BYU Baseball Denied At-Large NCAA Tournament Bid
May 27, 2019, 10:53 AM | Updated: 10:56 am
(Photo Courtesy of BYU Athletics)
(Photo Courtesy of BYU Athletics)
PROVO, Utah – After losing two straight games at the West Coast Conference baseball tournament, the BYU Cougars did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their season is over.
The Cougars went 36-17 on the season and had an RPI of 46. Florida State had a 36-21 record and a 50 RPI and TCU’s 32-26 record and 59 RPI rating received at-large bids to the tournament.
Sunday play became a factor and with BYU’s no Sunday play rule, that made it hard for the committee to give the Cougars an at-large bid.
Head coach Mike Littlewood was certain that if BYU appeared in the championship game of the WCC tournament that they would receive a bid, but losing their first two games of the tournament in Stockton, California hurt the Cougars and cost them their season.
After a 22-28 record last season, the Cougars bounced back with a 36-win season and a WCC regular season championship. They mightily improved their conference record as well from 11-16 last season to 19-8 this year.
Littlewood was named WCC Coach of the Year, senior outfielder Brock Hale was the Player of the Year and four players were named to the first or second team in the conference.
Final. pic.twitter.com/RCPodj2dVW
— BYU Baseball (@BYUBaseball) May 24, 2019