Southern Conference baseball tournament | |
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Conference baseball championship | |
![]() Southern Conference logo | |
Sport | Baseball |
Conference | Southern Conference |
Number of teams | 8 |
Format | Double-elimination |
Current stadium | Fluor Field |
Current location | Greenville, South Carolina |
Played | 1950–1953, 1984–present |
Last contest | 2023 |
Current champion | Samford (4) |
Most championships | Western Carolina (10) |
Official website | SoConSports.com Baseball |
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 Tuesday through Saturday before Memorial Day each year, five days prior to the NCAA Regionals.[1]
The Southern Conference Baseball Tournament is held annually. Beginning in 2009, the top eight teams (eleven teams sponsor baseball in the conference) participated in a two-bracketed double-elimination tournament. The previous format included ten teams participating in the tournament with the lowest four seeds (#7–#10) competing in a single elimination first round. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament while the other teams must rely on an at-large bid.
The Southern Conference first held a baseball tournament in 1950.[2] Maryland and Virginia Tech from the North division, and Clemson and Wake Forest from the South played the inaugural year in Greensboro, North Carolina,[3] with Wake Forest defeating Maryland for the title. In 1951, Clemson, Duke, Maryland, and West Virginia met, with Duke defeating Clemson in the final.[4] Duke repeated their title in 1952, over N.C. State, George Washington, and Richmond.[5] Duke, George Washington, Maryland, and North Carolina participated in 1953, with Duke again the winner.[6][7]
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.
Year[8] | Champion | Site | MVP[9] |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | Wake Forest | Greensboro, North Carolina | |
1951 | Duke | Greensboro, North Carolina | Bob Davis, Duke |
1952 | Duke | Devereux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina | Red Smith, Duke |
1953 | Duke | Devereux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina | |
1984 | Appalachian State | Hennon Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina | Rusty Weaver, Appalachian State |
1985 | Western Carolina | Boone, North Carolina | Mike Carson, Western Carolina |
1986 | Western Carolina | Hennon Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina | David Hyatt, Western Carolina |
1987 | Western Carolina | Asheville, North Carolina | Clint Fairey, Western Carolina |
1988 | Western Carolina | Asheville, North Carolina | Keith LeClair, Western Carolina |
1989 | Western Carolina | Asheville, North Carolina | Paul Menhart, Western Carolina |
1990 | The Citadel | College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Billy Baker, The Citadel |
1991 | Furman | College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brent Williams, Furman |
1992 | Western Carolina | College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Joey Cox, Western Carolina |
1993 | Western Carolina | 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 | Georgia Southern | College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Mark Hamlin, Georgia Southern |
1997 | Western Carolina | 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 | Georgia Southern | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Matt Easterday, Georgia Southern |
2001 | The Citadel | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Randy Corn, The Citadel |
2002 | Georgia Southern | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brett Lewis, Georgia Southern |
2003 | Western Carolina | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brian Sigmon, Western Carolina |
2004 | The Citadel | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Jonathan Ellis, The Citadel |
2005 | Furman | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Nick Hollstegge, Furman |
2006 | College of Charleston | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Nick Chigges & Jess Easterling, College of Charleston |
2007 | Wofford | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brandon Waring, Wofford |
2008 | Elon | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Cory Harrilchak, Elon |
2009 | Georgia Southern | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Kyle Blackburn, Georgia Southern |
2010 | The Citadel | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Justin Mackert, The Citadel |
2011 | Georgia Southern | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Chris Beck, Georgia Southern |
2012 | Samford | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Josh Martin, Samford |
2013 | Elon | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Joe Jackson, The Citadel |
2014 | Georgia Southern | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Jason Richman, Georgia Southern |
2015 | Mercer | Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Eric Nyquist, Mercer |
2016 | Western Carolina | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Matt Smith, Western Carolina |
2017 | UNC Greensboro | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Tripp Shelton, UNC Greensboro |
2018 | Samford | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Brooks Carlson, Samford |
2019 | Mercer | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Trevor Austin, Mercer |
2020 | Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | ||
2021 | Samford | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Towns King, Samford |
2022 | UNC Greensboro | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | |
2023 | Samford | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Heath Clevenger, Samford |
School | Tournament Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Western Carolina | 10 | 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2016 |
The Citadel | 8 | 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010 |
Georgia Southern | 6 | 1996, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2011, 2014 |
Samford | 4 | 2012, 2018, 2021, 2023 |
Duke | 3 | 1951, 1952, 1953 |
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[a] | 1 | 2006 |
Wofford | 1 | 2007 |
Current schools only, 1984 through 2015[10][11]
Team | Wins | Losses | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|
The Citadel | 72 | 37 | .661 |
East Tennessee State | 14 | 34 | .286 |
Furman | 39 | 41 | .488 |
Mercer | 4 | 0 | 1.000 |
Samford | 14 | 8 | .636 |
UNC Greensboro | 19 | 27 | .413 |
VMI | 14 | 29 | .326 |
Western Carolina | 67 | 48 | .583 |
Wofford | 12 | 10 | .545 |