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Tennessee baseball fans sound off after missing out on hosting Super Regional
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee baseball is back in the Super Regionals, but the Vols will be playing on the road to try and get to Omaha.
The Hattiesburg Super Regional was announced Tuesday with Southern Miss awarded the host site against Tennessee. Though the Vols are back in the Super Regionals with a shot at Omaha and the College World Series, losing the chance to host did not sit well with many.
Both teams entered the 2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament playing away from home in the regional round. Tennessee drew the Clemson Regional while Southern Miss played in the Auburn Regional.
The Vols shined over the opening weekend, winning the Clemson Regional with a 3-0 record. In the process, Tennessee outscored its opponents 23-8.
As for Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles lost to Samford in their opening game of the Auburn Regional. Facing elimination, Southern Miss rattled off 4 straight wins to advance.
With the Vols and Golden Eagles facing off, a host site had to be determined as neither was a national seed to open the tournament. While both teams had the potential to host, the NCAA awarded the bid to Southern Miss, a decision that unsurprisingly did not sit well with Vols fans across social media.
Take a look:
Southern Miss and Tennessee were both 2-seeds that won their regions, and the NCAA could have picked either to host the Super Regional. Southern Miss getting the nod over Tennessee might be the upset of the century. https://t.co/XpVZC42B2w
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) June 6, 2023
This is a disgrace! If it was truly based on stadium size, I hope this lights a fire under @Vol_Sports to get the stadium expanded before next season. Time to go down to to that wide spot on I-59 and sweep this. #GBO https://t.co/PsOKokXldO
— V. Scott Hooper (@vscotthooper) June 6, 2023
The NCAA will do what it takes to hate Tennessee. https://t.co/t26lF27ZCx
— Jake Wallman (@JakeWallman__) June 6, 2023
Make no mistake: I’m mad, but I think the NCAA just threw gasoline on a Big Orange fire & I’m here for it. ??LFG https://t.co/Pc6h1aEFqs
— Janna Abraham (@SportsPundette) June 6, 2023
What a joke. The NCAA just knows Vol fans will show up no matter what because that’s the fanbase we have. ? https://t.co/clB1mfF6n5
— RYAИ (@jrc4ut) June 6, 2023
This is the stupidest decision in college athletics since Florida fans decided to start clapping sideways. https://t.co/5GgvEAW4Kt
— RyteSideUp (@UpRyte) June 6, 2023
I do not blame the NCAA. When you get a chance to reward a team that lost to Samford 3 days ago, you have to do it https://t.co/ygapWCYJGj
— Jon Reed (@Jon__Reed) June 6, 2023
Worse RPI, worse SOS, won a worse regional from the loser’s bracket.
But you knew this was coming for 48 hours since the NCAA started leaking to national guys to prep the masses for them giving the super to the team that features a committee member’s son. https://t.co/iPFOHMZVO1
— Big T (@ConnerHKnapp) June 6, 2023
Not to discredit what Southern Miss has done this year, but the NCAA made a mistake not putting the Super Regional in Knoxville.
Tennessee with a higher RPI, SOS, and the Vols swept their regional.
Plus Knoxville>>>>>Hattiesburg when it comes to hosting major events?♂️ https://t.co/4lyJs8GF06
— Joseph Bonanno (@jmbonanno13) June 6, 2023
— Chad Longworth (@clongbaseball) June 6, 2023
I would like an explanation for this. Tennessee is ranked higher in every metric. Knoxville > Hattiesburg. It must be based on not wanting the SEC to host too many supers but this is a shame. What happened to the team who won the higher seed regional hosting?
— Forrest sawyer (@ForrestpSawyer) June 6, 2023
Wow, what are you doing NCAA Committee? ?? This should fire up @Vol_Baseball even more!
— No-L ✨ (@the1stNoeI) June 6, 2023
Wow passed up Knoxville? Unbelievable
— Amy (@amy_mcelhaney) June 6, 2023
Bias, bias, bias, just throw out all the season metrics, some things with the NCAA never change. Next year,decide the pecking order of who would be in next in line to host ‘ahead of time’…shouldn’t be too hard. You can then explain rationale,but then you are the slow moving NCAA
— Clayton Owen (@ClaytonOwen1) June 6, 2023
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
