The 2026 NCAA Tournament begins on Friday, May 29. Here is a look at the Lawrence regional.
Lawrence Regional – Hoglund Ballpark
No. 1 – Kansas Jayhawks (42-16, 22-8 Big 12) – Number 15 National Seed
The Kansas Jayhawks enter the NCAA Tournament as the number 15 national seed. The team handled business in the Big 12, winning the conference’s regular season and tournament titles. It is the second-straight year the Jayhawks are in the NCAA Tournament.
The Kansas offense has been spearheaded by Tyson LeBlanc this season. He has a .339 batting average, a .421 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, and 60 RBIs. LeBlanc also has 10 stolen bases this season, making him a “do-it-all” kind of player for Kansas offensively.
LeBlanc was named first-team All-Big 12 alongside his teammate Boede Rahe. Rahe is a great pitcher for the Jayhawks to turn to out of the bullpen. He has nine saves this season and a 3.96 ERA in 50 innings of work. Over that same stretch, he also has 65 strikeouts.
Kansas enters regional play at Hoglund Park in Lawrence, winners in five of their last six games. This includes three wins in the Big 12 Tournament and a series win against the BYU Cougars.
No. 2 – Arkansas Razorbacks (39-20, 17-13 SEC)
Despite not hosting a regional at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, the Arkansas Razorbacks have a lot on their mind heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks had a heartbreaking exit in the 2026 College World Series against the LSU Tigers. Head coach Dave Van Horn and his team will be looking to return to Omaha.
Arkansas is coming off a deep run in the 2026 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The Razorbacks went all the way to the championship game before losing to Georgia.
In fact, Arkansas is playing well down the stretch of the season into postseason play. The Razorbacks have won eight of their last 11 games as they compete in their ninth straight NCAA Tournament.
No. 3 – Missouri State Bears (34-19, 20-10 C-USA)
The Missouri State Bears head into Lawrence, Kan., with a strong run in Conference USA play this season. The Bears finished third in the conference behind Liberty and Jacksonville State.
Missouri State will pose a big challenge in its first game of the Lawrence regional against Arkansas. The Bears beat Arkansas 15-14 in extra innings back on March 31. With a solid team batting average of .298, the Bears will not be a team that is intimidated by both Kansas and Arkansas in this regional, despite being a mid-major.
No. 4 – Northeastern Huskies (38-20, 22-8 CAA)
Northeastern is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance this decade after winning back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament titles. The Huskies were able to pick up a win in the Tallahassee regional last season, making them a tough four seed to have in Lawrence.
2026 Lawrence Regional Schedule
Fri. May 29 – Northeastern vs Kansas – 1 p.m. ET – ESPN+
Fri. May 29 – Missouri State vs Arkansas – 6:00 p.m. ET – ESPNU
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Kansas utility Tyson LeBlanc (2) during an NCAA college baseball game on Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
