Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament

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]

Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament
Conference baseball championship
SportBaseball
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Number of teams10
FormatDouble-elimination tournament
Current stadiumMontgomery Riverwalk Stadium
Current locationMontgomery, Alabama
Played1978 (1978) to
present
Last contest2023
Current championSouthern Miss
Most championshipsSouth Alabama (13)
Official websiteSunBeltSports.org Baseball
Sponsors
Golden Flake

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 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 Stadium • Beaumont, 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 Field • Lafayette, 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 Field • Lafayette, LA Ryan Mulhern, South Alabama
2002 New Mexico State Mobile, AL Hal Bisnett, New Mexico State
2003 Middle Tennessee M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, 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 Field • Lafayette, 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 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
2021 South Alabama Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL Miles Smith, South Alabama
2022 Louisiana Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL Jacob Schultz, Louisiana
2023 Southern Miss Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL Tanner Hall, Southern Miss

By school

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

Current members
School Tourney Titles Title Years
South Alabama 13 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2017, 2021
Louisiana 5 1998, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022
Coastal Carolina 2 2018, 2019
Arkansas State 1 1994
Louisiana–Monroe 1 2012
Old Dominion 1 1985
Southern Miss 1 2023
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
Little Rock 1 2011
New Mexico State 1 2002
UAB 1 1991
VCU 1 1988

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.
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