Southland Conference Baseball Tournament
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (October 2017) |
| Southland Conference Baseball Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Conference Baseball Championship | |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Conference | Southland Conference |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Format | Double-elimination tournament |
| Current stadium | Campus sites |
| Played | 1964–1968, 1993–present |
| Last contest | |
| Current champion | McNeese (4) |
| Most championships | Sam Houston (6) |
| Official website | Southland.org Baseball |
The Southland Conference Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southland Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.
Tournament[]
The Southland Conference Baseball Tournament is a double-elimination tournament held annually at various locations in the Southland Conference region. Before the departure of five members following the 2021 season, the eight teams with the best conference record at the end of the regular season earned berths in the tournament. Starting in 2022, all conference members will participate in the tournament (unless banned due to NCAA sanctions). The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. Other teams have to hope for an at-large bid.
History[]
The Southland Conference tournament began in 1964. From 1964 through 1966 the tournament consisted of three teams. In 1967 and 1968 the tournament expanded to a four-team double-elimination tournament. This was all that constituted conference play for those seasons.
From 1969 until 1992, the Southland Conference did not have a baseball tournament. In some seasons, a championship series was held between division champions.
In 1993, the conference began holding a baseball tournament again. From 1993 through 1995, the tournament was a four team double-elimination tournament.
In 1996, it expanded to become a six team double-elimination tournament and remained that way until 2007.
In 2008, the tournament once again expanded and became an eight team double-elimination tournament.
In 2012, two brackets of four teams were added in a double-elimination format. The winner of each bracket plays in a championship game. This facilitates a television broadcast of the final.
After five schools left the conference following the 2021 season, the tournament format was changed for 2022. The top two seeds will host double-elimination tournaments that each involve four teams. The winner from each site will advance to a best-of-3 final hosted by the top surviving seed.
Starting in 2023, the event will move to Joe Miller Ballpark on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reportedly as part of a deal that kept McNeese in the Southland after it had been courted by Conference USA and nearly joined the Western Athletic Conference. The agreement with McNeese initially runs for four years, with McNeese having the right of first refusal to continue as host after 2026. The future tournament format has not yet been announced.[1]
Champions[]
By year[]
| Year | School | Site | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Trinity | ACC Field • Abilene, Texas | |
| Trinity | Jonesboro, Arkansas | ||
| 1966 | Trinity | Turnpike Stadium • Arlington, Texas[2] | |
| Arkansas State | Price Daniel Field • Beaumont, Texas[3] | ||
| 1968 | Arkansas State | Arlington, Texas | |
| No tournament held (1969–1992) | |||
| 1993 | McNeese State | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | , McNeese State |
| 1994 | UTSA | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | , UT San Antonio |
| 1995 | Louisiana–Monroe | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | , Louisiana–Monroe |
| 1996 | Sam Houston State | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | , Sam Houston State |
| 1997 | Texas State | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | Jeremy Fikac, Texas State |
| 1998 | Nicholls State | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | , Nicholls State |
| 1999 | Texas State | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | , UT Arlington |
| 2000 | Texas State | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | Shane Webb, Louisiana-Monroe |
| 2001 | Texas–Arlington | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas | , UT Arlington |
| 2002 | Lamar | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas | Clay Hensley, Lamar |
| 2003 | McNeese State | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | , McNeese State |
| 2004 | Lamar | Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana | , Lamar |
| 2005 | UTSA | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | , UT San Antonio |
| 2006 | Texas–Arlington | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas | , UT Arlington |
| 2007 | Sam Houston State | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | , Sam Houston State |
| 2008 | Sam Houston State | Don Sanders Stadium • Huntsville, Texas | , Sam Houston State |
| 2009 | Sam Houston State | Whataburger Field • Corpus Christi, Texas | , Sam Houston State |
| 2010 | Lamar | Whataburger Field • Corpus Christi, Texas | Anthony Moore, Lamar |
| 2011 | Texas State | Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, Texas | Casey Kalenkosky, Texas State |
| 2012 | Texas–Arlington | Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, Texas | , UT Arlington |
| 2013 | Central Arkansas | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | Forrestt Allday, Central Arkansas |
| 2014 | Southeastern Louisiana | Bear Stadium • Conway, Arkansas[4] | Tate Scioneaux, Southeastern Louisiana |
| 2015 | Houston Baptist | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas[4] | Curtis Jones, Houston Baptist |
| 2016 | Sam Houston State | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas[4] | Heath Donica, Sam Houston State |
| 2017 | Sam Houston State | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | Robie Rojas, Sam Houston State |
| 2018 | Northwestern State | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | David Fry, Northwestern State |
| 2019 | McNeese State[5] | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | Aidan Anderson, McNeese State |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| McNeese[6] | Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana | Clayton Rasbeary, McNeese | |
| 2022 | Campus sites | ||
| 2023 | Joe Miller Ballpark, Lake Charles, Louisiana | ||
| 2024 | Joe Miller Ballpark, Lake Charles, Louisiana | ||
| 2025 | Joe Miller Ballpark, Lake Charles, Louisiana | ||
| 2026 | Joe Miller Ballpark, Lake Charles, Louisiana | ||
- McNeese dropped "State" from its athletic branding after the 2019 season.
- Nicholls dropped "State" from its athletic branding after the 2018 season.
By school[]
Updated through 2021 Tournament.[7][8]
| School | Appearances | W-L | Pct | Tourney Titles | Title Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | 17 | 39–23 | .629 | 6 | 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 | Left conference in 2021. |
| McNeese | 18 | 24–27 | .471 | 4 | 1993, 2003, 2019, | |
| Texas State | 17 | 35–28 | .556 | 4 | 1997, 1999, 2000, 2011 | Left conference in 2012. |
| Lamar | 17 | 33–27 | .550 | 3 | 2002, 2004, 2010 | Left conference in 1987. Returned in 1999. Left conference again in 2021. |
| Trinity | 5 | 12–6 | .667 | 3 | 1964, , 1966 | Left conference in 1972. |
| Texas–Arlington | 15 | 28–26 | .519 | 3 | 2001, 2006, 2012 | Left conference in 2012. |
| Arkansas State | 5 | 11–6 | .647 | 2 | , 1968 | Left conference in 1987. |
| UTSA | 12 | 19–20 | .487 | 2 | 1994, 2005 | Left conference in 2012. |
| Central Arkansas | 6 | 13–10 | .565 | 1 | 2013 | Joined conference in 2006. Left conference in 2021. |
| Houston Baptist | 3 | 10–4 | .714 | 1 | 2015 | Joined conference in 2013. |
| Louisiana–Monroe | 10 | 16–17 | .485 | 1 | 1995 | Left conference in 2006. |
| Nicholls | 7 | 9–11 | .450 | 1 | 1998 | |
| Northwestern State | 21 | 26–39 | .400 | 1 | 2018 | |
| Southeastern Louisiana | 13 | 22–24 | .478 | 1 | 2014 | Joined conference in 1997. |
| Abilene Christian | 6 | 2–12 | .143 | 0 | Left conference in 1973. Returned in 2013. Left conference again in 2021. | |
| New Orleans | 3 | 5–5 | .500 | 0 | Joined conference in 2014. | |
| Oral Roberts | 1 | 2–2 | .500 | 0 | Conference member from 2012–2014. | |
| Stephen F. Austin | 7 | 7–14 | .333 | 0 | Left conference in 2021. | |
| Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 7 | 11–14 | .440 | 0 | Joined conference in 2006. |
- Italics indicate that the program is no longer a Southland member.
See also[]
Southland Conference Softball Tournament
External links[]
References[]
- ^ Gazzolo, Jim (November 9, 2021). "McNeese sticks with Southland in move that will bring millions in for SW La. tourism". American Press. Lake Charles, LA. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ "Tiger Netters, Baseball Team Favored To Keep Southland Conference Titles". San Antonio Express. May 12, 1966. p. 3D.
- ^ "Sports Festival Set Here May 11–13". John and Mary Gray Library – Lamar University (Digital Collection). The Redbird. May 5, 1967. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
The conference track meet will start at 2 p.m. Friday and the baseball tourney will get underway Thursday at 10 a.m. at Price Daniel Field
- ^ a b c "Southland Baseball Tournament Returns to Sugar Land". Southland Conference. August 22, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ Richard Dean (May 25, 2019). "McNeese State wins Southland baseball tournament". Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "McNeese Claims Second-Straight Southland Baseball Tournament Title" (Press release). Southland Conference. May 29, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ Southland Baseball (PDF). Southland Conference. pp. 29–33. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "2021 Southland Baseball Tournament". Southland Conference. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- Southland Conference Baseball Tournament