Southern Conference baseball tournament
| Southern Conference baseball tournament | |
|---|---|
| Conference baseball championship | |
 Southern Conference logo | |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Conference | Southern Conference |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Format | Single-elimination play-in, then six-team double-elimination tournament |
| Current stadium | Fluor Field |
| Current location | Greenville, South Carolina |
| Played | 1950–1953, 1984–2019, 2021-present |
| Last contest | 2024 |
| Current champion | Wofford (2) |
| Most championships | Western Carolina (10) |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN+ |
| 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 Wedneaday through Sunday before Memorial Day each year, five days prior to the NCAA Regionals.[1]
Tournament
[edit]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
[edit]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. 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.[8]
Champions
[edit]By year
[edit]| Year[8] | Champion | Site | MVP[8] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kennedy Jones, UNC Greensboro |
| 2023 | Samford | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Heath Clevenger, Samford |
| 2024 | Wofford | Fluor Field • Greenville, South Carolina | Zac Cowan, Wofford |
By school
[edit]| 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 |
| 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[a] | 1 | 2006 |
*Italics indicate the school no longer sponsors baseball or is no longer in the Southern Conference.
- ^ Now athletically branded as Charleston.
Composite Records
[edit]Current schools only, 1984 through 2024[8]
| Team | App. | Wins | Losses | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Citadel | 35 | 75 | 47 | .615 |
| East Tennessee State | 25 | 24 | 47 | .338 |
| Mercer | 9 | 22 | 15 | .595 |
| UNC Greensboro | 21 | 36 | 39 | .480 |
| Samford | 14 | 36 | 19 | .655 |
| VMI | 22 | 16 | 39 | .291 |
| Western Carolina | 39 | 80 | 62 | .563 |
| Wofford | 15 | 28 | 25 | .528 |
See also
[edit]- List of Southern Conference football champions
- List of Southern Conference men's basketball champions
References
[edit]- ^ "Southern Conference Championship Sites and Dates". soconsports.com. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- ^ "Southern Champs To Be Crowned At Greensboro Meet". The Robesonian. Lumberton, N.C. AP. May 19, 1950. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ "Maryland To Play In Diamond Series". The Baltimore Sun. May 22, 1950. p. 14.
Virginia Tech and Maryland from the North and Wake Forest and Clemson from the South will meet to determine the Southern Conference baseball championship.
- ^ "Clemson Meets Duke For Southern League Title". The Dispatch. Lexington, N.C. May 21, 1951. p. 6. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ "Duke Nine Cops Conference Championship". The News and Courier. Charleston, S.C. May 19, 1952. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ "Maryland Nine Whips W. & M. In Double-Header". The Baltimore Sun. May 12, 1953. p. 19.
George Washington will join Maryland as the Northern division's other representative against the two top teams in the southern branch of the league.
- ^ "Rain-Check Team Emerging As Top Quality In Playoff". The Robesonian. Lumberton, N.C. May 19, 1953. p. 8. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "SoCon 2025 Baseball Record Book" (PDF). soconsports.com. Retrieved March 23, 2025.