The Southern Conference baseball tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southern Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The event is scheduled for the Wedneaday through Sunday before Memorial Day each year, five days prior to the NCAA Regionals.

Tournament The Southern Conference Baseball Tournament is held annually. Since 2022, all eight teams sponsoring baseball in the conference participate in the tournament. The bottom four teams play in a single-elimination play-in round, and the two play-in winners join the rest of the teams in a six-team double-elimination tournament. The previous format in 2021 included the eight teams competing in a two-bracket double-elimination tournament. Prior to 2020, when there were more than eight baseball teams in the conference, there was a single-elimination play-in round followed by an eight-team two-bracket double-elimination tournament. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament while the other teams must rely on an at-large bid.

History The Southern Conference first held a baseball tournament in 1950. Maryland and Virginia Tech from the North division, and Clemson and Wake Forest from the South played the inaugural year in Greensboro, North Carolina, with Wake Forest defeating Maryland for the title. In 1951, Clemson, Duke, Maryland, and West Virginia met, with Duke defeating Clemson in the final. Duke repeated their title in 1952, over N.C. State, George Washington, and Richmond. Duke, George Washington, Maryland, and North Carolina participated in 1953, with Duke again the winner.

The tournament was renewed in 1984 as a four-team tournament. The tournament was held at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, South Carolina, from 1997 to 2008, and again in 2010 and 2011. In 2012 and 2013, the tournament was played at Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, South Carolina, before returning to Charleston in 2014 and 2015. The tournament has been in Greenville every year since 2016, with the exception of the 2020 edition being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Champions

By year Year Champion Runner-up Venue MVP 1950 Greensboro, North Carolina 1951 Greensboro, North Carolina Bob Davis, Duke 1952 Duke Devereux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina Red Smith, Duke 1953 Duke Devereux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina No tournament from 1954–1983. 1984 The Citadel Hennon Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina Rusty Weaver, Appalachian State 1985 Boone, North Carolina Mike Carson, Western Carolina 1986 Hennon Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina David Hyatt, Western Carolina 1987 Asheville, North Carolina Clint Fairey, Western Carolina 1988 The Citadel Asheville, North Carolina Keith LeClair, Western Carolina 1989 Asheville, North Carolina Paul Menhart, Western Carolina 1990 The Citadel College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Billy Baker, The Citadel 1991 College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Brent Williams, Furman 1992 College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Joey Cox, Western Carolina 1993 College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Phillip Grundy, Western Carolina 1994 The Citadel College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Jermaine Shuler, The Citadel 1995 The Citadel College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Donald Morillo, The Citadel 1996 The Citadel College Park • Charleston, South Carolina Mark Hamlin, Georgia Southern 1997 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina J. P. Burwell, Western Carolina 1998 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Brian Rogers, The Citadel 1999 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Rodney Hancock, The Citadel 2000 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Matt Easterday, Georgia Southern 2001 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Randy Corn, The Citadel 2002 College of Charleston Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Brett Lewis, Georgia Southern 2003 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Brian Sigmon, Western Carolina 2004 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Jonathan Ellis, The Citadel 2005 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Nick Hollstegge, Furman 2006 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Nick Chigges & Jess Easterling, College of Charleston 2007 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Brandon Waring, Wofford 2008 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Cory Harrilchak, Elon 2009 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Kyle Blackburn, Georgia Southern 2010 The Citadel Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Justin Mackert, The Citadel 2011 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Chris Beck, Georgia Southern 2012 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Josh Martin, Samford 2013 The Citadel Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Joe Jackson, The Citadel 2014 Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina Jason Richman, Georgia Southern 2015 Riley Park • Charleston, South CarolinaEric Nyquist, Mercer 2016 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Matt Smith, Western Carolina 2017 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Tripp Shelton, UNC Greensboro 2018 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Brooks Carlson, Samford 2019 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Trevor Austin, Mercer 2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic 2021 Samford Western Carolina Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Towns King, Samford 2022 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Kennedy Jones, UNC Greensboro 2023 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Heath Clevenger, Samford 2024 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Zac Cowan, Wofford 2025 Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Cooper Torres, East Tennessee State 2026 The Citadel Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina Michael Gibson, The Citadel

By school Program Championships Years Western Carolina 10 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2016 The Citadel 9 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2026 Georgia Southern 6 1996, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2011, 2014 Samford 4 2012, 2018, 2021, 2023 Duke 3 1951, 1952, 1953 Wofford 2 2007, 2024 UNC Greensboro 2 2017, 2022 Mercer 2 2015, 2019 Elon 2 2008, 2013 Furman 2 1991, 2005 Wake Forest 1 1950 Appalachian State 1 1984 College of Charleston 1 2006 East Tennessee State 1 2025 Pink indicate the school no longer sponsors baseball or is no longer in the Southern Conference. VMI is the only member of the SoCon to have never won the conference tournament. Tennessee Tech will join the conference in 2026.

Of former members of the SoCon, Clemson, Davidson, George Washington, Marshall, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Richmond, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia all participated in the tournament but never won it.

Composite Records Current schools only, 1984 through 2025 TeamApp.WinsLossesPct.The Citadel367649East Tennessee State262747Mercer92417UNC Greensboro223640Samford153821VMI231640Western Carolina408264Wofford163027

See also List of Southern Conference football champions List of Southern Conference men's basketball champions

References