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Sun Belt Conference softball tournament

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sun Belt Conference softball tournament
Conference softball championship
Official Logo of the Sun Belt Conference
SportSoftball
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Number of teams8
FormatDouble-elimination tournament
Current stadiumYvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park
Current locationLafayette, Louisiana
Played2000-present
Last contest2023
Current championLouisiana
Most championshipsLouisiana/Louisiana–Lafayette (18)
Official website[1]
Host stadiums
  • Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park (2000, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2023)
  • Bobcat Softball Stadium (2015, 2016, 2019)
  • Troy Softball Complex (2008, 2013, 2017, 2021)
  • FIU Softball Stadium (2002, 2006)
  • WKU Softball Complex (2003, 2005)
  • FAU Softball Complex (2012)
  • Jaguar Field (2010, 2022)
  • Lovelace Softball Stadium (2009)
  • MT Softball Complex (2007)
  • NM State Softball Complex (2001)
Host locations

The Sun Belt Conference softball tournament is the conference championship tournament in softball for the Sun Belt Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I softball tournament. The 2023 host of the tournament is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park, the largest softball facility in the conference.

Tournament

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The Sun Belt Conference softball tournament is an eight team double-elimination tournament held annually at various sites in the Sun Belt Conference region. The bottom four seeds play a one-round single elimination play in game. The four teams with the best conference record at the end of the regular season earn automatic berths in the tournament. After the play-in round, the remaining six teams will play 2 four team double-elimination brackets with a single elimination championship game between the bracket winners. The team with the best conference record will be seeded #1 and will play the one of the winners of the first-round game. The team with the second-best conference record will receive the #2 seed and will also play on the winners of the first-round game. The champion of the competition receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I softball tournament.

History

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The tournament started in 2000 as a four team double-elimination tournament.

In 2001, the tournament expanded to include six teams but still remained double-elimination.

For the 2002 and 2003 edition, the tournament included five teams and remained double-elimination.

From 2004, the tournament went back to a six-team double-elimination format and stayed that way until 2007 when it expanded to eight-teams double-elimination and has stayed that way since.

The Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana have considerably successful in the tournament, winning all but five times in the entirety of the tournament. Most winners of the tournament finished the season in the national Top-25 polls or received votes, except the 2007 Florida Atlantic team and the 2012 South Alabama team. The highest ranked of those teams was the 2008 Louisiana–Lafayette team to finish No. 6 in the NFCA poll. The lowest of those ranked teams was the 2002 Louisiana–Lafayette team who finished receiving votes.

Champions

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By Year

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Year School Site Most Outstanding Player(s)
2000 Louisiana–Lafayette Lafayette, LA Kim Dunlap, Louisiana–Lafayette
2001 Louisiana–Lafayette Las Cruces, NM Missy Martin, Louisiana–Lafayette
2002 Louisiana–Lafayette Miami, FL Melissa Coronado, Louisiana–Lafayette
2003 Louisiana–Lafayette Bowling Green, KY Brooke Mitchell, Louisiana–Lafayette
2004 Louisiana–Lafayette Lafayette, LA Brooke Mitchell, Louisiana–Lafayette
2005 Louisiana–Lafayette Bowling Green, KY Heather Bobbitt, Louisiana–Lafayette
2006 Louisiana–Lafayette Miami, FL Jessica Lemoine, Louisiana–Lafayette
2007 Florida Atlantic Murfreesboro, TN Jen Musillo, Florida Atlantic
2008 Louisiana–Lafayette Troy, AL Ashley Brignac, Louisiana–Lafayette
2009 Louisiana–Lafayette Denton, TX Christi Orgeron, Louisiana–Lafayette
2010 Louisiana–Lafayette Mobile, AL Donna Bourgeois & Gabrielle Bridges, Louisiana–Lafayette
2011 Louisiana–Lafayette Lafayette, LA Christi Orgeron, Louisiana–Lafayette
2012 South Alabama Boca Raton, FL Hannah Campbell, South Alabama
2013 South Alabama Troy, AL Hannah Campbell, South Alabama
2014 Louisiana–Lafayette Lafayette, LA Lexie Elkins, Louisiana–Lafayette
2015 South Alabama San Marcos, TX Kaitlyn Griffith, South Alabama
2016 Louisiana–Lafayette San Marcos, TX Aleah Craighton, Louisiana–Lafayette
2017 Louisiana–Lafayette Troy, AL Alex Stewart, Louisiana–Lafayette
2018 Texas State Lafayette, LA Haleigh Davis, Texas State
2019 Louisiana[1] San Marcos, TX Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
2020 Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2021 Louisiana Troy, AL Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
2022 Louisiana Mobile, AL Raina O'Neal, Louisiana
2023 Louisiana Lafayette, LA Sam Landry, Louisiana

By school

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As of July 1, 2022, there are 12 schools in the conference that competes in softball, however, only three of the twelve schools have softball championships.

Current members

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School Tourney Titles Title Years
Louisiana/Louisiana–Lafayette 18 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
South Alabama 3 2012, 2013, 2015
Texas State 1 2018

Former members

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School Tourney Titles Title Years
Florida Atlantic 1 2007
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References

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  1. ^ "2019 Sun Belt Softball Championship".