Coastal Athletic Association baseball tournament
Conference baseball championship
SportBaseball
ConferenceCoastal Athletic Association
Number of teams9
FormatDouble-elimination
Current stadiumThe Ballpark at Patriots Point
Current locationMount Pleasant, SC
Played1986–present
Last contest2023
Current championUNC Wilmington
Most championshipsEast Carolina & UNC Wilmington (7)
Official websiteCAASports.com baseball
Host stadiums
Walter C. Latham Park (2022)
Brooks Field (1989-90, 1993, 2004-2011, 2014, 2017, 2021)
Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park (2012-13, 2018–19)
CofC Baseball Stadium at Patriots Point (2015–2016, 2023)
Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field (2000-2003)
Grainger Stadium (1995-1999)
Bud Metheny Baseball Complex (1994)
Harrington Field (1986, 1991-92)
The Diamond (1987-88)
Host locations
Elon, NC (2022)
Wilmington, NC (1989-90, 1993, 2004-2011, 2014, 2017, 2021)
Harrisonburg, VA (2012-13, 2018–19)
Mount Pleasant, SC (2015–2016)
Manteo, NC (2000-2003)
Kinston, NC (1995-1999)
Norfolk, VA (1994)
Greenville, NC (1986, 1991-92)
Richmond, VA (1987-88)

The Coastal Athletic Association baseball tournament, sometimes referred to simply as the CAA Tournament, is the conference baseball championship of the NCAA Division I Coastal Athletic Association (formerly known as the Colonial Athletic Association up through the 2023 season). The top six finishers in the regular season of the conference's nine baseball teams advance to the double-elimination tournament, whose most recent edition was held in 2023 at The Ballpark at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, the off-campus baseball home of the College of Charleston. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Format

The first CAA Tournament in 1986 was a four team double-elimination tournament, with the bottom three finishers not participating. From 1987 through 1993, all six teams participated in a double-elimination tournament. After Old Dominion joined the league in 1992, the last place team did not participate in tournament. The CAA adopted a seven team format in 1994, with the top seed getting a bye and playing the winner of the opening round game between the four and five seeds. This format was used until VCU joined the conference in 1996 and the league adopted a traditional 8 team double-elimination tournament. After the conference shakeup prior to the 2002 season, the league split into divisions and brought six teams to the tournament. The two division champions were automatically in the field as the top two seeds, and the top four remaining finishers were seeded three through six. This format lasted only two years, as Drexel discontinued baseball and the league dropped to nine teams and eliminated divisions. The six team format survived through the 2009 season, and the league used a four team format for 2010 and 2011. The six team format was adopted again in 2012 and maintained through 2019. In the aftermath of the cancellation of the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CAA decided to include all 9 teams in the tournament in 2021, with the bottom two seeds participating in a play-in game before the traditional double-elimination tournament.[1][2]

Champions

By year

The following is a list of conference champions and sites listed by year.[3]

YearProgramSiteMVP, Pos, School
1986RichmondHarrington Field • Greenville, NCKevin Sickinger, P/DH, Richmond
1987East CarolinaThe Diamond • Richmond, VAGary Smith, P, East Carolina
1988George MasonThe Diamond • Richmond, VAJohn Styles, P, George Mason
1989East CarolinaBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCBrien Berckman, P, East Carolina
1990East CarolinaBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCCalvin Brown, 1B, East Carolina
1991East CarolinaHarrington Field • Greenville, NCDavid Leisten, OF, East Carolina
1992George MasonHarrington Field • Greenville, NCChris Widger, C, George Mason
1993East CarolinaBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCLyle Hartgrove, P, East Carolina
1994Old DominionBud Metheny Baseball Complex • Norfolk, VAMatt Quataro, 1B/OF, Old Dominion
1995Old DominionGrainger Stadium • Kinston, NCMaika Symmonds, OF/P, Old Dominion
1996Old DominionGrainger Stadium • Kinston, NCRon Walker, 3B/P, Old Dominion
1997RichmondGrainger Stadium • Kinston, NCJohn Wagler, OF, Richmond
1998RichmondGrainger Stadium • Kinston, NCMike Dwyer, 1B/P, Richmond
1999East CarolinaGrainger Stadium • Kinston, NCJames Molinari, OF, East Carolina
2000East CarolinaCoy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NCLee Delfino, SS, East Carolina
2001William & MaryCoy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NCMike O'Kelly, 1B, William & Mary
2002VCUCoy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NCBrian Marshall, P, VCU
2003VCUCoy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NCMatt Prendergast, P, VCU
2004UNC WilmingtonBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCMatt Poulk, 3B, UNCW
2005VCUBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCTim St. Clair, 1B/DH, VCU
2006UNC WilmingtonBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCChris Hatcher, C, UNCW
2007VCUBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCJohn Leonard, P/OF, VCU
2008James MadisonBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCAlex Foltz, OF, James Madison
2009Georgia StateBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCBradley Logan, 3B/1B, Georgia State
2010VCUBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCJoe Van Meter, 3B, VCU
2011James MadisonBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCJohnny Bladel, OF, James Madison
2012UNC WilmingtonEagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VAJimmy, Yezzo, 1B, Delaware
2013TowsonEagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VAZach Fisher, 3B, Towson
2014College of CharlestonBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCBailey Ober, P, College of Charleston
2015UNC WilmingtonCofC Baseball Stadium at Patriots Point • Mount Pleasant, SCCorey Dick, 1B, UNCW
2016William & MaryCofC Baseball Stadium at Patriots Point • Mount Pleasant, SCJosh Smith, OF, William & Mary
2017DelawareBrooks Field • Wilmington, NCJeremy Ake, SS, Delaware
2018UNC WilmingtonEagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VACole Weiss, 3B, UNC Wilmington
2019UNC WilmingtonEagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VAGreg Jones, SS, UNC Wilmington
2020Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021NortheasternBrooks Field • Wilmington, NC[4]Ben Malgeri, OF, Northeastern
2022HofstraWalter C. Latham Park • Elon, NC[4]Brad Camarda, P, Hofstra
2023UNC WilmingtonThe Ballpark at Patriots Point • Mount Pleasant, SCDillon Lifrieri, OF, UNCW

By school

The following is a list of conference champions listed by school.[3]

ProgramNo. of titlesTitle years
East Carolina71987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2000
UNC Wilmington72004, 2006, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023
VCU52002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010
Old Dominion31994, 1995, 1996
Richmond31986, 1997, 1998
George Mason21988, 1992
James Madison22008, 2011
William & Mary22001, 2016
Charleston12014
Delaware12017
Georgia State12009
Hofstra12022
Northeastern12021
Towson12013
  • Italics indicate that the program is no longer a CAA member, as of the upcoming 2024 season.

References

  1. ↑ "2021 Baseball Bracket" (PDF). Colonial Athletic Association. June 23, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ "All Teams Will Compete at CAA Conference Championships in 2020–21". Colonial Athletic Association. June 23, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "2021 Baseball Record Book" (PDF). Colonial Athletic Association. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "UNCW to Host CAA Baseball Championship in 2021, Elon Will Host in 2022". Colonial Athletic Association. May 18, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.