Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament
| Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Conference Baseball Championship | |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Conference | Sun Belt Conference |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Format | Double-elimination tournament |
| Current stadium | Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium |
| Current location | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Played | 1978-present |
| Last contest | 2019 |
| Most championships | South Alabama (12) |
| 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]
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[]
| Year | School | Site | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | New Orleans | Mobile, AL | , New Orleans |
| 1979 | New Orleans | Tampa, FL | Mike Quade, New Orleans |
| 1980 | South Alabama | Mobile, AL | , South Alabama |
| 1981 | South Alabama | Birmingham, AL | , South Florida |
| 1982 | South Florida | Tampa, FL | , South Florida |
| 1983 | South Alabama | Norfolk, VA | , South Alabama |
| 1984 | South Alabama | Mobile, AL | Pete Coachman, South Alabama |
| 1985 | Old Dominion | Norfolk, VA | , Western Kentucky |
| 1986 | South Florida | Tampa, FL | , Old Dominion |
| 1987 | South Alabama | Norfolk, VA | Mike Maksudian, South Alabama |
| 1988 | VCU | Bowling Green, KY | , VCU |
| 1989 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville, FL | , Jacksonville |
| 1990 | South Florida | Mobile, AL | , South Florida |
| 1991 | UAB | Jacksonville, FL | , UAB |
| 1992 | South Alabama | Mobile, AL | , Southwestern Louisiana |
| 1993 | Lamar | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, TX | Phil Brassington, Lamar |
| 1994 | Arkansas State | Mobile, AL | , Arkansas State |
| 1995 | Lamar | Jacksonville, FL | , Lamar |
| 1996 | South Alabama | Mobile, AL | , South Alabama |
| 1997 | South Alabama | M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA | , South Alabama |
| 1998 | Southwestern Louisiana | Mobile, AL | B.J. Ryan, Southwestern Louisiana |
| 1999 | FIU | Metairie, LA | , FIU |
| 2000 | South Alabama | Mobile, AL | , South Alabama |
| 2001 | South Alabama | M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA | , South Alabama |
| 2002 | New Mexico State | Mobile, AL | , New Mexico State |
| 2003 | Middle Tennessee | M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA | , Middle Tennessee |
| 2004 | Western Kentucky | Mobile, AL | , Western Kentucky |
| 2005 | South Alabama | Miami, FL | , South Alabama |
| 2006 | Troy | Bowling Green, KY | , Troy |
| 2007 | New Orleans | Mobile, AL | Johnny Giavotella, New Orleans |
| 2008 | Western Kentucky | M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA | Jake Wells, Western Kentucky |
| 2009 | Middle Tennessee | Troy, AL | Kenneth Roberts, Middle Tennessee |
| 2010 | FIU | Murfreesboro, TN | , FIU |
| 2011 | Arkansas–Little Rock | Monroe, LA | Garret Graziano, Arkansas–Little Rock |
| 2012 | Louisiana–Monroe | Bowling Green Ballpark • Bowling Green, KY | Wil Browning, Louisiana–Monroe |
| 2013 | Florida Atlantic | M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA | Brendon Sanger, Florida Atlantic |
| 2014 | Louisiana–Lafayette | Eddie Stanky Field • Mobile, AL[4] | Blake Trahan, Louisiana–Lafayette |
| 2015 | Louisiana–Lafayette | Riddle–Pace Field • Troy, Alabama[5] | Stefan Trosclair, Louisiana–Lafayette |
| 2016 | Louisiana–Lafayette | Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, TX | Nick Thurman, Louisiana-Lafayette |
| 2017 | South Alabama | J. I. Clements Stadium • Statesboro, GA | Brendan Donovan, South Alabama |
| 2018 | Coastal Carolina | M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA | Zach Biermann, Coastal Carolina |
| 2019 | Coastal Carolina | Springs Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | Kieton Rivers, Coastal Carolina |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | ||
| Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL | |||
By school[]
As of May 1, 2019, there are 12 schools in the conference that competes in baseball.
Current members[]
| School | Tourney Titles | Title Years |
|---|---|---|
| South Alabama | 12 | 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2017 |
| Louisiana–Lafayette | 4 | 1998, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| Coastal Carolina | 2 | 2018, 2019 |
| Arkansas State | 1 | 1994 |
| Little Rock | 1 | 2011 |
| Louisiana–Monroe | 1 | 2012 |
| Troy | 1 | 2006 |
Former members[]
| School | Tourney Titles | Title Years |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 3 | 1978, 1979, 2007 |
| South Florida | 3 | 1982, 1986, 1990 |
| FIU | 2 | 1999, 2010 |
| Lamar | 2 | 1993, 1995 |
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | 2003, 2009 |
| Western Kentucky | 2 | 2004, 2008 |
| Florida Atlantic | 1 | 2013 |
| Jacksonville | 1 | 1989 |
| New Mexico State | 1 | 2002 |
| Old Dominion | 1 | 1985 |
| UAB | 1 | 1991 |
| VCU | 1 | 1988 |
External links[]
References[]
- ^ "Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship Headed to Montgomery in 2020". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "Championship Schedule". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "Sun Belt Announces Changes to Baseball Regular Season, Championship Format; Future Championship Sites Named". Sun Belt Conference. November 11, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- ^ "Sun Belt Announces 2013-14 Championship Sites". Sun Belt Conference. August 14, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
- ^ "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.
- Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament