Wikipedia / Southern Conference baseball tournament
Wikipedia / Southern Conference baseball tournament
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 |
Greensboro, North Carolina | Bob Davis, Duke | |||
Devereux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina | Red Smith, Duke | |||
Devereux Meadow • Raleigh, North Carolina | ||||
No tournament from 1954–1983. | ||||
Rusty Weaver, Appalachian State | ||||
Mike Carson, Western Carolina | ||||
Hennon Stadium • Cullowhee, North Carolina | David Hyatt, Western Carolina | |||
Clint Fairey, Western Carolina | ||||
Asheville, North Carolina | Keith LeClair, Western Carolina | |||
Asheville, North Carolina | Paul Menhart, Western Carolina | |||
Billy Baker, The Citadel | ||||
College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brent Williams, Furman | |||
College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Joey Cox, Western Carolina | |||
College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Phillip Grundy, Western Carolina | |||
College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Jermaine Shuler, The Citadel | |||
College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Donald Morillo, The Citadel | |||
College Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Mark Hamlin, Georgia Southern | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | J. P. Burwell, Western Carolina | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brian Rogers, The Citadel | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Rodney Hancock, The Citadel | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Matt Easterday, Georgia Southern | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Randy Corn, The Citadel | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brett Lewis, Georgia Southern | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brian Sigmon, Western Carolina | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Jonathan Ellis, The Citadel | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Nick Hollstegge, Furman | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Nick Chigges & Jess Easterling, College of Charleston | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Brandon Waring, Wofford | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Cory Harrilchak, Elon | |||
Kyle Blackburn, Georgia Southern | ||||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Justin Mackert, The Citadel | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Chris Beck, Georgia Southern | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Josh Martin, Samford | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Joe Jackson, The Citadel | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Jason Richman, Georgia Southern | |||
Riley Park • Charleston, South Carolina | Eric Nyquist, Mercer | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Matt Smith, Western Carolina | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Tripp Shelton, UNC Greensboro | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Brooks Carlson, Samford | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Trevor Austin, Mercer | |||
Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | ||||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Towns King, Samford | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Kennedy Jones, UNC Greensboro | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Heath Clevenger, Samford | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Zac Cowan, Wofford | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Cooper Torres, East Tennessee State | |||
Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Michael Gibson, The Citadel |
By school
Program | Championships | Years |
10 | 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2016 | |
9 | 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2026 | |
Georgia Southern | 6 | 1996, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2011, 2014 |
4 | 2012, 2018, 2021, 2023 | |
3 | 1951, 1952, 1953 | |
2 | 2007, 2024 | |
2 | 2017, 2022 | |
2 | 2015, 2019 | |
2 | 2008, 2013 | |
2 | 1991, 2005 | |
1 | 1950 | |
1 | 1984 | |
1 | 2006 | |
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
Team | App. | Wins | Losses | Pct. |
36 | 76 | 49 | ||
26 | 27 | 47 | ||
9 | 24 | 17 | ||
22 | 36 | 40 | ||
15 | 38 | 21 | ||
23 | 16 | 40 | ||
40 | 82 | 64 | ||
16 | 30 | 27 |
See also
References