After being left out of Softball America’s top-25 poll for the second week straight, Clemson finds itself in a precarious spot.
Despite the national site’s snub, the Tigers are ranked No. 23 in the RPI rankings, which holds more weight when the selection committee decides tournament seedings. So, is there a way to clinch a national seed and earn a Clemson regional?
Technically, yes, but the Tigers have to go on a run through the ACC Tournament. Like the NET in Basketball, home and away games are weighted differently. With an away series this weekend against Louisville, a loss won’t hurt as bad, but the Cardinals are No. 47 in the RPI. Losing the series could push Clemson further down, potentially pinning them against a higher seed like Texas or Oklahoma.
Right now, the Tigers are at the mercy of teams around the country. Clemson must move as close to No. 16 as possible in the RPI to have a chance at hosting a regional. However, a strong run in the ACC tournament could help.
Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Duke all rank above the Tigers. Clemson only has control of its side of the bracket, but the further they go into the tournament, the more likely those three teams lose.
FSU and Tech also have second-to-last-place in the ACC Syracuse left on their schedules. As the No. 102 team in the RPI, a win won’t do anything to help FSU or Virginia tech, but a couple of losses to Syracuse would do a lot for Clemson’s chances at a national seed.