By D.J. Cadden
With just under two weeks until the ACC Tournament begins, eight teams have clinched their spot in Charlotte. Now, four spots remain up for grabs as six teams vie to secure a postseason bid.
This article will break the ACC into four tiers, based on where their postseason hopes stand: Clinched, mortal locks, fighting for their lives and teams that need a miracle.
Clinched: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech
These eight programs – in alphabetical order – will participate in the ACC Tournament no matter what. While seeding remains up in the air for a number of them, these teams can rest assured that they will see postseason action.
Mortal Locks: Georgia Tech and Wake Forest
While the Yellow Jackets and Demon Deacons have yet to lock up their spot in Charlotte, not much work is left for either program to secure their spot in the tournament. Sitting at 12-12 in conference play, both teams more than likely just need a win or two to guarantee their spot in the tournament.
With two series against College Baseball Central top-20 teams left on the schedule for both teams, it may be a tall task to accumulate some wins down the stretch. However, with the talent on both of the aforementioned teams, fans can be fairly certain that they will do enough to lock themselves into the tournament.
Fighting for their lives: Boston College, Miami and Notre Dame
If one assumes that Georgia Tech and Wake Forest make the ACC Tournament while Pittsburgh misses out, that leaves Boston College, Miami and Notre Dame fighting for two remaining spots.
With series wins over the Hurricanes and the Eagles, Notre Dame virtually controls their own destiny from here on out. The only way the Irish miss the tournament is if they finish with a worse record than either Boston College or Miami.
The Hurricanes and Eagles have not and will not match up on the diamond this year, meaning head-to-head cannot be used as a tiebreaker. To make things even tighter between the two., both teams currently have eight conference wins to their name. However, due to the way both teams structured their schedule, Boston College has just one series remaining in ACC play while the Hurricanes will close out their season with consecutive series against conference opponents.
Mathematically, with double the amount of chances to add a win to their resume than Boston Colleges, Miami holds an advantage when it comes to postseason hopes. And with one of their remaining series coming at home against the conference's worst team, it may be time for Miami to start making reservations.
Need a miracle: Pittsburgh
The Panthers got off to a good start in non-conference play, but have yet to win an ACC series in 2024. At 6-18 in conference play, may need to win out if they want to have any chance of making it to Charlotte.
*****
Commenti