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Conference USA baseball tournament


FieldValue
nameConference USA baseball tournament
optional_subheaderConference baseball championship
imageConference USA logo (2013-2023).svg
image_size250
sportBaseball
conferenceConference USA
number_of_teams8
formatDouble Elimination
current_stadiumJ. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
current_locationRuston, Louisiana
years1996–present
most_recent2024
current_championDallas Baptist (1)
most_championshipsRice (7)
televisionESPN+/CBS Sports Network
websiteConferenceUSA.com Baseball
all_stadiumsJ. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (2021, 2024)
MGM Park (2017–19)
Pete Taylor Park (1996, 2005, 2009, 2014–16, 2022)
Reckling Park (2006, 2013, 2023)
Trustmark Park (2011–12)
Cougar Field (2004, 2010)
Turchin Stadium (1997, 2003, 2008)
Clark-LeClair Stadium (2007)
Grainger Stadium (2002)
Zephyr Field (1998, 2001)
Florida Power Park (2000)
USA Stadium (1999)
all_locationsRuston, LA (2021, 2024)
Biloxi, MS (2017–19)
Hattiesburg, MS (1996, 2005, 2009, 2014–16, 2022)
Pearl, MS (2011–12)
Houston, TX (2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2023)
New Orleans, LA (1997–98, 2001, 2003, 2008)
Greenville, NC (2007)
Kinston, NC (2002)
St. Petersburg, FL (2000)
Millington, TN (1999)

MGM Park (2017–19) Pete Taylor Park (1996, 2005, 2009, 2014–16, 2022) Reckling Park (2006, 2013, 2023) Trustmark Park (2011–12) Cougar Field (2004, 2010) Turchin Stadium (1997, 2003, 2008) Clark-LeClair Stadium (2007) Grainger Stadium (2002) Zephyr Field (1998, 2001) Florida Power Park (2000) USA Stadium (1999) Biloxi, MS (2017–19) Hattiesburg, MS (1996, 2005, 2009, 2014–16, 2022) Pearl, MS (2011–12) Houston, TX (2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2023) New Orleans, LA (1997–98, 2001, 2003, 2008) Greenville, NC (2007) Kinston, NC (2002) St. Petersburg, FL (2000) Millington, TN (1999)

The Conference USA baseball tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for Conference USA (C-USA). The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The tournament format, which has changed several times, currently consists of an eight-team double-elimination tournament format, in which the winners of two four-team brackets play in a single-game final. Rice, which has won the tournament seven times, is the most successful team in the tournament's history.

History

The tournament was first held in 1996, the first season after Conference USA was formed from the merger of the Metro Conference and the Great Midwest Conference.

1996–1999

From 1996 to 1999, the tournament format consisted of an eight-team double-elimination tournament preceded by a single-game play-in round. The play-in round determined which of the lowest seeds (by regular season conference record) would qualify for the eight-team bracket. In 1996, when the league had nine baseball-sponsoring schools, the play-in round included the 8th and 9th seeds. When Houston joined from the Southwest Conference prior to the 1997 season, the play-in round featured the 7th–10th seeds. The eight-team double-elimination tournament consisted of two four-team double-elimination brackets, the winners of which met in a single-game final.

2000–2009

In the 2000 tournament, the play-in round was eliminated, and the top eight seeds qualified for the eight-team double-elimination tournament automatically. The eight-team bracket followed the same format as it had from 1996 to 1999.

2010

In 2010, the tournament format was changed from double-elimination to round robin. The top six regular season finishers qualified for the tournament field, which consisted of two three-team "pods." Pod 1 included the 1st, 4th, and 5th seeds, and Pod 2 included the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th seeds. Each team played three preliminary games, two against its podmates and one against a team from the opposite group. The cross-group games matched up the seeds as follows: 1st vs. 6th, 2nd vs. 5th, and 3rd vs. 4th. The winner of each round robin pod advanced to a single-game final.

2011–2013

In 2011, the round robin format was expanded to the top eight regular season finishers. The tournament field consisted of two four-team pods. Pod 1 included the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th seeds, and Pod 2 included the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th seeds. Each team played three preliminary games, one against each member of its pod. The winner of each pod advanced to a single game.

2014–Present

Beginning in 2014, the format returned to the eight team double-elimination format used from 1996 through 2009.

Champions

Conference USAborder=1color=#ffffff}}"YearConference USAborder=1color=#ffffff}}"ChampionConference USAborder=1color=#ffffff}}"VenueConference USAborder=1color=#ffffff}}"Most Valuable Player
1996Pete Taylor Park • Hattiesburg, MSJason Fitzgerald (Tulane)
1997Turchin Stadium • New Orleans, LAScottie Scott (Houston)
1998Zephyr Field • New Orleans, LABrian Hughes (Tulane)
1999USA Stadium • Millington, TNMickey McKee (Tulane)
2000HoustonFlorida Power Park • St. Petersburg, FLJarrod Bitter (Houston)
2001Zephyr Field • New Orleans, LABarth Melius (Tulane)
2002Grainger Stadium • Kinston, NCDarryl Lawhorn (East Carolina)
2003Turchin Stadium • New Orleans, LAClint King (Southern Miss)
2004Cougar Field • Houston, TXAustin Adams (TCU)
2005
Pete Taylor Park • Hattiesburg, MSNathan Southard (Tulane)
2006Reckling Park • Houston, TXJoe Savery (Rice)
2007Clark-LeClair Stadium • Greenville, NCAaron Luna (Rice)
2008Turchin Stadium • New Orleans, LABryan Pounds (Houston)
2009Pete Taylor Park • Hattiesburg, MSAnthony Rendon (Rice)
2010Cougar Field • Houston, TXScott Copeland (Southern Miss)
2011Trustmark Park • Pearl, MSTyler Duffey (Rice)
2012Trustmark Park • Pearl, MSMichael Busby (UAB)
2013Reckling Park • Houston, TXChristian Stringer (Rice)
2014Pete Taylor Park • Hattiesburg, MSMichael Aquino (Rice)
2015Josh Anderson (FIU)
2016Daniel Keating (Southern Miss)
2017MGM Park • Biloxi, MSGlenn Otto (Rice)
2018Mason Strickland (Southern Miss)
2019Matt Wallner (Southern Miss)
2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2021Old DominionJ. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park • Ruston, LATommy Bell (Old Dominion)
2022Louisiana TechPete Taylor Park • Hattiesburg, MSTaylor Young (Louisiana Tech)
2023CharlotteReckling Park • Houston, TXCam Fisher (Charlotte)
2024Dallas BaptistJ. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park • Ruston, LAAlex Pendergast (Dallas Baptist)
2025Liberty Baseball Stadium • Lynchburg, VirginiaEthan Lizama (Western Kentucky)

By school

End of the 2024 tournament, updated.

SchoolAppearancesW-LPctTourney TitlesTitle Years
Rice1538–1872006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017
Tulane1739–2351996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005
Southern Miss2660–4252003, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2019
Houston1736–2831997, 2000, 2008
TCU49–522004, 2005
Louisiana Tech817–1512022
Charlotte1322–2312023
Old Dominion711–1212021
East Carolina1320–2212002
Dallas Baptist27–112024
FIU66–1012015
UAB1819–3312012
Western Kentucky46–812025
Sam Houston11-2
New Mexico State10-2
Florida Atlantic816–15
South Florida915–17
UTSA811–13
Memphis1215–22
Marshall68–12
Saint Louis56–10
Middle Tennessee66–12
Liberty12-2
Cincinnati65–9
UCF65–11
Louisville108–19
  • Bold indicate school currently sponsors baseball in Conference USA.
  • Italics indicate school no longer sponsors baseball in Conference USA.

References

References

  1. O'Connell, Jim. (12 November 1995). "25 Tips on the 1996–1996 Season". The Mount Airy News.
  2. "2012 Conference USA Baseball Media Guide".
  3. (October 10, 2014). "Southern Miss to host 2014 C-USA Baseball Championship". Conference USA.
  4. Joseph Duarte. (November 15, 2012). "Rice to host 2013 C-USA baseball tourney". [[Houston Chronicle]].
  5. TJ Werre. (November 20, 2012). "C-USA Baseball Tournament Leaves Pearl". wjtv.com.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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