Detroit Tigers: March Madness impacts many current Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have a handful of players who will be watching their alma mater perform in the NCAA tournament this season.

While college baseball isn’t as big as college basketball or college football, the Detroit Tigers have quite a few college alumnus on their roster. Some of them will be watching the NCAA tournament (often referred to as March Madness) very closely over the next few weeks.

The Tigers have 15 college alumnus who have a strong chance to make the 25-man roster out of camp. Ten of those players went to Division 1 schools, two went to community colleges and one each went to D2, D3 and NAIA schools.

Of the ten players who went to schools eligible for the NCAA tournament, only five of them will see their team playing in March Madness. Here are those five players, and what seed their team earned in the bracket:

John Hicks – Virginia (1)

Backup catcher John Hicks spent three years at the University of Virginia, before getting drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle Mariners in 2011. The Cavaliers went 31-2 this season and defeated North Carolina in the ACC Championship. They are an overall number one seed and could be the favorites to win the National Championship this season. (Note: Artie Lewicki, who was just re-assigned to the minor leagues, also went to Virginia).

Ryan Carpenter – Gonzaga (4)

Carpenter is competing for one of the last spots in the starting rotation, although he is likely targeted for Triple-A Toledo. The left-hander spent three years with the Zags, getting drafted in 2011 by the Rays. Gonzaga went to the National Championship game last year and finished this season with a 30-4 record. They earned a four seed and will make a strong push for back-to-back Final Four appearances.

James Mccann – Arkansas (7)

McCann, like both Carpenter and Hicks, was drafted in the 2011 draft as a college Junior. He played three years at Arkansas, a team that finished fourth in the SEC with a 23-11 record this season. They will square off against 10-seeded Butler in the first round.

Alex Wilson – Texas A&M (7)

Alex Wilson was drafted as a Junior at Texas A&M in the 10th round, but elected to stay at A&M and finish out his senior year. The moved paid off, as Wilson was selected in the second round in 2009. Texas A&M finished seventh in the SEC with a 20-12 record and will get a seven-seed this season, squaring off against 10-seeded Providence in the first round.

James Russell – Texas (10)

The veteran left-hander James Russell may be a longshot to make the big league roster, but he is still in camp and competing for a spot. He was originally drafted out of high school and out of community college, but instead transferred to UT-Austin. He was then selected in the 14th round of the 2007 MLB draft. UT-Austin is also the alma mater of the Tigers new head coach, Ron Gardenhire. Texas has one of the most exciting players in college basketball on their team in big man Mo Bamba. They will face 7-seed Nevada in the first round.

Next: Which Tigers do you want on your Fantasy team?

It sure sounds like John Hicks is going to have bragging rights for the best alma mater in college hoops. Still, don’t be surprised to see a friendly bet among the Tigers players about how their teams will fare. The tournament will begin Thursday, March 15.