VCU baseball outlasts rain, opponents to make NCAA tournament; Rams will face UNC on Friday

A year after the program's worst season in more than a decade, the VCU will play in the NCAA baseball tournament this weekend.

The Rams survived a wild weekend at the Atlantic 10 tournament, including multiple games delayed by rain, to win the conference championship on Sunday afternoon.

VCU turned the program over to Sean Thompson, a former player, two years ago. Thompson is only 30 years old, and was the youngest coach in NCAA Division I baseball when he was hired.

He has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, with VCU going from 17-37 last year to 37-23 and conference champions this year. The Rams have hit a program record 67 home runs so far this season.

The odds will be against VCU in the NCAA tournament. They will enter as the No. 4 seed in the four-team regional format.

However, they're paired against top-seeded North Carolina, an echo of the Rams' stunning men's basketball victory over the Tar Heels in March.

The two teams will play on Friday at 5 p.m. in Chapel Hill. The day's first game will pit Tennessee against East Carolina. The tournament is a double-elimination format, with the last team standing advancing to the round of 16, called the Super Regional, where they will have a chance to make the College World Series.

The Rams have never made it to the College World Series, but advanced to the Super Regional round in 2015, also as a No. 4 seed. During that season, Thompson was VCU's star pitcher.

VCU baseball also continues to make headlines as negotiations continue on moving the team to the new CarMax Park baseball stadium. The Rams played this season at The Diamond.