College baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, it is governed by the All Japan University Baseball Federation (JUBF).

In comparison to American football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional players, as baseball's professional minor leagues are more extensive, with a greater history of supplying players to Major League Baseball (MLB). Moving directly from high school to the professional level is more common in baseball than in football or basketball. However, if players opt to enroll at a four-year college, they must complete three years of college to regain professional eligibility, or have turned at least age 21 before starting their third year of college. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level. During the ongoing NCAA regular season, 301 teams have competed at the Division I level in the United States, with top teams progressing through the regular season, various conference tournaments and championship series, and the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball tournament to play for the Division I championship in the 2023 Men's College World Series.