Make your NCAA tournament picks based on where your favorite MLB stars went to school

Make NCAA picks based on where MLBers went to school

By Matt Monagan

March 18, 2015

What's the best way to make your NCAA tournament picks this year? Comparing team mascots? Ranking school GPA's? Listening to bow tie-wearing toddlers?

No.

The best way is to look at the top four or five seeds from each region and find out which baseball players went to those schools. Then, figure out which players/teams you like best from that group, and go with them.

Here's the list below. The main video also has some quotes from Mike Redmond, David Phelps, Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon.

It's a fool-proof system. Maybe.

MIDWEST

1 Kentucky

Joe Blanton, P, Royals

"I would think they should win. They have an NBA team starting and an NBA team on the second string. But really, you still have to be motivated. You can't take a game off or you could get beat."

Collin Cowgill, OF, Angels

James Paxton, P, Mariners

Scott Downs, P, Indians

Chris Rusin, P, Rockies

Logan Darnell, P, Twins

2 Kansas

Tom Gorzelanny, P, Tigers

Bretty Bochy, P, Giants

Sam Freeman, P, Cardinals

3 Notre Dame

Jeff Samardzija, P, White Sox

"You know, from what I've seen they're athletic enough to advance which is always good to see when you're competing with Duke and those ACC teams. I think everybody knows who watches Notre Dame, it's three-pointers. It's whether they're hitting their 3's or not."

John Axford, P, Rockies

A.J. Pollock, OF, D-backs

David Phelps, P, Marlins

"Yeah, I'm excited. They played a great season. First conference championship in school history for the team. I was a little bummed to see them in Kentucky's region, but at the same time, it gives them a chance to do something special. Hopefully we can go out, win some games and put some pressure on an undefeated team."

Jeff Manship, P, Indians

4 Maryland

Brett Cecil, P, Blue Jays

Justin Maxwell, OF, Giants

SOUTH

1 Duke

Marcus Stroman, P, Blue Jays

Chris Capuano, P, Yankees

Nate Freiman, 1B, A's

Dan Otero, P, A's

Alex Hassan, OF, A's

2 Gonzaga

Marco Gonzalez, P, Cardinals

Mike Redmond, Manager, Marlins

"We've done this a lot of years and I think this is the deepest team Gonzaga's had. Probably the most talented team that Gonzaga's had. We're hoping that this is the year we get deep into the tournament. Last couple of years, we've gone two and out and I'm expecting these guys to do big things. They pretty much breezed through the conference and looked like they got a pretty good draw. I'm pulling for the 'Zags in the Final Four and we'll see what happens."

3 Iowa State

Mike Myers, who pitched for the D-backs, Tigers, Rockies, Red Sox, Yankees, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins and White Sox from 1995-'07, is the most recent ISU alum. But former White Sox player Shoeless Joe Jackson is still theoretically playing in a cornfield somewhere in the Hawkeye State.

4 Georgetown

Again, you'll have to go back to former Dodgers/Brewers pitcher Sean Maloney to find an alum for the Hoyas. He last played in 1998. But there is one NBA alum who's a pretty big Phillies fan ...

iverson

5 Utah

CJ Cron, 1B, Angels

EAST

1 Villanova

Matt Szczur, OF, Cubs

2 Virginia

Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, Nationals

"Everyone is trying to catch Kentucky. I think that's the consensus pick. But Virginia had a good year. A lot of people don't like their style. It's boring, slow. They play defense. They don't score too much. Whatever works, I guess."

Can they go far in the tournament?

"One of their leading scorers--Justin Anderson--gets hurt. He has missed the last month and a half, two months. If Anderson can be healthy and they can play defense, in tournaments like that defense usually helps."

Sean Doolittle, P, A's

"Defense wins championships. That's what it's all about. It's not always pretty but we find a way to get it done. Fans can root for them because it's what college sports is all about. They don't have many big names or All-Americans but they play together as a team."

Mark Reynolds, 3B, Cardinals

Javier Lopez, P, Giants

Kyle Crockett, P, Indians

Philip Gosselin, 2B, Braves

Brandon Guyer, OF, Rays

Chris Taylor, SS, Mariners

3 Oklahoma

Garrrett Richards, P, Angels

Daniel McCutchen, P, Padres

4 Louisville

Chris Dominguez, 3B, Reds

Adam Duvall, 1B, Giants

"It seems like at this time of the year, they always pull it together. I hate to say this, but Kentucky looks like they could take it all. But Louisville guys, [coach Rick] Pitino always seems to get the guys to play together. They usually go on some runs. I'm just hoping we can get hot and knock some guys off. I like the bracket we're in. ... Realistically, I don't know if we have the team to win it all. I kind of feel like we're missing the presence of a big man. But Pitino's mixing in some guys and trying some different things. That's what it takes at the end of the year to get guys to play their best."

WEST

1 Wisconsin

Paul Quantrill, who pitched for 14 years in the bigs with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Padres and Marlins, is the most recent UW alum. He retired in 2005. Hall of Famer Addie Joss also attended back in the day.

But Jordan Zimmermann, who went to University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and hails from the state, is currently starring for the Nats.

2 Arizona

Nick Hundley, C, Rockies

Mark Melancon, P, Pirates

"It's Arizona. They've got tradition and why wouldn't you root for them, right?"

Brad Mills, P, A's

Preston Guilmet, P, Blue Jays

Donn Roach, P, Cubs

Brad Glenn, OF, Blue Jays

3 Baylor

David Murphy, OF, Indians

Shawn Tolleson, P, Rangers

4 North Carolina

Matt Harvey, P, Mets

Andrew Miller, P, Yankees

Kyle Seager, 3B, Mariners

Chris Iannetta, C, Angels

Dustin Ackley, 2B/OF, Mariners

Adam Warren, P, Yankees