The 64-team NCAA Tournament bracket is out, and Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball (35-19, 22-5 WCC) didn’t receive an at-large bid or even finish on the First Four Out line. The Zags ended up No. 57 in the RPI.
Gonzaga had some chances to get some signature winning series to bolster their resume, but failed to do so against Hawaii, Texas State, Oklahoma, Creighton, and Minnesota, all on the road in non-conference play. They even went without grabbing a one-off victory at the Oregon Ducks, who are now hosting the Eugene Regional.
Despite going on a nation-leading 14-game winning streak at one point and winning the West Coast Conference regular-season championship, the WCC still was the No. 21-ranked conference in the sports, according to Warren Nolan. The successes on their resume clearly weren’t going to be enough.
Mark Machtolf, the program’s winningest coach at 656 and a six-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, will be losing senior right-handed pitcher Justin Feld, and most likely, redshirt junior third baseman and the back-to-back West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Mikey Bell.
He will be bringing back a stellar pitching staff in 2027, led by West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, sophomore left-handed starter Karsten Sweum, and West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, right-handed Landon Hood.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
