# 1978 NCAA Division II baseball tournament

The 1978 NCAA Division II baseball tournament was the postseason tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of baseball among its Division II colleges and universities at the end of the 1978 NCAA Division II baseball season.
Florida Southern defeated Delta State in the championship game of the double-elimination tournament, 7–2, winning the Moccasins' fourth national title. Florida Southern were coached by Joe Arnold.

## Regionals

The regionals consisted 32 teams in eight groupings. Each regional consisted of a 4-team bracket. All brackets were double elimination format. The top team in each bracket advanced to the 1978 Division II College World Series.

### New England Regional

New Haven (3–0) Sacred Heart (2–2) NYIT (1–2) Assumption (0–2)
New Haven won regional

### Middle Atlantic Regional

Le Moyne (3–1) Shippensburg (3–2) UMBC (1–2) Towson (0–2)
Le Moyne won regional

### South Atlantic Regional

Valdosta State (3–0) West Georgia (2–2) Augusta (1–2) Albany State (0–2)
Valdosta State won regional

### South Regional

Florida Southern (3–0) FIU (2–2) Saint Leo (1–2) Eckerd (0–2)
Florida Southern won regional

### Great Lakes Regional

Eastern Illinois (4–1) Western Illinois (2–2) Wright State (1–2) Indianapolis (0–2)
Eastern Illinois won regional

### North Central Regional

Southwest Missouri State (3–0) Northwest Missouri State (2–2) UMSL (1–2) Morningside (0–2)
Southwest Missouri State won regional

### South Central Regional

Delta State (3–1) Troy State (3–2) Minnesota State (1–2) Southeastern Louisiana (0–2)
Delta State won regional

### West Regional

San Diego (4–1) Chapman (2–2) UC Davis (1–2) Chico State (0–2)
San Diego won regional

## Finals
### Participants

| School | Conference | Record (conference) | Head coach | Previous finals appearances | Best finals finish | Finals record |
| Delta State | Gulf South | 43–19 (14–4) | Boo Ferriss | 2 (last:1977) | 2nd | 5–3 |
| Eastern Illinois | Independent | 27–19 | Tom McDevitt | 1 (last: 1973) | 3rd | 2–2 |
| Florida Southern | Sunshine State | 34–11 | Joe Arnold | 6 (last: 1976) | 1st | 13–9 |
| Le Moyne | Independent | 28–12 | Dick Rockwell | 0 (last: none) | None | 0–0 |
| New Haven | Independent | 32–4 | Frank Vieira | 2 (last:1977) | 3rd | 3–4 |
| San Diego | Independent | 33–22 | John Cunningham | 1 (last: 1971) | 3rd | 1–2 |
| Southwest Missouri State | MAIAA | 28–10 (11–4) | Bill Rowe | 2 (last:1970) | 2nd | 3–4 |
| Valdosta State | SAC | 39–20 (9–3) | Tommy Thomas | 2 (last:1977) | 3rd | 2–4 |

### Results
#### Bracket

| First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Third Round | Third Round | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Preliminary Final | Preliminary Final | Championship | Championship |
| Delta State | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southwest Missouri State | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southwest Missouri State | 2 | Delta State | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | San Diego | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Illinois | 6 | San Diego | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego | 15 | | | Delta State | 8 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Florida Southern | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Florida Southern | 14 | | | Florida Southern | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Florida Southern | 14 | | | | | Florida Southern | 8 | | | | | |
| New Haven | 9 | | | | | Florida Southern | 8 | | | | | |
| New Haven | 9 | Florida Southern | 13 | | | New Haven | 14 | | | | | |
| | | Valdosta State | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Le Moyne | 9 | Valdosta State | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Valdosta State | 10 | | | | | | | | | | Florida Southern | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | New Haven | 11 | Delta State | 2 |
| | | Consolation First Round | Consolation First Round | Consolation Second Round | Consolation Second Round | | | | Delta State | 12 | | |
| | | | | San Diego | | | | | 5 | | | |
| | | New Haven | 7$^{10}$ | New Haven | | | | | 11 | | | |
| | | New Haven | 7$^{10}$ | New Haven | | Delta State | 9 | | 11 | | | |
| | | Le Moyne | 6 | | | Delta State | 9 | | | | | |
| | | Le Moyne | 6 | | | Valdosta State | 5 | | | | | |
| | | | | Valdosta State | | Valdosta State | 5 | 11 | | | | |
| | | SW Missouri State | 11 | Eastern Illinois | | | | 9 | | | | |
| | | Eastern Illinois | 21 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Game Results

| Date | Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Notes |
| May 25 | Game 1 | Delta State | 12–2 | Southwest Missouri State | |
| May 25 | Game 2 | San Diego | 15–6 | Eastern Illinois | |
| May 26 | Game 3 | Florida Southern | 14–9 | New Haven | |
| May 26 | Game 4 | Valdosta State | 10–9 | Le Moyne | |
| May 27 | Game 5 | Eastern Illinois | 21–11 | Southwest Missouri State | Southwest Missouri State eliminated |
| May 27 | Game 6 | New Haven | 7–6$^{10}$ | Le Moyne | Le Moyne eliminated |
| May 27 | Game 7 | Delta State | 6–1 | San Diego | |
| May 27 | Game 8 | Florida Southern | 13–7 | Valdosta State | |
| May 28 | Game 9 | New Haven | 11–5 | San Diego | San Diego eliminated |
| May 28 | Game 10 | Valdosta State | 11–9 | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois eliminated |
| May 29 | Game 11 | Florida Southern | 13–8 | Delta State | |
| May 30 | Game 12 | Delta State | 9–5 | Valdosta State | Valdosta State eliminated |
| May 30 | Game 13 | New Haven | 14–8 | Florida Southern | |
| May 31 | Game 14 | Delta State | 12–1 | New Haven | New Haven eliminated |
| May 31 | Game 15 | Florida Southern | 7–2 | Delta State | Florida Southern wins National Championship |