D3P96: Ben Cooprider—National DIII Baseball Committee Chair

In this episode of the D3P Division III Baseball Podcast we speak with Ben Cooprider, Chair of the National DIII Baseball Committee, on the eve of the 2026 National Tournament. During our conversation Ben breaks down his own path through DIII athletics and explains the role of the National Committee—and also walks us through how Regional and Super Regional host sites are selected, what the committee actually controls during playoff season, and how the NCAA handles the road from Conference Tournament week to the final 8. We also use this interview to dig into several of the most common concerns DIII baseball fans and coaches raise about the College World Series, including host-site selection, weather-related flexibility, and whether the event itself feels as community-driven and well-supported as DIII baseball deserves. We close by asking Ben about the future of the CWS, possible event upgrades, and whether the NCAA sees the same massive opportunity in front of DIII baseball that so many people around the sport now believe is real.