Southland Conference baseball tournament
Template:Infobox NCAA conference tournament
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. The tournament field has grown from three teams in 1964 to eight teams prior to 2022. Following the departure of five members in 2021, all remaining conference members participated in the tournament (unless banned due to NCAA sanctions) in 2022. In 2023, the seven highest teams participated in the tournament. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. Other teams have to hope for an at-large bid.[1]
History
The Southland Conference tournament began in 1964. The number of annual tournament participants has changed several times over the life of the tournament. 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.,[2]
In 1996, it expanded to become a six team double-elimination tournament and remained that way until 2007.[3]
In 2008, the tournament once again expanded and became an eight team double-elimination tournament.[4]
In 2012, two brackets of four teams were added in a double-elimination format. The winner of each bracket plays in a championship game.[5] 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 hosted double-elimination tournaments that each involved four teams. The winner from each site will advanced to a best-of-3 final hosted by the top surviving seed.[6]
Starting in 2023, the event moved 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.[7] The tournament format in 2023 included seven teams beginning with a single-elimination game followed by a 6 team double elimination. Two teams did not qualify for the tournament with the new format.
The baseball tournament venue returned to an annual bidding process for 2024 following the men's and women's basketball tournaments venue extension in Lake Charles. The baseball tournament returned to Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field in Hammond, Louisiana for 2024.[8] In 2024, the tournament returned to two brackets of four teams in a double-elimination format. The winner of each bracket played in the championship game. One team did not qualify for the tournament.
Champions
By year
| Year | School | Site | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Template:Cbsb link | ACC Field • Abilene, Texas | |
| 1965 | Template:Cbsb link | Jonesboro, Arkansas | |
| 1966 | Template:Cbsb link | Turnpike Stadium • Arlington, Texas[9] | |
| 1967 | Template:Cbsb link | Price Daniel Field • Beaumont, Texas[10] | |
| 1968 | Template:Cbsb link | Arlington, Texas | |
| No tournament held (1969–1992) | |||
| 1993 | Template:Cbsb link | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | Clint Gould, McNeese State |
| 1994 | Template:Cbsb link | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | Scott Pederson, UT San Antonio |
| 1995 | Template:Cbsb link | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | Stacey Wilcox, Louisiana–Monroe |
| 1996 | Template:Cbsb link | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | Brent Bubela, Sam Houston State |
| 1997 | Template:Cbsb link | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | Jeremy Fikac, Texas State |
| 1998 | Template:Cbsb link | Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana | Jacques Jobert, Nicholls State |
| 1999 | Template:Cbsb link | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | Matt Mize, UT Arlington |
| 2000 | Template:Cbsb link | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | Shane Webb, Louisiana-Monroe |
| 2001 | Template:Cbsb link | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas | K. J. Hendricks, UT Arlington |
| 2002 | Template:Cbsb link | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas | Clay Hensley, Lamar |
| 2003 | Template:Cbsb link | Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana | Rusty Begnaud, McNeese State |
| 2004 | Template:Cbsb link | Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana | Jordan Foster, Lamar |
| 2005 | Template:Cbsb link | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | Ryan Crew, UT San Antonio |
| 2006 | Template:Cbsb link | Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas | Ryan Riddle, UT Arlington |
| 2007 | Template:Cbsb link | Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana | Luke Prihoda, Sam Houston State |
| 2008 | Template:Cbsb link | Don Sanders Stadium • Huntsville, Texas | Bobby Verbick, Sam Houston State |
| 2009 | Template:Cbsb link | Whataburger Field • Corpus Christi, Texas | Matt Shelton, Sam Houston State |
| 2010 | Template:Cbsb link | Whataburger Field • Corpus Christi, Texas | Anthony Moore, Lamar |
| 2011 | Template:Cbsb link | Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, Texas | Casey Kalenkosky, Texas State |
| 2012 | Template:Cbsb link | Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, Texas | Travis Sibley, UT Arlington |
| 2013 | Template:Cbsb link | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | Forrestt Allday, Central Arkansas |
| 2014 | Template:Cbsb link | Bear Stadium • Conway, Arkansas[11] | Tate Scioneaux, Southeastern Louisiana |
| 2015 | Template:Cbsb link | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas[11] | Curtis Jones, Houston Baptist |
| 2016 | Template:Cbsb link | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas[11] | Heath Donica, Sam Houston State |
| 2017 | Template:Cbsb link | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | Robie Rojas, Sam Houston State |
| 2018 | Template:Cbsb link | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | David Fry, Northwestern State |
| 2019 | McNeese State[12] | Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas | Aidan Anderson, McNeese State |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | McNeese[13] | Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana | Clayton Rasbeary, McNeese |
| 2022 | Southeastern Louisiana | Campus sites of top two seeds[6] | Preston Faulkner, Southeastern Louisiana |
| 2023 | Nicholls | Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, Louisiana | Xane Washington, Nicholls |
| 2024 | Nicholls | Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana[8] | Basiel Williams, Nicholls |
| 2025 | |||
- 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 2024 Tournament.[14][15][16]
| School | Appearances | W-L | Pct | Tourney Titles | Title Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | 17 | 39–23 | Template:Winning percentage | 6 | 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 | Left conference in 2021. |
| McNeese | 20 | 29–31 | Template:Winning percentage | 4 | 1993, 2003, 2019, 2021 | |
| Texas State | 17 | 35–28 | Template:Winning percentage | 4 | 1997, 1999, 2000, 2011 | Left conference in 2012. |
| Lamar | 20 | 36–34 | Template:Winning percentage | 3 | 2002, 2004, 2010 | Left conference in 1987. Returned in 1999. Left conference again in 2021. Returned in 2022. |
| Nicholls | 9 | 17–11 | Template:Winning percentage | 3 | 1998, 2023, 2024 | |
| Texas–Arlington | 15 | 28–26 | Template:Winning percentage | 3 | 2001, 2006, 2012 | Left conference in 2012. |
| Trinity | 5 | 12–6 | Template:Winning percentage | 3 | 1964, 1965, 1966 | Left conference in 1972. |
| Southeastern Louisiana | 14 | 24–26 | Template:Winning percentage | 2 | 2014, 2022 | Joined conference in 1997. |
| UTSA | 12 | 19–20 | Template:Winning percentage | 2 | 1994, 2005 | Left conference in 2012. |
| Arkansas State | 5 | 11–6 | Template:Winning percentage | 2 | 1967, 1968 | Left conference in 1987. |
| Northwestern State | 23 | 28–43 | Template:Winning percentage | 1 | 2018 | |
| Houston Christian | 3 | 10–4 | Template:Winpct | 1 | 2015 | Joined conference in 2013. |
| Louisiana–Monroe | 10 | 16–17 | Template:Winning percentage | 1 | 1995 | Left conference in 2006. |
| Central Arkansas | 6 | 13–10 | Template:Winning percentage | 1 | 2013 | Joined conference in 2006. Left conference in 2021. |
| Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 9 | 13–17 | Template:Winning percentage | 0 | Joined conference in 2006. | |
| Stephen F. Austin | 7 | 7–14 | Template:Winning percentage | 0 | Left conference in 2021; returning in 2024. | |
| New Orleans | 5 | 9–9 | Template:Winpct | 0 | Joined conference in 2014. | |
| UIW | 4 | 5-8 | Template:Winpct | 0 | Joined conference in 2013. | |
| Abilene Christian | 6 | 2–12 | Template:Winning percentage | 0 | Left conference in 1973. Returned in 2013. Left conference again in 2021. | |
| Oral Roberts | 1 | 2–2 | Template:Winning percentage | 0 | Conference member from 2012–2014. |
- Italics indicate that the program is no longer a Southland member, as of the next NCAA baseball season in 2025.
See also
Southland Conference softball tournament
External links
References
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