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.
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.
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.
Champions
By Year
Year School Site MVP 1978 Mobile, AL Roy Weimer, New Orleans 1979 Tampa, FL Mike Quade, New Orleans 1980 Mobile, AL Pete Otero, South Alabama 1981 Birmingham, AL Randy Wilson, South Florida 1982 Tampa, FL Randy Wilson, South Florida 1983 Bud Metheny Baseball Complex • Norfolk, VA Dennis Johnston, South Alabama 1984 Mobile, AL Pete Coachman, South Alabama 1985 Bud Metheny Baseball Complex • Norfolk, VA Rob Tomberlin, Western Kentucky 1986 Tampa, FL Todd Azar, Old Dominion 1987 Bud Metheny Baseball Complex • Norfolk, VA Mike Maksudian, South Alabama 1988 VCU Bowling Green, KY Tim Barker, VCU 1989 Jacksonville, FL Rene Francisco, Jacksonville 1990 Mobile, AL Ricky Ware, South Florida 1991 Jacksonville, FL Stephen Johnson, UAB 1992 Mobile, AL Papo Ramos, Southwestern Louisiana 1993 Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, TX Phil Brassington, Lamar 1994 Mobile, AL Keith Horn, Arkansas State 1995 Jacksonville, FL Will Cook, Lamar 1996 Mobile, AL Seth Taylor, South Alabama 1997 M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA Joey Choron, South Alabama 1998 Mobile, AL B.J. Ryan, Southwestern Louisiana 1999 Metairie, LA Barry Paulk, FIU 2000 Mobile, AL Tim Merritt, South Alabama 2001 M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA Ryan Mulhern, South Alabama 2002 Mobile, AL Hal Bisnett, New Mexico State 2003 M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA Chuck Akers, Middle Tennessee 2004 Mobile, AL Grady Hinchman, Western Kentucky 2005 Miami, FL Josh Morgan, South Alabama 2006 Bowling Green, KY Blake Green, Troy 2007 Mobile, AL Johnny Giavotella, New Orleans 2008 M. L. Tigue Moore Field • Lafayette, LA Jake Wells, Western Kentucky 2009 Troy, AL Kenneth Roberts, Middle Tennessee 2010 Murfreesboro, TN Jeremy Patton, FIU 2011 Monroe, LA Garret Graziano, Arkansas–Little Rock 2012 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 Blake Trahan, Louisiana–Lafayette 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette Riddle–Pace Field • Troy, Alabama 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 2020Cancelled 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 2024 Southern Miss Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL Colby Allen, Southern Miss 2025 Coastal Carolina Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina 2026 Southern Miss Dabos Park • Montgomery, AL Joey Urban, Southern Miss
By school As of July 1, 2022, there are 14 schools in the conference that competes in baseball.
Current members School Tournament Titles 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 3 2018, 2019, 2025 Southern Miss 3 2023, 2024, 2026 Arkansas State 1 1994 Louisiana–Monroe 1 2012 Old Dominion 1 1985 Troy 1 2006
Former members School Tournament Titles 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
External links 2008 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Media Guide Record Book
References