ATLANTA, Ga. – The NCAA announced the complete bracket for the upcoming 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on Monday afternoon, positioning Southern Conference champion and league automatic qualifier The Citadel as the No. 3 seed within the Atlanta Regional, a four-team, double-elimination setup slated for Friday, May 29 through Monday, June 1.
The Bulldogs open tournament play against No. 2 Oklahoma while top-seeded Georgia Tech — the No. 2 national seed and regional host — faces No. 4 UIC, both games scheduled for Friday, May 29.
“A The Citadel tradition, when you show up at a watch party like this, and you’ve got so many people supporting it, puts things into perspective,” head coach Russell Triplett said. “You got a lot of people behind these guys, but they’ve earned it, and they’re excited for an opportunity to continue to play. We’ve got a really talented regional, but I think our guys can compete, and be the team that plays the best and win. We’re going to prepare this week and get ready to go, and it’s going to be an unbelievable experience, and be something that no one can ever take away from guys.”
The Citadel enters the national tournament fresh off a perfect 5-0 run in the Southern Conference Championship, knocking off top-seeded Mercer on back-to-back occasions in the quarter- and semifinals before edging No. 3 Samford in the title bout. Notably, the Bulldogs currently boast an eight-game winning streak dating back to May 14 and serve as one of the top programs nationally in multiple categories, including sacrifice bunts (first, 74) and stolen bases (16th, 138).
At the plate, the Bulldogs’ lineup has been paced by Michael Gibson — winner of the Walt Nadzak Award as the Southern Conference Championship Most Outstanding Player — behind his .394 batting average, good for 14th within the NCAA. Meanwhile, Will Holmes has acted as The Citadel ace throughout the campaign, currently ranking 13th nationally in strikeouts (112) and 31st in hits allowed per nine innings (6.42).
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