The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be either a single game, a series of games, or a tournament, and may use a single-elimination system or one of several other different playoff formats. Playoff, in regard to international fixtures, is to qualify or progress to the next round of a competition or tournament.
The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Baseball Championship tournament—featuring 64 teams in the first round—which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight participating teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets, with the winners of each bracket playing in a best-of-three championship series.
A wild card is a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that fails to qualify in the normal way; for example, by having a high ranking or winning a qualifying stage. In some events, wildcards are chosen freely by the organizers. Other events have fixed rules. Some North American professional sports leagues compare the records of teams which did not qualify directly by winning a division or conference.
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the eight-team Men's College World Series (MCWS) at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Southeastern Conference baseball tournament is the conference tournament in baseball for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is a partially double-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season conference records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The SEC Tournament champion is separate from the conference champion. The conference championship is determined solely by regular season record.
The Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament, sometimes referred to simply as the CAA Tournament, is the conference baseball championship of the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association. The top six finishers in the regular season of the conference's nine baseball teams advance to the double-elimination tournament, which was played in 2022 at Walter C. Latham Park on the campus of Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.
The 2012 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament began on May 23 and ended on May 26 or 27. The top six regular season finishers of the league's seven teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa, AZ. Fifth seeded Fresno State won their sixth and final tournament championship and claimed the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The Bulldogs joined the Mountain West Conference after the 2012 season.
The 2013 Mountain West Conference baseball tournament took place from May 22 through 26. All six of the league's teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at California State University, Fresno's Pete Beiden Field. It was Fresno State's first year in the league after joining from the Western Athletic Conference. San Diego State won the tournament for the second time, earning the Mountain West Conference's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2013 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament was held beginning May 22 and ending on May 26. The top eight regular season finishers of the league's ten teams met in the round-robin tournament held at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. UTSA won their first tournament championship and earned the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. UTSA departed for Conference USA after the 2013 season, again leaving the conference with no team that had ever won the tournament for 2014.
The 2014 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament took place from May 21 to May 25. The top six regular season finishers of the league's ten teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Cubs Park, spring training home of the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona. Sacramento State won the tournament for the first time, earning the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. No team currently in the league has won a WAC Tournament Championship.
The 2015 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament will take place beginning on May 20 and ending on May 24. The top six regular season finishers of the league's ten teams will meet in the double-elimination tournament to be held at Sloan Park, spring training home of the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona. The winner will earn the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2016 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament will take place beginning on May 25 and ending on May 28 or 29. The top six regular season finishers of the league's ten teams will meet in the double-elimination tournament to be held at Hohokam Stadium, spring training home of the Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. The winner will earn the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2000 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament was held March 9–11 at the Selland Arena at Fresno State University in Fresno, California.
The 2017 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament was a postseason baseball tournament for the Western Athletic Conference for the 2017–18 season. It began on May 24 and ended on May 27. The top six regular season finishers of the league's ten teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Hohokam Stadium, spring training home of the Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. The winner earned the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2000 Patriot League baseball tournament was held on May 13 and 14, 2000 to determine the champion of the Patriot League for baseball for the 2000 NCAA Division I baseball season. The event matched the top three finishers of the six team league in a double-elimination tournament. Third seeded Army won their second championship and claimed the Patriot's automatic bid to the 2000 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. Josh Minney of Army was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.
The 2001 Patriot League baseball tournament was held on May 12 and 13, 2001 to determine the champion of the Patriot League for baseball for the 2001 NCAA Division I baseball season. The event matched the top three finishers of the six team league in a double-elimination tournament. Second seeded Bucknell won their second championship and claimed the Patriot's automatic bid to the 2001 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. Brad Gething of Bucknell was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.
The 2004 Patriot League baseball tournament was a collegiate baseball tournament held on May 8 and 9, 2004 to determine the champion of the Patriot League for baseball for the 2004 NCAA Division I baseball season. The event matched the top three finishers of the six team league in a double-elimination tournament. Top seeded Army won their third championship and claimed the Patriot's automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. Justin Long of Army was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.
The 2018 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament will take place beginning on May 23 and ending on May 26 or 27. The top six regular season finishers of the league's ten teams will meet in the double-elimination tournament to be held at Hohokam Stadium, spring training home of the Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. The winner will earn the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2019 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament took place beginning on May 22 and ending on May 25 or 26. The top six regular season finishers of the league's ten teams met in the double-elimination tournament to be held at Hohokam Stadium, spring training home of the Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. The winner, Sacramento State, earned the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2022 Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament will take place beginning on May 25 and ending on May 28. The top four regular season finishers of the league's two divisions will meet in the double-elimination tournament to be held at Hohokam Stadium, spring training home of the Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. California Baptist, Dixie State, and Tarleton State are ineligible for the postseason as both programs are still in the transition to Division I. The winner will earn the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
