Each district had its own format for selecting teams, resulting in 27 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament.
The sixteenth tournament's champion was Michigan, coached by Don Lund.
The Most Outstanding Player was Bob Garibaldi of runner-up Santa Clara.
The opening rounds of the tournament were played across eight district sites across the country, each consisting of a field of two to four teams.
The winners of each district advanced to the College World Series.