Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament

Last updated
Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament
Conference Baseball Championship
Sport Baseball
Conference Sun Belt Conference
Number of teams10
Format Double-elimination tournament
Current stadium Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium
Current location Montgomery, Alabama
Played1978–present
Last contest 2022
Current champion Louisiana
Most championships South Alabama (13)
Official website SunBeltSports.org Baseball
Sponsors
Golden Flake

The Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Sun Belt Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. After Coastal Carolina University hosts the competition in Conway, South Carolina in 2019, the tournament will move to a neutral site, Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, AL, from 2020 to 2024. [1]

Contents

Tournament

The Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament is a ten team double-elimination tournament held annually at various sites in the Sun Belt Conference region. The bottom four seeds play a one round single elimination play in game. The six teams with the best conference record at the end of the regular season earn automatic berths in the tournament. After the play-in round, the remaining eight teams will play 2 four team double-elimination brackets with a single elimination championship game between the bracket winners. The division winner with the best conference record will be seeded #1 and will play the lowest remaining seed from the play-in round. The winner of the other division will receive the #2 seed (regardless of overall conference ranking) and will play the higher seeded play-in game winner. The champion of the competition receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. [2]

History

The tournament started in 1978 as a four team double-elimination tournament.

In 1979 the tournament expanded to include six teams but still remained double-elimination.

The tournament expanded again in 1980 and included seven teams.

In 1981 the conference was divided into divisions and the top two teams in each division made the tournament, returning it to a four team double-elimination format. It remained that way through 1985.

In 1986 the conference retained the division format but expanded the tournament to include the top four teams in each division, making the tournament an eight team double-elimination tournament.

In 1987, the conference returned to the a four team double-elimination format.

The tournament format was changed again in 1988 when it expanded to include the top three teams in each division, now making it a six team double-elimination tournament. In 1995, the conference dropped the division format but kept the tournament format as a six team double-elimination tournament through 1998.

In 1999, the tournament expanded to an eight team double-elimination format. The format was a double bracket round robin in 2011-2012.

In 2017, the Conference expanded the field to 10 teams, with the bottom four seeds playing a single-elimination play-in round before the standard eight team double-elimination bracket. [3]

Champions

By Year

YearSchoolSiteMVP
1978 New Orleans Mobile, AL Roy Weimer, New Orleans
1979 New Orleans Tampa, FL Mike Quade, New Orleans
1980 South Alabama Mobile, AL Pete Otero, South Alabama
1981 South Alabama Birmingham, AL Randy Wilson, South Florida
1982 South Florida Tampa, FL Randy Wilson, South Florida
1983 South Alabama Norfolk, VA Dennis Johnston, South Alabama
1984 South Alabama Mobile, AL Pete Coachman, South Alabama
1985 Old Dominion Norfolk, VA Rob Tomberlin, Western Kentucky
1986 South Florida Tampa, FL Todd Azar, Old Dominion
1987 South Alabama Norfolk, VA Mike Maksudian, South Alabama
1988 VCU Bowling Green, KY Tim Barker, VCU
1989 Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Rene Francisco, Jacksonville
1990 South Florida Mobile, AL Ricky Ware, South Florida
1991 UAB Jacksonville, FL Stephen Johnson, UAB
1992 South Alabama Mobile, AL Papo Ramos, Southwestern Louisiana
1993 Lamar Vincent–Beck StadiumBeaumont, TX Phil Brassington, Lamar
1994 Arkansas State Mobile, AL Keith Horn, Arkansas State
1995 Lamar Jacksonville, FL Will Cook, Lamar
1996 South Alabama Mobile, AL Seth Taylor, South Alabama
1997 South Alabama M. L. Tigue Moore FieldLafayette, LA Joey Choron, South Alabama
1998 Southwestern Louisiana Mobile, AL B.J. Ryan, Southwestern Louisiana
1999 FIU Metairie, LA Barry Paulk, FIU
2000 South Alabama Mobile, AL Tim Merritt, South Alabama
2001 South Alabama M. L. Tigue Moore FieldLafayette, LA Ryan Mulhern, South Alabama
2002 New Mexico State Mobile, AL Hal Bisnett, New Mexico State
2003 Middle Tennessee M. L. Tigue Moore FieldLafayette, LA Chuck Akers, Middle Tennessee
2004 Western Kentucky Mobile, AL Grady Hinchman, Western Kentucky
2005 South Alabama Miami, FL Josh Morgan, South Alabama
2006 Troy Bowling Green, KY Blake Green, Troy
2007 New Orleans Mobile, AL Johnny Giavotella, New Orleans
2008 Western Kentucky M. L. Tigue Moore FieldLafayette, LA Jake Wells, Western Kentucky
2009 Middle Tennessee Troy, AL Kenneth Roberts, Middle Tennessee
2010 FIU Murfreesboro, TN Jeremy Patton, FIU
2011 Arkansas–Little Rock Monroe, LA Garret Graziano, Arkansas–Little Rock
2012 Louisiana–Monroe Bowling Green BallparkBowling Green, KY Wil Browning, Louisiana–Monroe
2013 Florida Atlantic M. L. Tigue Moore FieldLafayette, LA Brendon Sanger, Florida Atlantic
2014 Louisiana–Lafayette Eddie Stanky FieldMobile, AL [4] Blake Trahan, Louisiana–Lafayette
2015 Louisiana–Lafayette Riddle–Pace FieldTroy, Alabama [5] Stefan Trosclair, Louisiana–Lafayette
2016 Louisiana–Lafayette Bobcat BallparkSan Marcos, TX Nick Thurman, Louisiana-Lafayette
2017 South Alabama J. I. Clements StadiumStatesboro, GA Brendan Donovan, South Alabama
2018 Coastal Carolina M. L. Tigue Moore FieldLafayette, LA Zach Biermann, Coastal Carolina
2019 Coastal Carolina Springs Brooks StadiumConway, SC Kieton Rivers, Coastal Carolina
2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2021 South Alabama Riverwalk StadiumMontgomery, AL Miles Smith, South Alabama
2022 Louisiana Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, ALJacob Schultz, Louisiana

By school

As of July 1, 2022, there are 14 schools in the conference that competes in baseball.

Current members

SchoolTourney TitlesTitle Years
South Alabama 131980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2017, 2021
Louisiana 51998, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022
Coastal Carolina 22018, 2019
Arkansas State 11994
Louisiana–Monroe 12012
Old Dominion 11985
Troy 12006

Former members

SchoolTourney TitlesTitle Years
New Orleans 31978, 1979, 2007
South Florida 31982, 1986, 1990
FIU 21999, 2010
Lamar 21993, 1995
Middle Tennessee 22003, 2009
Western Kentucky 22004, 2008
Florida Atlantic 12013
Jacksonville 11989
Little Rock 12011
New Mexico State 12002
UAB 11991
VCU 11988

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The 2014 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Eddie Stanky Field on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama from May 21 to May 25, 2014. The tournament used a double-elimination format. Louisiana–Lafayette won the tournament, earning the Sun Belt Conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. The league was expected to divide into two six team divisions for 2014, but due to the departures of three baseball playing schools the plan was shelved, possibly to be implemented in 2015 with the additions of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.

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The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament will be held at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama from May 24th to May 29th, 2022. The tournament will again use a double-elimination format. The winner of the tournament will earn the Sun Belt Conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

References

  1. "Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship Headed to Montgomery in 2020". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  2. "Championship Schedule". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  3. "Sun Belt Announces Changes to Baseball Regular Season, Championship Format; Future Championship Sites Named". Sun Belt Conference. November 11, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  4. "Sun Belt Announces 2013-14 Championship Sites". Sun Belt Conference. August 14, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  5. "Troy to Host Sun Belt Baseball Championship in 2014-15". Dothan, Alabama: WTVY (TV). Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.