re: Baseball Rankings 5/7 - BA #3, Collegiate #4, Coaches Poll #4, RPI #6

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Jeff (My Basement in DC): Aaron- Let this be the be all, end all of NO RESPECT! questions.

Since the Super Regional format was implemented, LSU has finished the regular season in the top 8 of the RPI a total of 9 times, but has only been awarded with a national seed 4 times (44%). LSU has never been awarded a national seed without a top 5 (FIVE) RPI.

For everyone else, a top 8 RPI has translated into a national seed 75% of the time. NCAA love child Texas has finished in the RPI top 8 6 times and earned 5 national seeds (83%).

Texas has been a national seed without a Top 8 RPI 3 times (as low as 18). Similar story for Rice - 5 times in the RPI top 8, all national seeds (100%), and twice awarded a national seed without a top 8 RPI (also as low as 18). Fullerton…4 times in the RPI top 8, all national seeds (100%), and 3 times awarded a national seed without a top 8 RPI (as low as 20).

Remember, LSU was left out of the tournament completely last year with an RPI of 23. So what does LSU need to do down the stretch to avoid the bias of the selection committee and land a national seed? Undefeated then lots of prayers?

Aaron Fitt: I like the way you prefaced that question, Jeff -- nicely played. I'd have to go back and look, but I'm willing to bet the times LSU finished in the top 8 but did not get a national seed, there were multiple SEC teams ahead of it in the conference standings.

Playing in the SEC is a double-edged sword: you get a huge RPI advantage because you're playing all teams that build gaudy winning percentages in the nonconference schedule and so the strong RPIs compound over the course of conference play. That means it's easier to build a strong RPI as an SEC team, and there are typically going to be more teams in the SEC with very high RPIs than in, say, the Big 12 or Pac-12. But if you're No. 8 in the RPI but have the fourth-best RPI in your own league and the fifth-best conference record, that doesn't look as impressive.

I'm very glad the committee doesn't just give national seeds to the top eight teams in the RPI -- how a team finishes in its conference matters, and it should. So with all that said, I don't think it really matters where LSU finishes in the RPI this year. If it wins the SEC West (and it's up by four games, so it will win the SEC West), it will be a national seed.

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I'm very glad the committee doesn't just give national seeds to the top eight teams in the RPI -- how a team finishes in its conference matters, and it should. So with all that said, I don't think it really matters where LSU finishes in the RPI this year. If it wins the SEC West (and it's up by four games, so it will win the SEC West), it will be a national seed.

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Doubt that gets us a national seed.

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Comment From Trey
Is there a chance Ole Miss could miss the NCAA tourney? I'm worried we'll end up like LSU last year. Very similar resumes.

Trey,
Go 1-2 in their final two series, and the Rebels would be 13-17 in the SEC. That'd be close, real close. And good call on LSU. But unlike LSU last season, the Rebels actually played a pretty decent non-conference schedule.

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Comment From Rod
KR.....As of today, give me 2 or 3 favorites to win the CWS this year.

Rod,
Florida, LSU, South Carolina.

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