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.

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.,

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 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.

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. 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. 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 ACC Field • Abilene, Texas 1965 Jonesboro, Arkansas 1966 Turnpike Stadium • Arlington, Texas 1967 Price Daniel Field • Beaumont, Texas 1968 Arlington, Texas No tournament held (1969–1992) 1993 Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana Clint Gould, McNeese State 1994 Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana Scott Pederson, UT San Antonio 1995 Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana Stacey Wilcox, Louisiana–Monroe 1996 Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana Brent Bubela, Sam Houston State 1997 Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana Jeremy Fikac, Texas State 1998 Fair Grounds Field • Shreveport, Louisiana Jacques Jobert, Nicholls State 1999 Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana Matt Mize, UT Arlington 2000 Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana Shane Webb, Louisiana-Monroe 2001 Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas K. J. Hendricks, UT Arlington 2002 Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas Clay Hensley, Lamar 2003 Warhawk Field • Monroe, Louisiana Rusty Begnaud, McNeese State 2004 Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana Jordan Foster, Lamar 2005 Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana Ryan Crew, UT San Antonio 2006 Vincent–Beck Stadium • Beaumont, Texas Ryan Riddle, UT Arlington 2007 Brown–Stroud Field • Natchitoches, Louisiana Luke Prihoda, Sam Houston State 2008 Don Sanders Stadium • Huntsville, Texas Bobby Verbick, Sam Houston State 2009 Whataburger Field • Corpus Christi, Texas Matt Shelton, Sam Houston State 2010 Whataburger Field • Corpus Christi, Texas Anthony Moore, Lamar 2011 Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, Texas Casey Kalenkosky, Texas State 2012 Bobcat Ballpark • San Marcos, Texas Travis Sibley, UT Arlington 2013 Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas Forrestt Allday, Central Arkansas 2014 Bear Stadium • Conway, Arkansas Tate Scioneaux, Southeastern Louisiana 2015 Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas Curtis Jones, Houston Baptist 2016 Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas Heath Donica, Sam Houston State 2017 Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas Robie Rojas, Sam Houston State 2018 Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas David Fry, Northwestern State 2019 McNeese State Constellation Field • Sugar Land, Texas Aidan Anderson, McNeese State 2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 McNeese Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana Clayton Rasbeary, McNeese 2022 Southeastern Louisiana Campus sites of top two seeds Preston Faulkner, Southeastern Louisiana 2023 Nicholls Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, Louisiana Xane Washington, Nicholls 2024 Nicholls Alumni Field • Hammond, Louisiana Basiel Williams, Nicholls 2025 Houston Christian Husky Field • Houston, Texas Parker Edwards, Houston Christian McNeese dropped "State" from its athletic branding after the 2019 season. Nicholls dropped "State" from its athletic branding after the 2018 season. In 2022, Houston Baptist rebranded to Houston Christian.

By school Updated through 2024 Tournament. School Appearances W-L Pct Tournament Titles Title Years Notes Sam Houston 17 39–23 6 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 Left conference in 2021. McNeese 20 29–31 4 1993, 2003, 2019, 2021 Texas State 17 35–28 4 1997, 1999, 2000, 2011 Left conference in 2012. Lamar 20 36–34 3 2002, 2004, 2010 Left conference in 1987. Returned in 1999. Left conference again in 2021. Returned in 2022. Nicholls 9 17–11 3 1998, 2023, 2024 Texas–Arlington 15 28–26 3 2001, 2006, 2012 Left conference in 2012. Trinity 5 12–6 3 1964, 1965, 1966 Left conference in 1972. Southeastern Louisiana 14 24–26 2 2014, 2022 Joined conference in 1997. UTSA 12 19–20 2 1994, 2005 Left conference in 2012. Arkansas State 5 11–6 2 1967, 1968 Left conference in 1987. Northwestern State 23 28–43 1 2018 Houston Christian 3 10–4 2 2015, 2025 Joined conference in 2013. Louisiana–Monroe 10 16–17 1 1995 Left conference in 2006. Central Arkansas 6 13–10 1 2013 Joined conference in 2006. Left conference in 2021. Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 9 13–17 0 Joined conference in 2006. Stephen F. Austin 7 7–14 0 Left conference in 2021; returning in 2024. New Orleans 5 9–9 0 Joined conference in 2014. UIW 4 5–8 0 Joined conference in 2013. Abilene Christian 6 2–12 0 Left conference in 1973. Returned in 2013. Left conference again in 2021. Oral Roberts 1 2–2 0 Conference member from 2012 to 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 2015 Southland Conference Baseball Media Guide

References