RPI order of the 43 automatic qualifiers and hosts (hosts indicated by *, 3 AQ hosts indicated by +)
1 +Arkansas
2 *Vanderbilt
4 +TCU
5 *Tennessee
6 *Texas
7 Old Dominion
8 *Mississippi State
9 +Arizona
10 *Texas Tech
11 *Notre Dame
12 *Ole Miss
13 *Stanford
15 *East Carolina
16 *Oregon
17 *Florida
18 *South Carolina
19 Duke
23 Connecticut
24 *Louisiana Tech
26 Gonzaga
27 Wright State
30 Northeastern
31 VCU
32 UC Irvine
38 Nevada
42 Nebraska
43 Dallas Baptist
52 Central Michigan
54 Samford
57 South Alabama
58 Rider
82 Southeast Missouri
93 Grand Canyon
94 North Dakota State
105 South Florida
113 Central Connecticut
116 NJIT
118 Army
133 McNeese State
135 Presbyterian
202 Jacksonville
260 Norfolk State
265 Southern
They need to put Jacksonville, Norfolk State, and Southern in the Ruston regional....
Are any students staying in the apartments with balconies overlooking outfield during the summer?
If not, could they not work with housing and sell those rooms as "suites" during the games? People could bring their own lawn chairs to sit on their own private balconies while having their own private bathrooms, kitchen and refrigerator. That could make some serious money during the regional. If it is possible, they could offer the people at the tailgate spots these deals first and then put in temporary seating down the right-field line to get more fans in and of course more money.
The case for Louisiana Tech being a #1 seed requires moving 8 teams above Tech in RPI to a 2 seed or lower. Here is that case.
Louisiana Tech--#43 overall SOS, #21 non-conference RPI with #21 non-conference SOS, 9-11 vs RPI Top 50
#3 Fairfield--all MAAC schedule, didn't win the MAAC Tournament on its home field, likely one of the last teams in the field if in at all.
#14 Oklahoma State--35-17-1 overall 12-12 Big 12 regular season record and lost in tournament final, #16 non-conference RPI with #65 non-conference SOS, 6-11 vs RPI Top 50
#18 South Carolina--hosting, so not in consideration to travel to Ruston
#19 Duke--32-20 overall, 16-17 ACC regular season record and tournament championship, #22 non-conference SOS, 13-14 vs RPI Top 50
#20 UCLA--18-12 Pac 12 record, #28 non-conference RPI with #86 non-conference SOS, 12-7 vs RPI Top 50
#21 Oregon State--16-14 Pac 12 record, #23 non-conference RPI with #47 non-conference SOS, 8-16 vs RPI Top 50
#22 Southern Miss--conference opponent so won't be sent to Ruston
#23 Connecticut--#66 overall SOS, #40 non-conference RPI with #59 non-conference SOS, 2-8 vs RPI Top 50
If Tech isn't a #1 seed, Oklahoma State is the only team on the list with the credentials to earn that spot.
The NCAA just might have a say on free access to non-students to those buildings and the concourse. I remember that the NCAA committee reps required Tech to charge general admission to sit on the bank above right field at the old softball stadium when Tech hosted softball regionals in the 1980's.
Ruston is going to be hopping. Peach Fest, USSSA softball at the new complex, baseball regional, and we have dance recital at Tech. Not that the last thing has any bearing on how busy it will be, but all the other stuff will make it fun getting through downtown and onto campus. I expect hotels from Bossier over the Monroe/West Monroe to be pretty full. Good for North Louisiana for a change.