JACKSONVILLE – Conference USA champion Jax State will head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to take part in the 2026 Hattiesburg Regional to open the 2026 Division I NCAA Baseball Championship.
The Gamecocks will be the regional's three seed, and will face the ACC's Virginia Cavaliers in the first round on Friday, May 29, at 6 p.m. Host and No. 9 national seed Southern Miss will open regional play against OVC Champion Little Rock earlier that day.
The Gamecocks earned its sixth NCAA Division I regional berth with a 10-0 run-rule victory over Liberty in the Conference USA championship game on Sunday.
Sam Richardson had two home runs, including the two-run blast to end it in the seventh inning, the first multi-homer game of his career.
Steven Cash made his second start of the tournament on Sunday, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings to open the contest.
Richardson was named CUSA Tournament MVP with two walk-offs in four games. In total, five Gamecocks were named to the All-Tournament team.
Southern Miss hosts an NCAA Regional for the fifth time in program history and the first time in back-to-back seasons. The Golden Eagles are 44-15 on the year after sweeping the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles.
Virginia makes its 22nd NCAA Regional appearance and returns to the postseason after missing last season. It is the first appearance for the Cavaliers under first year head coach Chris Pollard. The Cavaliers finished ACC tournament play in the quarterfinals, closing with a record of 36-21 and 14-16 in ACC play.
Little Rock returns to the NCAA Regionals for a second-consecutive year after winning the Ohio Valley Conference in back-to-back seasons. It is the first time the Trojans have made back-to-back regional appearances in program history. The Trojans clinched the OVC tournament title after rallying from a 6-1 deficit to defeat Eastern Illinois, 10-6, in the championship game.
Ticket prices include $150 for All-Session Chairback and Bleacher seats, while All-Session General Admission passes and Wheelchair seating will be $100. All-Session General Admission tickets for students for all four competing institutions will be $50.
Fans will not be able to purchase tickets from the Jax State Ticket Office. Tickets must be purchased through the Southern Miss Ticket Office at the link provided
HERE. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday morning at 10 am CT. Fans are HIGHLY encouraged to log in early for tickets, are demand is extremely high and tickets will be sold out quickly.
