Will Illinois make the NCAA Baseball Tournament? Everything to know

How to Watch the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show

Game Time: 11 a.m. Monday

TV Channel: ESPN2

Online Streaming: NCAA.com

Illinois’ Resume (34-19, 18-6 Big Ten)

Head Coach: Dan Hartleb (19th season)

Best Batting Average: Camden Janik (.368 BA, 7 HR, 49 RBI)

Ace Pitcher: Jack Crowder (6-2, 82.1 IP, 5.25 ERA, 75 K)

Last Game: 4-2 loss to Michigan in Big Ten Tournament Losers’ Bracket

RPI: 47 overall

Selection Show Day Reading:

How does the tournament work? (from NCAA.com)

The 64 teams will be placed in 16 different four-team regions, with teams seeded one through four to compete in a double-elimination format.

Games start with regionals and continue on to super regionals before the Men’s College World Series begins Friday, June 14, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. Click or tap here for this year’s MCWS schedule. LSU won the 2023 title, beating Florida in the Finals.

So will Illinois make it?

Is water wet? Is a hot dog a sandwich? Is a Big Ten regular season title enough to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament? All tough questions, but the latter shouldn’t be too hard. Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb and his squad will wait to hear their name called on Selection Monday with the belief that they’ve done enough through 34 wins to earn the respect of the committee.

The Big Ten hasn’t sent four teams to the Big Dance since 2019, when five teams made the field of 64.

Arizona, the last at-large team to make last year’s tournament, was ranked 52nd in the RPI when they made the field of 64. As of Sunday, Illinois sits at 47.

D1Baseball’s most recent bracketology Sunday morning has the Illini as the third seed in the Terra Haute Regional, hosted by No. 15 Indiana State.

The Illini split a pair of weekday games with the Sycamores this season, including a 21-11 win on April 30.