The D1Baseball Podcast

Ten years ago, UC Santa Barbara claimed a spot in the Omaha Eight for the first time in program history. Headlined by a walk-off grand slam to punch their ticket, the 2016 Gauchos were a team for the ages. On this episode of Sunday Night Conversations, Mike Rooney is joined by Andrew Checketts, Shane Bieber, and J.J. Muno to take a look back at the 2016 squad.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Burkie and Roons open by discussing how baseball prospects generally face less hype and “bust” labeling than football stars like Arch Manning, while noting that high draft picks who choose college can still carry heavy expectations. They debate whether athletes would prefer today’s world of constant online scrutiny with the chance to make millions versus an earlier era with less public pressure but only scholarship benefits, emphasizing discipline and the idea that “the internet is not real life.” Shifting to baseball, they use the World Series/playoff lens to examine roster construction, prioritizing unflappable makeup, athleticism, defense, running, and pitching depth as traits that “slump the least.” They argue NIL/portal dynamics, smaller roster limits, and evaluation uncertainty are increasing parity and making it harder to stockpile elite sluggers, citing recent LSU/Tennessee title teams and examples like Cal’s Jack Kennedy.00:00 Welcome Back!01:21 Thank You AstroTurf01:56 "Hype" Pressure in Baseball05:33 NIL Money vs Scrutiny09:57 World Series Lessons for College Rosters12:01 Build Around Defense and Pitching15:02 Slugging, NIL, and Growing Parity20:05 Smaller Rosters and Tougher Evaluations23:22 Final TakeawaysFor athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for baseball and softball programs across the professional and collegiate ranks, including being the Official Synthetic Turf of MLB®. For more information, please visit https://astroturf.com/Homefield is the industry leader in game day gear by and for true fans. Our friends at Homefield design and research EVERYTHING, from the fit and fabrics to the vintage logos, to make standout gear that defines Your Game Day. Shop the very best of Homefield, like:  • T-Shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks featuring unique designs for your school–they’ve got over 180 partner schools, which means there’s something for YOU   • Retro-style jackets for every part of the season   • Premium hats, with retro designs AND a fit for everyone   • And, just launched: The Homefield Stadium Polo, inspired by the bold, vibrant game day polos of the 90s.  You can shop the very best in game day apparel for your team NOW with Homefield. Take 15% off your first purchase with code D15 at checkout at www.homefieldapparel.com!Kerriston Coffee is proud to be the official coffee of D1Baseball. With over 30 years in the business, this family-owned roastery delivers fresh, small-batch coffee made for college baseball fans, coaches, and everyone in between. Kerriston Coffee ships nationwide, and as a listener to The D1Baseball Podcast, you can use code D1 at https://kerristoncoffee.com to receive 15% off your first order!SUBSCRIBEApple: https://d1ba.se/Pod-AppleSpotify: https://d1ba.se/40Ne9DqYouTube: https://d1ba.se/yt-subSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Burkie and Roons discuss D1Baseball’s release of its biennial Top 100 Programs list. Roons describes the staff-wide process and internal debates, noting especially tricky evaluations outside the top tier. The conversation highlights Texas at No. 2 as a projection based on sustained Omaha appearances and perceived title trajectory, and Oklahoma at No. 7 as a unique case balancing two recent finals appearances with more uneven seasons and a different roster-building model. They identify major movers including Vanderbilt dropping from No. 4 to No. 17 due to recent postseason exits, debate Georgia’s placement at No. 14, and cite heated discussion around the 40s range (including Troy, Louisiana, Arizona State, Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas Tech), with notable drops for Texas Tech and Stanford. They close by reflecting on volatility and parity in modern college athletics, shifting player-acquisition dynamics, and the value of respectful feedback from coaches and fans.Top 100 Programs: https://d1baseball.com/stories/2026-top-100-college-baseball-programs-by-the-numbers/00:00 Welcome and Thank You, AstroTurf!01:00 Listener Feedback01:49 The D1Baseball Top 100 Programs: Intro03:13 Top 100 Ranking Criteria Explained06:27 Inside the Rankings "Debate Room"08:02 Texas and Oklahoma Top 100 Spots13:03 Biggest Droppers: Vanderbilt14:53 Georgia and Other Risers16:48 The Tricky "20s Tier" of the Top 10018:42 Teams In The 40s: Comparisons21:28 Volatility and Parity In Today's Game24:56 Wrap Up and Final JokesFor athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for baseball and softball programs across the professional and collegiate ranks, including being the Official Synthetic Turf of MLB®. For more information, please visit https://astroturf.com/Homefield is the industry leader in game day gear by and for true fans. Our friends at Homefield design and research EVERYTHING, from the fit and fabrics to the vintage logos, to make standout gear that defines Your Game Day. Shop the very best of Homefield, like:  • T-Shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks featuring unique designs for your school–they’ve got over 180 partner schools, which means there’s something for YOU   • Retro-style jackets for every part of the season   • Premium hats, with retro designs AND a fit for everyone   • And, just launched: The Homefield Stadium Polo, inspired by the bold, vibrant game day polos of the 90s.  You can shop the very best in game day apparel for your team NOW with Homefield. Take 15% off your first purchase with code D15 at checkout at www.homefieldapparel.com!Kerriston Coffee is proud to be the official coffee of D1Baseball. With over 30 years in the business, this family-owned roastery delivers fresh, small-batch coffee made for college baseball fans, coaches, and everyone in between. Kerriston Coffee ships nationwide, and as a listener to The D1Baseball Podcast, you can use code D1 at https://kerristoncoffee.com to receive 15% off your first order!SUBSCRIBEApple: https://d1ba.se/Pod-AppleSpotify: https://d1ba.se/40Ne9DqYouTube: https://d1ba.se/yt-subSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Highlighted by seven College World Series appearances, including four-straight trips to Omaha from 2006-2009, Mike Fox built a consistent contender in Chapel Hill over his 22-year stretch. On this episode of Sunday Night Conversations, Mike Rooney is joined by Fox, Robert Woodard and Chad Flack to take a look back at what led up to the initial Omaha run in 2006.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mike Rooney and Burkie discuss recent NCAA tournament expansions in college basketball and the College Football Playoff, weighing how added teams might affect entertainment value, regular-season stakes, and bowl relevance. They then shift to college baseball, proposing an expanded field (e.g., 68 teams) with play-in games: the weakest recent auto-bid leagues playing at the top two national seeds and the “first four out” playing into regionals hosted by the top two-seeds that missed hosting, using five-year RPI and tournament results to determine leagues. They debate potential benefits like compelling Thursday-night TV and more on-campus postseason games versus concerns about empty stadiums, daytime start times, possible season-calendar shifts, and preserving a regional format they believe is thriving.00:00 Welcome Back00:06 Thank You AstroTurf!00:34 Playoff Expansion Debate01:34 Hoops First Four Thoughts02:28 Quick Aside: Notre Dame-BYU Chaos04:03 Does The Playoff Expansion Ruin CFB?05:05 Burkie on Basketball's Field of 6806:36 Burkie on Football's "Bowl Games"09:57 Transition to Baseball Format10:34 Baseball First Four Proposal12:48 Fairness and Seeding Logic15:43 Auto Bid Leagues and TV17:21 How The 32 Hosts Would Work 20:23 Keep Regionals...or Expand?22:08 Wrap Up and TakeawaysFor athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for baseball and softball programs across the professional and collegiate ranks, including being the Official Synthetic Turf of MLB®. For more information, please visit https://astroturf.com/Homefield is the industry leader in game day gear by and for true fans. Our friends at Homefield design and research EVERYTHING, from the fit and fabrics to the vintage logos, to make standout gear that defines Your Game Day. Shop the very best of Homefield, like:  • T-Shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks featuring unique designs for your school–they’ve got over 180 partner schools, which means there’s something for YOU   • Retro-style jackets for every part of the season   • Premium hats, with retro designs AND a fit for everyone   • And, just launched: The Homefield Stadium Polo, inspired by the bold, vibrant game day polos of the 90s.  You can shop the very best in game day apparel for your team NOW with Homefield. Take 15% off your first purchase with code D15 at checkout at www.homefieldapparel.com!Kerriston Coffee is proud to be the official coffee of D1Baseball. With over 30 years in the business, this family-owned roastery delivers fresh, small-batch coffee made for college baseball fans, coaches, and everyone in between. Kerriston Coffee ships nationwide, and as a listener to The D1Baseball Podcast, you can use code D1 at https://kerristoncoffee.com to receive 15% off your first order!SUBSCRIBEApple: https://d1ba.se/Pod-AppleSpotify: https://d1ba.se/40Ne9DqYouTube: https://d1ba.se/yt-subIs your favorite team in the SEC? Make sure to check out our Highway To Hoover podcast with Joe Healy and Mark Etheridge on Apple Podcasts: https://d1ba.se/h2h-apple or Spotify: https://d1ba.se/41nyqSvOr maybe you're a fan of ACC baseball? Then you need to check out the ACC Baseball Etc. podcast with Daron Vaught and Bradley Smart on Apple Podcasts: https://d1ba.se/etc-apple or Spotify: https://d1ba.se/4tBUuF9See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.