU defeated the University of Florida 2-1 in the best-of-three finale in 2023 (4-3, 4-24, 18-4).
How Does The 2024 NCAA Men’s College World Series Work?
Before the CWS begins, the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship starts each spring (late May into June) with the year’s best Division I baseball teams situated into a 64-team bracket.
Through regional and super-regional play, the field is whittled down to eight final teams. The winners from the 16 four-team regionals advance to the super-regional round, where two teams (at eight locations) battle in best-of-three series.
The eight remaining teams then move on to the final round of the post season, known formally as the NCAA Men’s College World Series. This phrasing is used exclusively for Division I.
When Was The First NCAA Men’s College World Series?
The first Men’s College World Series was held in 1947, with the first few editions moving around the Midwest.
In 1950, the showdown took place in Omaha, Nebraska, for the first time, and it has taken place there every year since. Through 2010, it was held at Rosenblatt Stadium. Since 2011, Charles Schwab Field Omaha has welcomed the best in college baseball.
The contract between the NCAA and the group in charge of the event is locked in through 2035.
The University of Southern California has made the most finals appearances and won the most titles, winning it all on 12 of 14 opportunities. The first came in 1948, and the most recent was in 1998.
LSU, which claimed the crown in 2023, ranks second all-time with seven victories in eight finals appearances.
What Does The Postseason Look Like For Division II And Division III?
Division II and Division III college baseball also have season-ending bracket-style tournaments, but the Men’s College World Series name and longstanding location are reserved for Division I.
In Division II, 56 teams are seeded into the bracket, and double-elimination regional events are held in eight regions across the country.
The eight regional champions advance to the national finals, which includes two four-team brackets and a location that changes based on a bid process.
Since 2021, the Division II baseball season has concluded at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, and is scheduled to do so through 2026.
The final portion of the 2024 Division II season will take place in Cary from June 1-8.
The NCAA Division II Baseball Championship first was held in 1968. In 2023, Angelo State defeated Rollins College to win the title.
Division III rolled out its championship event in 1976. The current version of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship also includes 56 teams and eight regions across the nation.
As with Division II, the eight regional winners in Division III action advance to the national finals. From 2000 through 2019, the championship round was held in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. In 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the action shifted to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In 2024-2026, the Division III Baseball Championship will conclude at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio. The national round in 2024 will take place May 31-June 6.
Lynchburg (Virginia) topped Johns Hopkins 2-1 in the best-of-three championship series (5-2, 6-11, 7-6) to win the 2023 national title.
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