Selection Monday gave us the bracket. Now the fun part is figuring out who can actually change it.
Using the CB9 players tab as the starting point, here are the hitters and pitchers who stand out most heading into regional weekend, with Friday's opening matchups in mind.
The Headline Arms
Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara
Flora is the best run-prevention arm in the field by the CB9 leaderboard: 1.05 ERA, 94.1 innings, 124 strikeouts. UCSB opens Friday against Tarleton State in Austin, but the bigger question is whether the Gauchos line him up for Texas if they can get there. If Flora faces the Longhorns, that regional changes immediately.
Mason Edwards, USC
USC has the scariest Friday weapon in College Station. Edwards leads the CB9 K/9 board at 16.3 and has 160 strikeouts in 88.1 innings. USC opens against Texas State on Friday night, but Texas A&M knows what is waiting if the bracket lines up. Edwards is the kind of arm that can erase the host advantage for one night.
Dylan Volantis, Texas
Texas has its own ace-level answer. Volantis sits third on the CB9 ERA board at 2.00 with 109 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. The Longhorns open against Holy Cross, and if Texas handles business, Volantis gives them a real counterpunch against a potential UCSB matchup.
Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
Arkansas did not get a host spot, but it still brings a dangerous regional profile to Lawrence. Dietz has 117 strikeouts in 79.1 innings and ranks near the top of the CB9 K/9 list. The Razorbacks open against Missouri State, and if they get through that, Kansas may have to deal with an SEC arm that is built for this stage.
Jaxon Jelkin, Kentucky
Kentucky opens the Morgantown Regional against Wake Forest, and Jelkin is the name to know. CB9 has him at 88 innings with 98 strikeouts and a strong WHIP profile. West Virginia is the host, but Kentucky having a real frontline arm is one reason that regional feels wide open.
More Pitchers Who Matter
Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State
Mississippi State opens against Lipscomb, and Valincius gives the Bulldogs one of the better strikeout starters in the tournament: 120 strikeouts in 86 innings. Starkville is already hard enough. A swing-and-miss arm makes it harder.
Wes Mendes, Florida State
Florida State opens against St. John's, and Mendes is the Seminoles' big workload arm: 89 innings, 117 strikeouts, 2.93 ERA. If FSU is going to get through a regional that includes Coastal Carolina, Mendes probably has to be central to it.
Jake Marciano and Alex Petrovic, Auburn
Auburn's draw looks manageable, and the pitching helps explain why. Marciano owns a 2.64 ERA with 100 strikeouts, while Petrovic gives the Tigers another reliable arm. Auburn opens against Milwaukee and has enough pitching depth to control the weekend.
Aidan King and Liam Peterson, Florida
Florida opens against Rider, and the Gators have two CB9 top-100 arms worth watching. King has a 2.68 ERA over 84 innings, while Peterson has 107 strikeouts in 79.1 innings. Florida played its way into the top-eight seed line, and the arms give the Gators a real chance to justify it.
Ethan Norby, East Carolina
The Chapel Hill Regional starts with Tennessee vs. East Carolina, and Norby gives ECU a major weapon: 120 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. North Carolina is the host, but that Tennessee-ECU opener has the feel of a game that could shape the entire regional.
The Biggest Bats In The Field
Landon Hairston, Arizona State
Hairston is the best hitter in the regional field by OPS on the CB9 board: .413 average, 28 home runs, 79 RBI, 1.415 OPS. Arizona State opens Friday night against Ole Miss in Lincoln. Nebraska is the host, but Hairston is the kind of bat that can make the Sun Devils the most dangerous team in the pod.
Daniel Jackson, Georgia
Georgia enters the tournament as a buzzsaw, and Jackson is the middle of it. He shows up everywhere on CB9: .395 average, 27 homers, 79 RBI, 1.294 OPS. Georgia opens against LIU, and if the Bulldogs keep playing like they did in Hoover, Jackson will be one of the faces of the first weekend.
Quinton Coats, Cincinnati
Coats is a major reason Cincinnati is dangerous in Starkville. He has 28 homers, 78 RBI and a 1.195 OPS on CB9. Cincinnati opens against Louisiana, and the winner likely gets a shot at Mississippi State. Coats gives the Bearcats the kind of power that can travel.
Ryan Zuckerman, Jarren Advincula and Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech's lineup is loaded. Advincula leads the CB9 batting average board at .433. Zuckerman has 23 homers and 73 RBI. Burress adds a .369 average and 1.158 OPS. The Jackets open against UIC, and this is why their Atlanta Regional feels like one they should control.
Ace Reese, Mississippi State
Reese is the hitter to watch for the Starkville host. CB9 has him at .327 with 20 homers, 69 RBI and a 1.115 OPS. Mississippi State opens against Lipscomb, but the bigger test could come quickly with Cincinnati or Louisiana waiting.
Power Bats Who Can Flip A Regional
Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
Kozeal gives Arkansas real thump in Lawrence: 20 homers, 70 RBI and a 1.086 OPS. The Razorbacks open against Missouri State, and Kansas will be watching closely.
Tyson LeBlanc, Kansas
Kansas did not just earn a host by accident. LeBlanc has 21 homers, 60 RBI and a 1.103 OPS. The Jayhawks open against Northeastern, but the likely Arkansas problem is sitting right there.
Caden Sorrell and Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
A&M opens against Lamar, and the Aggies still have the bats to make College Station dangerous. Sorrell has 23 homers and 74 RBI, while Grahovac has 19 homers and 71 RBI. The question is whether that offense can hold up if USC's arms get involved.
Kollin Ritchie, Oklahoma State
Alabama opens with Alabama State, but Oklahoma State vs. USC Upstate is the other Friday game in Tuscaloosa. Ritchie has 29 home runs and 73 RBI. If Oklahoma State reaches Alabama, the Tide will have to keep him in the yard.
Henry Ford, Tennessee
Tennessee opens against East Carolina in Chapel Hill, and Ford gives the Vols a real power presence with 19 homers and 56 RBI. That 2-3 game is one of Friday's best matchups.
Mulivai Levu, Roch Cholowsky and Will Gasparino, UCLA
UCLA got the No. 1 overall seed, and the lineup has plenty of names. Levu has a 1.079 OPS, while Cholowsky and Gasparino both sit at 19 homers. The Bruins open against Saint Mary's, and they have multiple ways to win games without needing one player to carry them.
Best Friday Player Matchups
Wake Forest vs. Kentucky, Noon ET
This one has upset energy right away. Kentucky has Jelkin, while Wake brings bats like Dalton Wentz and Luke Costello. For a No. 16 host regional, West Virginia will be watching a very uncomfortable opener.
Tennessee vs. East Carolina, Noon ET
Henry Ford vs. Ethan Norby is the kind of player contrast that makes regionals great. Tennessee has the power. ECU has a postseason identity and a strikeout arm.
UC Santa Barbara vs. Tarleton State, 6 p.m. ET
The question is simple: does UCSB use Flora immediately, or save him for a possible Texas game? Either way, the Austin Regional revolves around his availability.
Arkansas vs. Missouri State, 6 p.m. ET
Arkansas was left out of the host line, but the Razorbacks have enough top-end players to make Lawrence nervous. Dietz and Kozeal are the names that can make that happen.
Ole Miss vs. Arizona State, 9 p.m. ET
This might be the best hitter showcase of Friday night. Hairston is the headliner, but Ole Miss brings its own dangerous bats and a strong rotation. Nebraska's regional starts with a heavyweight 2-3 game.
USC vs. Texas State, 9 p.m. ET
Mason Edwards is the story. If USC gets a dominant start, Texas A&M's road gets much harder before the Aggies even see the Trojans.
Final Thought
The bracket tells us where everyone is going. The players tell us where things can break.
Flora can tilt Austin. Edwards can change College Station. Hairston can wreck Lincoln. Jackson can keep Georgia rolling. Georgia Tech's lineup can overwhelm Atlanta. Arkansas has enough star power to make Kansas sweat.
Regional weekend usually comes down to depth, bullpen management and one or two stars doing something loud. These are the names most likely to do it.