The committee had Texas State as one of the last four teams in, alongside Troy, Kentucky and Liberty. Mercer, Michigan, TCU and Pitt were the first four teams out.
Texas State had an all-time offensive season, hitting a program-record 111 home runs and racking up 411 runs. After losing four consecutive Sun Belt series from April to early May, things looked grim for the Bobcats. They then got red-hot, winning eight of their next nine games, sweeping Arkansas State and Marshall and picking up a crucial midweek victory over Baylor.
Texas State went 6-11 against Quad 1 teams. It defeated UTSA, Tarleton State and Texas A&M in non-conference play, but the overall strength of the Sun Belt likely played a huge role in Texas State making the field. Seven Sun Belt teams finished within the top 100 in RPI rankings, the most among the mid-majors.
Southern Miss earned the No. 9 seed as the Sun Belt Champions. Troy, Coastal Carolina and Louisiana also earned at-large bids. The Trojans had the second-most losses for a mid-major at-large bid since the start of the format. They benefited from a strong tournament run, during which they defeated the Golden Eagles 9-6, a huge boost to their RPI.