View source for College baseball

{{short description|Baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{globalize|date=February 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2023}}
}}

{{Infobox sport overview
| title         = College baseball
| image         = [[File:Action, Arizona @ California 20220313 01.jpg|250px]]
| caption       = [[Daniel Susac]] (right) batting for the [[Arizona Wildcats baseball|Arizona Wildcats]] in a game against the [[California Golden Bears baseball|California Golden Bears]] in March 2022 
| union         = {{collapsible list|
'''United States'''
* [[California Community College Athletic Association|CCCAA]]
* [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]]
* [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
* [[National Christian College Athletic Association|NCCAA]]
* [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]]
* [[United States Collegiate Athletic Association|USCAA]]
'''Japan'''
* {{ill|JUBF|ja|全日本大学野球連盟}}
}}
| country       =  
| sport         = Baseball
| noncountry    = 
| nickname      = 
| first         = [[1947 NCAA baseball tournament|1947]] {{small|(United States)}}<br>[[1952 in baseball|1952]] {{small|(Japan)}}
| registered    = 
| clubs         = 301 (in 30 conferences)<br>(NCAA Division I)
<!-- COMPETITIONS -->
| national_list = 
| club_list     = {{plainlist|
'''NCAA''':
* [[NCAA Division I baseball tournament|Division I]]
* [[College World Series|Men's College World Series]]
* [[NCAA Division II baseball tournament|Division II]]
* [[NCAA Division III baseball tournament|Division III]]
'''NAIA''':
* [[NAIA World Series|World Series]]
'''JUBF'''
* {{ill|All Japan University Championship|ja|全日本大学野球選手権大会}}
}}
| intl_list     = 
<!-- AUDIENCE RECORDS -->
| match         = 40,106 ([[San Diego State Aztecs baseball|San Diego State]] v [[Houston Cougars baseball|Houston]]) at [[Petco Park]] – March 11, 2004<ref name="Kenney">{{cite news|last=Kenney|first=Kirk|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040312/news_1s12azbase.html|title=A night to remember|newspaper=San Diego Union-Tribune|date=12 March 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220012830/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040312/news_1s12azbase.html|archive-date=February 20, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| league        = 
<!-- FAN GROUPS -->
| fan_org       =
}}
'''College baseball''' is [[baseball]] that is played by [[Student athlete|student-athletes]] at institutions of [[higher education]]. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA); in Japan, it is governed by the {{nihongo|'''All Japan University Baseball Federation''' ('''[[:ja:全日本大学野球連盟|JUBF]]''')|全日本大学野球連盟|Zen'nihon daigaku yakyū renmei}}.

In comparison to [[American football]] and [[basketball]], college competition in the [[Baseball in the United States|United States]] plays a smaller role in developing [[Professional baseball|professional]] players, as [[Minor League Baseball]] tends to be more extensive, with a greater history of supplying players from the high school level to [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). But many amateur baseball players may choose college, for the sake of physical preparation and a softer transition from the high school level to the minor leagues.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Top High School Baseball Recruits Choose College Over The Big Leagues |url=https://gmtm.com/articles/how-to-know-whether-you-should-pursue-a-college-baseball-career |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=GMTM |language=en}}</ref> 

If players opt to enroll at a four-year college, they must complete three years of college to regain professional eligibility, or have turned at least age 21 before starting their third year of college. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level. 

During the most recent [[2024 NCAA Division I baseball season|NCAA regular season]], 301 [[List of NCAA Division I baseball programs|teams]] competed at the [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] level in the United States, with top teams progressing through the regular season, various conference tournaments and championship series, and the [[2025 NCAA Division I baseball tournament]] to play for the Division I championship in the [[2025 Men's College World Series]].

==Organization==
As with most other U.S. intercollegiate sports, competitive college baseball is played under the auspices of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]], the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]], the [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]], the [[California Community College Athletic Association|CCCAA]], or the [[Northwest Athletic Conference|NWAC]]. The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending [[tournament]]s. The final rounds of the NCAA Division I tournament is known as the [[College World Series|Men's College World Series]] (MCWS);{{efn|The event has officially been named "Men's College World Series" since 2008 at the latest, but the NCAA did not start using the word "Men's" in the event branding until 2022.}} while each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA holds a championship tournament, the "Men's College World Series" branding is reserved strictly for the final round of the Division I tournament. The MCWS takes place in [[Omaha, Nebraska]] in June, following the regular season. The playoff bracket for Division I consists of 64 teams, with four teams playing at each of 16 regional sites (in a [[Double-elimination tournament|double-elimination format]]). The 16 winners advance to the Super Regionals at eight sites, played head-to-head in a best-of-three series. The eight winners then advance to the MCWS, a double-elimination tournament (actually two separate four-team brackets) to determine the two national finalists. The finalists play a best-of-three series to determine the Division I national champion. The [[2024 NCAA Division I baseball tournament|most recent]] Men's College World Series winner is [[2025 LSU Tigers baseball team|LSU]].

==History==
The first intercollegiate baseball game took place in [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts]], on July 1, 1859, between squads representing [[Amherst College]] and [[Williams Ephs|Williams College]]. Amherst won, 73–32. This game was one of the last played under an earlier version of the game known as "[[Massachusetts rules]]", which prevailed in [[New England]] until the "[[Knickerbocker Rules]]" (or "New York Rules") developed in the 1840s gradually became accepted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/archives/archive2002-10-16.htm |title=Fact of the Day for Wednesday, October 16, 2002 |website=[[mental floss]] |access-date=2005-01-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041209205854/http://www.mentalfloss.com/archives/archive2002-10-16.htm |archive-date=December 9, 2004 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The first ever nine-man team college baseball game under the Knickerbocker Rules still in use today was played in New York on November 3, 1859, between the ''[[Fordham Rams baseball|Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club]]'' of St. John's College (now [[Fordham University]]) against The College of St. Francis Xavier, now known as [[Xavier High School (New York City)|Xavier High School]].

Students at many colleges began organizing games between colleges, particularly after the Civil War, first in the northeastern United States but quickly throughout the country. By the late 1870s, several northeastern schools were playing regular home and home series. The team with the best record claimed a "National Championship." Arguments over professional and graduate players led to the creation of the American College Base Ball Association in late 1879, consisting of six northeastern schools which sought to govern such issues and organize games. This organization lasted until 1887, when it dissolved in acrimony and waves of realignment.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PrkNjq9jR54C|pages=52–62|author=Ronald A. Smith|title=Sports and Freedom: The Rise of Big-Time College Athletics|date=December 27, 1990|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195362183}}</ref> The [[Big Ten Conference|Western Conference]] and [[Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association]] were formed in the 1890s as multi-sport conferences. The first tournament to name a national champion was held at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, resulting in [[1893 Yale Bulldogs baseball|Yale]] being crowned champion. No other such tournament was held until the first College World Series in [[1947 College World Series|1947]].

[[File:Baseball d1.png|thumb|A map of all [[NCAA Division I]] baseball teams, using 2014 alignments]]
Traditionally, college baseball has been played in the early part of the year, with a relatively short schedule and during a time when cold (and/or rainy) weather hinders the ability for games to be played, particularly in the northern and midwestern parts of the U.S. These and other factors have historically led most colleges and universities across the nation to effectively consider baseball a minor sport, both in scholarships as well as money and other points of emphasis.

College baseball's popularity has increased greatly since the 1980s.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} As increased efforts to popularize the sport resulted in better players and overall programs, more television and print media coverage began to emerge. The [[ESPN]] family of networks have greatly increased television coverage of the NCAA playoffs and the [[College World Series]] since 2003.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

For 2008 and succeeding seasons, the NCAA mandated the first ever start date for Division I baseball, thirteen weeks before the selection of the NCAA tournament field, which takes place on Memorial Day.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

==Collegiate rules==
The rules of college baseball are similar to the [[Baseball rules|Official Baseball Rules]]. Exceptions include the following:
* The bat may be made of wood, or a composite material that meets NCAA standards. Since the 2011 season, composite bats have been required to pass the "Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution" ([[BBCOR]]) test.
* The [[designated hitter]] rule is used. In addition, a player may serve as both pitcher and DH at the same time and may remain in one position when removed in the other.
* One or both ends of a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] are sometimes seven innings in length. However, the NCAA has recently tightened the interpretation of what constitutes a regulation game, encouraging schools to play as many nine-inning games as possible. Seven-inning games may be played on the final day of a conference series, or if the two teams in a non-conference match will play a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]], often to make up a game that could not be played earlier in the year due to inclement weather.
* A [[Mercy rule#Baseball and softball|mercy rule]] may be in use, which terminates play when one team is ahead by 10 or more runs after seven innings (6½ innings if the home team is winning). In games that are scheduled for seven innings the rule takes effect in the fifth. This rule is not used in NCAA tournament games. Several conferences institute this rule only on Sundays or the final day of a conference series so that the visiting team can travel early. In some conferences, the mercy rule may also be used to end such games in order to start the next tournament game sooner.
* There is an automatic ejection for maliciously running into a defender who is trying to tag a runner or execute a force out. An automatic double play may also be called if a player slides into a base in an attempt to take out the defensive player who is trying to throw the ball to complete a double play.
* In televised games and in tournament games, instant replay may be used to determine if a slide was malicious.

==Metal versus wood bat ==
Though a wood bat is legal in NCAA competition, players overwhelmingly prefer and use a metal bat. The metal bat was implemented in college baseball in 1975.<ref>"The History of the Baseball Bat." Articleclick. n.p. n.d. Web. July 27, 2010.</ref> Use of a metal bat is somewhat controversial. Supporters of an aluminum or composite bat note that it can increase offensive performance, as the speed of a ball off a metal bat is generally faster than off a wood bat. Those against metal, and for wood, argue that a metal bat is not safe to use, and that a metal bat does not prepare players for the next level, as professional baseball uses a wood bat exclusively. In the 2011 season the NCAA changed the requirements for a metal bat, reducing the maximum allowed exit speed in a way that is said to produce a feeling more like a wood bat.<ref>{{cite web|title=NCAA Baseball Bat Certification|url=http://www.mme.wsu.edu/~ssl/certified/certification.html|access-date=March 16, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211102943/http://www.mme.wsu.edu/~ssl/certified/certification.html|archive-date=February 11, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> As a result, in 2011 there was a drop-off in overall "long" drives or home runs relative to past years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insider.espn.com/college-sports/insider/columns/story?id=6292958|title=No more slugfests|last=Sackmann|first=Jeff|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=April 6, 2011|access-date=August 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621055049/http://insider.espn.go.com/ncaa/insider/columns/story?id=6292958|archive-date=June 21, 2015|df=mdy-all}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

==Draft process==
All players resident in the U.S. and its territories, plus Canada, are eligible to be selected in Major League Baseball's Rule 4 Draft upon graduating from high school. However, once a player enrolls in a four-year college or university, he is not allowed to be drafted (or re-drafted) until completing three years of school or reaching age 21, whichever comes first. By contrast, players who enroll in junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) are eligible for selection at any time. The Rule 4 Draft of eligible college and high school players consists of 20 rounds, most recently reduced from 40 after the 2019 edition.<ref>"Official Rules." Mlb.com. n.p. n.d. Web. September 20, 2022.</ref> Despite MLB's draft being considerably longer than that of the NFL or NBA, only about 9.1% of all NCAA senior baseball players are drafted by an MLB team.<ref>Newlin</ref>

One of the biggest controversies with the draft and these amateur athletes is the use of [[Sports agent|agents]]. There have been many cases of college athletes consulting or hiring an agent prematurely in direct violation of NCAA rules. The NCAA came up with the "no agent rule" as a result of this, claiming it was to benefit the amateur athletes.  The rule states that "[a]n individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport".<ref>Karcher p. 215-216</ref><ref>Traub</ref> Representation of an agent is considered to be any direct contact with the professional team during the contract negotiations. This contact can be made many different ways, whether through direct conversation, via mail or through the telephone.<ref>Arkell p. 149</ref> This rule is strongly enforced by the NCAA and has harsh consequences if broken. Recent changes to NCAA rules regarding compensation to college athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) have clarified that players can sign with agents to negotiate endorsement deals without loss of eligibility, though not for negotiating with professional teams.

==Recruitment process==
The recruitment process is similar to that of the Major League Draft in that a high school athlete is taking the next step in his career. The NCAA places restrictions on the coaches that are trying to convince athletes to come play for them and attend their university. College baseball programs are only allowed to offer a limited number of scholarships each year, so the process of earning a scholarship is quite competitive. Baseball is classified by the NCAA as an "equivalency" sport, meaning that limits on athletic financial aid are set to the equivalent of a fixed number of full scholarships. Through the 2025 season, Division I schools were allowed the equivalent of 11.7 full scholarships;<ref name="DI Baseball 1">{{cite book |url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D112.pdf |chapter=Bylaw 15.5.4 Baseball Limitations |title=2011–12 NCAA Division I Manual |publisher=NCAA |page=207 |access-date=September 19, 2011}}</ref> Division II schools, only 9.0.<ref name="DII Baseball">{{cite book |url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D212.pdf |chapter=Bylaw 15.5.2.1 Maximum Equivalency Limits |title=2011–12 NCAA Division II Manual |publisher=NCAA |page=154 |access-date=September 19, 2011}}</ref> Schools generally choose to award multiple partial scholarships rather than exclusively full scholarships. In Division I, the NCAA also limits the total number of players receiving baseball-related financial aid to 27,<ref name="DI Baseball 1"/> and also requires that each of these players receive athletic aid equal to at least 25% of a full scholarship.<ref name="DI Baseball 2">{{cite book |url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D112.pdf |chapter=Bylaw 15.5.4.1 Minimum Equivalency Value |title=2011–12 NCAA Division I Manual |publisher=NCAA |page=207 |access-date=September 19, 2011}}</ref> The 25% rule does not apply to schools that offer aid based solely on financial need (most notably [[Ivy League]] members),<ref name="Ivy exception">{{cite book |url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D114.pdf |chapter=Bylaw 15.5.4.1.1 Exception—Need-Based Athletics Aid Only |title=2015–16 NCAA Division I Manual |publisher=NCAA |page=203 |access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> and also does not apply to a player in his final year of athletic eligibility who has not previously received athletically related aid in baseball at any college.<ref name="Final year exception">{{cite book |url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D116.pdf |chapter=Bylaw 15.5.4.1.2 Exception—Final Year of Eligibility and Not Previously Aided |title=2015–16 NCAA Division I Manual |publisher=NCAA |page=202 |access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> A long-standing official NCAA rules interpretation also allows schools to count aid that would otherwise be exempt by NCAA rule (such as purely academic awards) toward the 25% limit, as long as it also is included in the calculations for the team equivalency limit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dailycomplianceitem.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/daily-compliance-item-9914-15-5-4-1-baseball-equivalencies/ |title=Daily Compliance Item- 9/9/14- 15.5.4.1- Baseball Equivalencies |first=Jen |last=Condaras |work=Daily Compliance Item |date=September 9, 2014 |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref>

Before September 1 of a potential college player's 11th grade year, it is illegal for a college program to give any kind of recruiting materials to the prospect. A phone call is not even permitted to the prospect until July 1 of the student's 11th grade year.<ref name=AtheleticRecruiting>"Athletic Recruiting Regulations." College recruiting.com. n.p. n.d. Web. July 21, 2010.</ref> Once the player is committed to the school of his choice, he must sign his [[National Letter of Intent|letter of intent]] during one of several signing periods. The early signing period for a Division I baseball player is between November 8 and 15; the late signing period dates for these players are April 11 to August 1.<ref name=AtheleticRecruiting/>

==Substance policies==
The substance policies for college baseball are very strict and set by the NCAA. There is a set list of substances a college baseball player is forbidden to use, and there is severe punishment for those that defy it, whether it would be intentional or unintentional. There is a very long list of these substances, including anabolic steroids, stimulants, narcotics, and heroin, to name just a few. These substances fit into eight categories which are stimulants, anabolic agents, diuretics, narcotics, peptide hormones, metabolic modulators, and beta-2 agonists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCAA Banned Substances |url=https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/6/10/ncaa-banned-substances.aspx |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=NCAA.org |language=en}}</ref> Failure to pass scheduled or random drug tests can result in ineligibility.<ref>"[[NCAA drug testing]] Program." Athletics.wsu.edu. P. 110-115. Web. July 21, 2010.</ref>

==Attendance records==

===Top college baseball crowds on campus===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank
! Attendance
! Teams
! Stadium
! City
! Date
! Note
|-
| 1
| 16,423<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=HailStateBB |author=MSU Baseball |number=1647357940330909697|date = 2023-04-15 |title=Record Broken!   #HailState🐶 | #SBW23 }}</ref>
| {{cbsb link|year=2023|team=Ole Miss Rebels|title=Ole Miss}} at [[2024 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 15, 2023
| 
|-
| 2
| 15,586<ref>{{cite news|last=Bonner|first=Michael|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2014/04/13/mississippi-state-rallies-th-steal-win-ole-miss/7664179/|title=Mississippi State rallies in 10th to steal win from Ole Miss|access-date=13 April 2014|newspaper=Jackson Clarion Ledger|date=13 April 2014}}</ref>
| [[2014 Ole Miss Rebels baseball team|Ole Miss]] at [[2014 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]] 
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 12, 2014
| 
|-
| 3
| 15,078<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=210891388|title=No. 8 Bulldogs fall to No. 3 Texas A&M in Saturday contest|access-date=16 April 2016|website=HailState.com|date=16 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421210633/http://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=210891388|archive-date=April 21, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| [[2016 Texas A&M Aggies baseball team|Texas A&M]] at [[2016 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]] 
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 16, 2016
| 
|-
| 4
| 14,991
| {{CBSB link|year=1989|team=Florida Gators|title=Florida}} at {{CBSB link|year=1989|team=Mississippi State Bulldogs|title=Mississippi State}}
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 22, 1989
| 
|-
| 5
| 14,739<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=HailStateBB |author=MSU Baseball |number=1647041429183553536|date = 2023-04-14 |title=BEST FANS IN THE LAND!  #HailState🐶 | #SBW23 }}</ref>
| {{cbsb link|year=2023|team=Ole Miss Rebels|title=Ole Miss}} at [[2023 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 14, 2023
| 
|-
| 6
| 14,562
| {{cbsb link|year=2013|team=Auburn Tigers|title=Auburn}} at [[2013 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 20, 2013
| 
|-
| rowspan=2| 7/8
| rowspan=2| 14,468<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=ScoutSteveR |author=Steve Robertson |number=1921025217285042675|date = 10 May 2025 |title=14,468 here tonight. 7th largest crowd in NCAA history. }}</ref>
| rowspan=2| [[2025 Ole Miss Rebels baseball team|Ole Miss]] at [[2025 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| rowspan=2 style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| rowspan=2| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| rowspan=2| May 10, 2025
| ''Game 1 of double header''
|-
| ''Game 2 of double header''
|-
| 9
| 14,385<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=HailStateBB |author=MSU Baseball |number=1403823700793643012|date = 12 June 2021 |title=Unmatched. }}</ref>
| [[2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team|Notre Dame]] at [[2021 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white" | [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| June 12, 2021
| [[2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Starkville Super Regional|NCAA Super Regionals]]
|-
| 10
| 14,378
| {{CBSB link|year=1988|team=LSU Tigers|title=LSU}} at {{CBSB link|year=1988|team=Mississippi State Bulldogs|title=Mississippi State}}
| style="background:#660000; color:white" | [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 16, 1988
|
|-
| 11
| 14,320<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=HailStateBB |author=MSU Baseball |number=1629673979748253697|date = 25 February 2023 |title=The Dude Effect was in full force tonight! #HailState🐶 }}</ref>
| {{CBSB link|year=2023|team=Arizona State Sun Devils baseball|title=Arizona State}} at [[2023 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| February 25, 2023
|-
| 12
| 14,273
| {{CBSB link|year=2024|team=Alabama Crimson Tide|title=Alabama}} at [[2024 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| May 4, 2024
|
|-
| 13
| 14,228
| [[2022 LSU Tigers baseball team|LSU]] at [[2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 9, 2022
| 
|-
| 14
| 14,077
| [[2022 Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team|Alabama]] at [[2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| March 26, 2022
|
|-
| 15
| 13,974
| [[2024 LSU Tigers baseball team|LSU]] at [[2024 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| March 16, 2024
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 16/17
| rowspan=2| 13,970<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=DudyNobleField |number=1918880837115810017|date = 3 May 2025 |title=Attendance at Dudy Noble today: 13,970. That's good for the largest on-campus crowds in college baseball this season 👏🏻👏🏻 }}</ref>
| rowspan=2| [[2025 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team|Kentucky]] at [[2025 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| rowspan=2 style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| rowspan=2| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| rowspan=2| May 3, 2025
| ''Game 1 of double header''
|-
| ''Game 2 of double header''
|-
| 18
| 13,917<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=tbhorka|author=Tyler Horka |number=1404233589181411330|date = 13 June 2021 |title=Attendance at Dudy Noble Field this evening: 13,917. That's the second largest Super Regional crowd in NCAA history, only behind yesterday's 14,385.. }}</ref>
| [[2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team|Notre Dame]] at [[2021 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| June 13, 2021
| [[2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Starkville Super Regional|NCAA Super Regionals]]
|-
| 19
| 13,761
| {{CBSB link|year=1992|team=Arkansas Razorbacks|title=Arkansas}} at {{CBSB link|year=1992|team=Mississippi State Bulldogs|title=Mississippi State}}
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 25, 1992
| 
|-
| 20
| 13,715
| [[2007 Clemson Tigers baseball team|Clemson]] at [[2007 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| June 9, 2007
| [[2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Starkville Super Regional|NCAA Super Regionals]]
|-
| 21
| 13,691<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=HailStateBB |author=MSU Baseball |number=850888446495399936 |date = 8 April 2017 |title=Just when we thought #SBW17 couldn't get any better, the best fans in the country took it to another level! #HailState }}</ref>
| [[2017 Kentucky Wildcats baseball team|Kentucky]] at [[2017 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 8, 2017
| 
|-
| 22
| 13,617
| {{CBSB link|year=2006|team=Georgia Bulldogs|title=Georgia}} at {{cbsb link|year=2006|team=Mississippi State Bulldogs|title=Mississippi State}}
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 8, 2006
|
|-
| 23
| 13,477
| [[2024 Georgia Bulldogs baseball team|Georgia]] at [[2024 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| April 6, 2024 
|
|-
| 24
| 13,472<ref>{{cite web|last= Jones |first= Matt |title= Diamond Hogs top 13,000 tickets sold for first time |url= http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2018/mar/03/diamond-hogs-top-13000-tickets-sold-first-time/ |publisher= Whole Hog Sports |date= March 3, 2018 |access-date= June 10, 2018 }}</ref>
| {{CBSB link|year=2018|team=USC Trojans|title=USC}} at [[2018 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team|Arkansas]]
| style="background:#9D2235; color:white"| [[Baum Stadium|{{color|white|Baum Stadium}}]]
| [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]]
| March 3, 2018
| 
|-
| 25
| 13,452<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=HailStateBB |author=MSU Baseball |number=741785287089618944 |date = 12 June 2016 |title=Attendance: Today's Attendance: 13,452 2nd largest Super Regional crowd in NCAA history. Thank you, Bulldog fans! #HailState }}</ref>
| [[2016 Arizona Wildcats baseball team|Arizona]] at [[2016 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team|Mississippi State]]
| style="background:#660000; color:white"| [[Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium|{{color|white|Dudy Noble Field}}]]
| [[Starkville, Mississippi]]
| June 11, 2016
| [[2016 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Starkville Super Regional|NCAA Super Regionals]]
|}

==Video gaming==
After losing its license for [[Major League Baseball]], [[EA Sports]] released ''[[MVP 06: NCAA Baseball]]'', the first college baseball [[video game]]. A second game, ''[[MVP 07: NCAA Baseball]]'', was also released before the series was discontinued due to low sales.<ref name=mvpncaagame>{{cite web|last=Acevedo|first=Jay|title=EA Sports Drops MVP NCAA Baseball Series|url=http://www.gamefocus.ca/news/836.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130219184515/http://www.gamefocus.ca/news/836.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 19, 2013|work=GameFocus.com|access-date=January 7, 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=no}}
*[[List of NCAA Division I baseball programs]]
*[[2025 NCAA Division I baseball season]]
*[[NCAA Division I Baseball Championship]]
**[[College World Series#Division I|Men's College World Series]]
*[[NCAA Division II Baseball Championship]]
*[[NCAA Division III Baseball Championship]]
*[[NAIA Baseball World Series]]
*[[JUCO World Series]]
*[[National Club Baseball Association#NCBA World Series Champions|NCBA World Series division D1 championship]]
*[[National Club Baseball Association#D2|NCBA World Series division D2 championship]]
*[[USA Baseball]]
*[[Amateur baseball in the United States]]
*[[NCAA Division I college baseball team statistics]]
*[[National College Baseball Hall of Fame]]
*{{section link|Baseball awards|U.S. college baseball}}
*[[List of college baseball awards]]
*[[List of college baseball career home run leaders]]
*[[List of collegiate summer baseball leagues]]
*[[List of Division I colleges that do not sponsor baseball]]
*{{section link|United States national baseball team|Collegiate National Team}}
*[[World University Baseball Championship]]
*[[Baseball at the Summer Universiade]]
*[[College athletics]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
;General
* Arkell, Thomas J. "Agent Interference With College Athletics: What Agents Can and Cannot Do and What Institutions Should Do In Response." 4 Sports Law. J. (1997): 147–180. Web. July 21, 2010.
* "College Baseball Teams." The Baseball Cube. n.p. n.d. Web. July 20, 2010.
* Green, Gary A., Frank D. Uryasz, Todd A. Petr, Corey D. Bray. "NCAA Study of Substance Use and Abuse Habits of College Student-Athletes" Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 11.1 (January 2001): P.51-56. Web. July 21, 2010.
* Greenwald, Richard M., Lori H. Penna, and Joseph J. Crisco. "Differences in Batted Ball Speeds With Wood and Aluminum Baseball Bats: A Batting Cage Study." Journal of Applied Biomechanics 17 (2001): 241–252. Web. July 20, 2010.
* Karcher, Richard T. "The NCAA's Regulations Related to the Use of Agents in the Sport of Baseball: Are the Rules Detrimental to the Best Interest of the Amateur Athlete?" 7 Vand. J. Ent. L. & Prac. (2004–2005): 215–232. Web. July 21, 2010.
* Newlin, Clint. "Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level." National Interscholastic Athletic Association. n.p. April 20, 2010. Web. July 22, 2010.
* Schlegel, John. "Texas wins NCAA record 25-inning game", MLB.com (MLB Advanced Media, L.P.), May 31, 2009.
* Traub, James. "Take Me Out to the Picket Line." WALL ST. J., A12. July 21, 2010.
* "2009 NCAA Div. I Baseball College World Series Bracket" (in column 1 (Regionals), click on Austin box; then click on Texas–BC box), NCAA.com (NCAA).
;Specific
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* College baseball at [https://www.ncaa.com/sports/baseball/d1 NCAA], [https://www.naia.org/sports/bsb/index NAIA], [https://www.cccaasports.org/sports/bsb/index CCCAA], [https://thenccaa.org/sports/baseball NCCAA], [https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/index NJCAA], [https://theuscaa.com/sports/bsb/index USCAA]
* [https://highschoolsports.co/ High School Baseball]
* [http://www.clubbaseball.com/ National (Collegiate) Club Baseball Association]
* [http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/ College Baseball Daily]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051217172116/http://www.cstv.com/cgi-bin/rankings.cgi?type=tables&sport=m-basebl&division= CSTV.com] – College baseball polls ([[Wayback Machine|archived]])
* [https://www.collegebaseball.info/ College Baseball Nation]

{{National Collegiate Athletic Association}}
{{National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics}}

[[Category:College baseball| ]]
[[Category:College baseball in the United States| ]]