Despite possessing a strong, tournament-worthy resume, the Panthers were denied a spot in the NCAA's baseball championship tournament, The Road to Omaha, officially ending their season. During the selection show, it was revealed that Pitt was in the "First Four Out" category, along with (alphabetically) Mercer, Michigan, and Texas Christian.
Boasting an RPI of 38 and holding 10 Quadrant 1 wins, second only in the ACC to conference and tournament champion Georgia Tech and a mark that was 12th in the nation, it proved not enough to earn entry.
Before conference tournament championship games concluded, Pitt was considered by many prognosticators among the "Last Four In." Though no reasons were given for why the Panthers failed to make the tournament, three factors could have been determinative:
• Bid thieves. Four teams not considered potential tournament selections or on the bubble for at-large bids won their conference championships: Cal Poly, in particular, won the Big West, immediately turning a one-bid conference into a two-bid because runner-up and expected champion UC Santa Barbara became an at-large team. Others include Northern Illinois (MAC), The Citadel (Southern), and Purdue (Big 10).
• Conference standing and record. The Panthers were 11-19 and ranked 14th in the ACC entering the tournament, finishing 14-20 overall after the ACC Tournament.
• The Panthers' non-conference strength of schedule was ranked over 200 nationally.
THE ASYLUM
Pitt denied tournament spot
Despite possessing a strong, tournament-worthy resume, the Panthers were denied a spot in the NCAA's baseball championship tournament, The Road to Omaha, officially ending their season. During the selection show, it was revealed that Pitt was in the "First Four Out" category, along with (alphabetically) Mercer, Michigan, and Texas Christian.
Boasting an RPI of 38 and holding 10 Quadrant 1 wins, second only in the ACC to conference and tournament champion Georgia Tech and a mark that was 12th in the nation, it proved not enough to earn entry.
Before conference tournament championship games concluded, Pitt was considered by many prognosticators among the "Last Four In." Though no reasons were given for why the Panthers failed to make the tournament, three factors could have been determinative:
• Bid thieves. Four teams not considered potential tournament selections or on the bubble for at-large bids won their conference championships: Cal Poly, in particular, won the Big West, immediately turning a one-bid conference into a two-bid because runner-up and expected champion UC Santa Barbara became an at-large team. Others include Northern Illinois (MAC), The Citadel (Southern), and Purdue (Big 10).
• Conference standing and record. The Panthers were 11-19 and ranked 14th in the ACC entering the tournament, finishing 14-20 overall after the ACC Tournament.
• The Panthers' non-conference strength of schedule was ranked over 200 nationally.
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