State, UNC make NCAA baseball tourney

N.C. State, runner-up in the ACC Baseball Tournament, earned a third seed in the NCAA tourney today.

So did North Carolina -- after failing to make the ACC tournament at all.

The Tar Heels, who have advanced to the College World Series for the past four seasons, were named to 64-team field ahead of Boston College -- the eighth seed in the league tourney.

UNC -- which tied BC in the regular-season standings -- got in on the strength of a high RPI [20 on last Tuesday's NCAA list] and a strong finish [winning 12 of the final 15 games].

The Eagles, which earned the tiebreaker over Carolina to earn the  final seed in the ACC tourney -- hurt their case by losing eight of their last 11 games, including two in the league tournament.

In all, the ACC placed a record eight teams in the NCAA tournament, although N.C. State coach Elliott Avent said the league deserved one more bid.

"I think we should have gotten nine,'' he said today. "I think Carolina deserved to go. My gosh, they were playing good. This is a great league. It's a great league, meaning all nine should have gone. Boston College should not have gotten left out.

"It's kind of, why do you play the ACC Tournament? The ACC Tournament can beat you up, now. Carolina got to sit at home and rest and get in the bigger [tournament].  That's like Virginia wins the league next year or we win the league next year [in the regular season race] and we just say, 'Hey, we won't come to the ACC Tournament, we've got a couple of guys banged up. We'll stay here and rest and get ready for the next round.'

"I don't think it's good. I think it's good if Carolina goes and all nine go."

Asked his thoughts on making the NCAA tournament, while a team that made the league tourney didn't, UNC coach Mike Fox said: "I feel bad for Mik [Aoki, the BC baseball coach]. ... I know the committee probably had a difficult time with it, as well. ...  I'm assuming the committee tries to put stock in your whole body of work. I wish the league would have gotten nine, I'm sure there's going to be people out there who are going to have opinions on whether we should or we shouldn't [get in], but I'm just happy for our players."

State is the third seed in the Myrtle Beach regional. Coastal Carolina is the top seed in that region, with Charleston No. 2 and Stony Brook No. 4.

UNC is the No. 3 seed in the Norman, Oklahoma Region. Oklahoma, California and Oral Roberts round out the seeds.

Also locally, Elon earned a No. 3 seed in the Atlanta region. Clemson is a No. 2 seed in the Auburn region.