American Athletic Conference baseball tournament explained

American Athletic Conference baseball tournament
Optional Subheader:Conference baseball championship
Sport:Baseball
Conference:American Athletic Conference
Number Of Teams:8
Format:Double-elimination tournament
Current Stadium:BayCare Ballpark
Current Location:Clearwater, Florida
Years:2014–present
Most Recent:2024
Current Champion:Tulane
Most Championships:East Carolina (3)
All Stadiums:BayCare Ballpark (2014–present)
All Locations:Clearwater, FL (2014–present)

The American Athletic Conference baseball tournament is the conference championship tournament in college baseball for the American Athletic Conference. It is a round-robin tournament, with seeding based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship each season. The Tournament champion is separate from the conference champion. The conference championship is determined solely by regular season record.

The American is one of two successors to the original Big East Conference, which split after the 2013 season. The tournament was held in the same location as the previous six Big East Conference baseball tournaments in 2014, at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida.[1]

Format

Unlike the previous Big East Tournament, the American adopted a round-robin tournament format in 2014. The top eight teams were divided into two groups of four, with each team facing the others in the group. The winners of each group then faced off in a single championship game. This format was similar to the format used by several new members from the Conference USA baseball tournament from 2010 to 2013.

In 2015, the event reverted to the traditional two-bracket, double-elimination tournament leading to a single championship game.

Champions

By year

Year Champion Site MVP
Josh Vidales, Houston
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Hunter Allen, East Carolina
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Anthony Kay, UConn
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Jake Scheiner, Houston
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Spencer Brickhouse, East Carolina
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL A.J. Bumpass, Cincinnati
Cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Daniel Cantu, South Florida
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, East Carolina
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Teo Banks, Tulane
BayCare Ballpark • Clearwater, FL Jackson Linn, Tulane

By school

This table of championship statistics is updated after each event. It is current as of the end of the 2023 tournament.[2]

School Appearances W L Pct. No. of Titles Years
Cincinnati 8 5 14 1 2019
9 25 13 3 2015, 2018, 2022
Houston 9 20 13 2
1 0 2 0
Louisville 1 2 2 0
8 11 15 0
Rutgers 1 1 2 0
9 13 15 1 2021
Temple 1 1 2 0
9 18 15 2 2023, 2024
1 0 2 0
1 2 2 0
1 1 2 0
1 1 2 0
UCF 9 14 17 0
UConn 6 15 10 1 2016
6 7 12 0
Italics indicate school no longer sponsors baseball in The American.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: First American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship To Be Held At Bright House Field. The American. July 1, 2013. January 10, 2014.
  2. Web site: 2021 American Baseball Record Book . . 22 Apr 2020 . theamerican.org . . 7 Jul 2020 .