The Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic is an annual six-team college baseball tournament held in Houston and hosted by the Astros Foundation. The 15th annual tournament was held at Minute Maid Park in March 2015. It was initially called Astros College Classic from 2001 through 2002, the Minute Maid Park College Classic from 2003 through 2007, and the Houston College Classic from 2008 through 2015. In December 2015, the Astros Foundation and Shriners Hospitals for Children announced a multi-year naming rights agreement for the tournament, rebranding the event the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic.
As part of the agreement with Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Astros Foundation announced that the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic would be nationally televised for the first time in history on MLB Network.
The College Classic is seen as the start of the college baseball season in Texas. At the end of the tournament, a Most Outstanding Player and an All-Tournament Team are announced.
The event is normally held in early March.
The 2020 edition of the event happened before the breakout of the COVID-19.
Competitors The Houston Cougars of the Big 12 and the Rice Owls of The American, who hold a rivalry, compete in the tournament annually. The other four teams invited to the tournament alternate by year.
Often, teams competing in the Classic are highly ranked. In 2002, the Classic involved three teams that ended the preceding season ranked in the top 25 of the Baseball Weekly/ESPN, Baseball America, and Collegiate Baseball year-end polls: the Rice Owls, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Baylor Bears. The 2005 Classic included four top ranked teams: the #11 Baylor Bears, #13 Texas A&M Aggies, #19 Rice Owls, and #23 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Collegiate Baseball ranked all six teams competing in the 2007 Classic: they ranked the Rice Owls the top team in college baseball, and also ranked the #8 Vanderbilt Commodores, #14 Arizona State Sun Devils, #21 Baylor Bears, and #33 Houston Cougars. The Texas Longhorns and Rice Owls participated in the Classic when they won the College World Series championship in 2002 and 2003, respectively. The Texas Tech Red Raiders have appeared in the Houston College Classic seven times: in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
2018 For the 2018 classic, three SEC teams, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt will be matched against three local universities: Houston, Sam Houston State and Louisiana. The three SEC teams played each of the three local teams once.
By Year Year Teams 2001 Baylor, Houston, Rice, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech 2002 Baylor, Houston, Louisiana, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech 2003 Alabama, Baylor, Houston, Louisiana, Rice, Texas A&M 2004 Houston, Kansas State, Ohio State, Rice, Texas, Texas Tech 2005 Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma State, Rice, Tennessee, Texas A&M 2006 Houston, Rice, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, Tulane 2007 Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, Rice, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt 2008 Houston, Oklahoma, Rice, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech 2009 Baylor, Houston, Rice, Texas A&M, UC Irvine, UCLA 2010 Houston, Missouri, Rice, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech 2011 Baylor, Houston, Kansas State, Rice, Texas A&M, Utah 2012 Arkansas, Houston, Rice, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech 2013 Baylor, California, Houston, North Carolina, Rice, Texas A&M 2014 Houston, Rice, Sam Houston State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech 2015 Baylor, Hawaii, Houston, LSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M 2016 Arkansas, Houston, Louisiana, Rice, TCU, Texas Tech 2017 Baylor, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech 2018 Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi State, Sam Houston State, Vanderbilt 2019 Baylor, Houston, Rice, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas State 2020 Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas 2021 Rice, Sam Houston State, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech 2022 Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA 2023 Louisville, Michigan, Rice, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech 2024 Houston, Louisiana, LSU, Texas, Texas State, Vanderbilt 2025 Arizona, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Rice, Tennessee, Texas A&M 2026 Baylor, Coastal Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas, UTSA
Most Outstanding Players
YearWinnerTeamPositionRef2001BaylorCatcher2002BaylorOutfielder2003BaylorOutfielder2004TexasThird baseman 2005RicePitcher2006HoustonPitcher2007Arizona StateOutfielder2008RiceCatcher2009RicePitcher2010TCUCatcher2011RicePitcher2012RicePitcher2013BaylorThird baseman2014HoustonPitcher2015Texas A&MPitcher2016ArkansasShortstop2017TCUFirst baseman2018KentuckyThird baseman2019Texas StatePitcher2020OklahomaPitcher2021TCUPitcher2022BaylorPitcher2023LouisvilleCatcher2024Texas StateSecond baseman2025TennesseeSecond baseman
Teams by number of appearances TeamAppearancesYearsHouston192024, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001Rice192025, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001Baylor142026, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001Texas122026, 2024, 2022, 2020, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2001Texas A&M122025, 2023, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2002Texas Tech122023, 2021, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2001TCU102023, 2021, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, 2001Louisiana52024, 2018, 2016, 2003, 2002LSU52024, 2022, 2020, 2017, 2015Tennessee52025, 2022, 2012, 2008, 2005Arkansas32020, 2016, 2012Oklahoma32022, 2020, 2008Sam Houston State32021, 2018, 2014Texas State32024, 2021, 2019Vanderbilt32024, 2018, 2007Kentucky22018, 2011Missouri22020, 2010UCLA22022, 2009Mississippi State22025, 2018Ohio State22026, 2004Oklahoma State22025, 2005Ole Miss22026, 2017Alabama12003Arizona12025Arizona State12007California12013Coastal Carolina12026Hawaii12015Kansas State12004Louisville12023Michigan12023Nebraska12015North Carolina12013Texas A&M–Corpus Christi12021Tulane12006UC Irvine12009Utah12011UTSA12026
See also
Silver Glove series Liberty Bell Classic State Farm College Baseball Showdown
References
External links