Drive for five? Sunday could be big day for Louisiana college baseball

The success of this college baseball season in Louisiana won’t be decided within the borders of the state on Sunday.

Instead, it will be determined in three cities east of here along I-59, I-20 and I-65.

As Louisiana Tech, Louisiana and Southern play for conference baseball tournament championships and NCAA Tournament berths on the final day of the season, the Bulldogs, Ragin’ Cajuns and Jaguars will determine if there are two, or as many as five, teams from our state to hear their names called when the NCAA announces its field of 64 Monday morning.

Here’s what we know so far:

LSU (38-20) is an at-large lock but on the hosting bubble after losing to Kentucky Saturday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, completing a 1-2 run in Hoover, Alabama. The Tigers were the No. 4 seed in the tournament but have an RPI of 25.

Southeastern Louisiana (30-29) is back in the tournament for the first time since 2017 after defeating McNeese 11-7 in the deciding game of the Southland Conference championship series in Lake Charles Saturday night.

The potential for three more teams in the field will be decided in the aforementioned conference championship games Sunday afternoon.

LA Tech (41-19) will face UTSA for the Conference USA tournament title at 1 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Roadrunners defeated top-seeded and host Southern Miss twice in the last two days to reach the final, while the Bulldogs bounced back from a 13-inning loss to Old Dominion earlier Saturday to win the rematch 8-7.

Tech could be in the field of 64, win or lose. It has an RPI of 37 as of Saturday night. The bubble has shrunk with teams like Gonzaga and Dallas Baptist, each with RPIs in the 20s, losing in their conference tournaments this weekend.

Also at 1 p.m., Louisiana (35-21) will meet Georgia Southern for the Sun Belt tournament crown in Montgomery, Alabama. The Ragin’ Cajuns knocked out top-seeded and league regular-season champ Texas State 3-2 Saturday night behind a gutsy 142-pitch complete game from Jacob Schultz.

Despite the Sun Belt’s strength this year (it ranks sixth nationally), the Cajuns, with an RPI of 54, are unlikely to receive a bid if they fail to win the tournament. As a result, bubble teams – including Louisiana Tech – will not be fans of the Cajuns on Sunday, since a win would shrink the bubble yet again. Georgia Southern, which has an RPI of 8, will be in regardless and is even in the discussion for a regional host.

Starting an hour earlier than the others is the SWAC title game, where Southern (27-30) will face Alabama State at noon in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Jaguars are chasing a third straight tournament title after reaching the championship game with a 10-2 victory over Florida A&M in their second meeting of the day on Saturday.

Five Louisiana schools last reached the NCAA Tournament in 2016. That year, LSU, Louisiana, Southeastern, Tulane and LA Tech all made it to the field of 64.

Louisiana also put five teams in the tournament in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1999 and 2005. The state’s high-water mark is six teams, in 2000.

The NCAA bracket will be announced at 11 a.m. Monday on ESPN2.