2019 Sun Belt Baseball Championship Bracket Announced
NEW ORLEANS – The seeds and matchups for this week’s 2019 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship, hosted at Springs Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina University, have been determined following the conclusion of the conference’s regular season on Saturday evening.
The tournament begins on Tuesday, May 21, and ends with the championship game on Sunday, May 26. All games of the tournament will be available on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The tournament format combines single and double-elimination play. Two single-elimination first round games on Tuesday precede the start of double-elimination play between the remaining eight teams. The top 10 teams, based on conference winning percentage will compete for the tournament title.
A doubleheader sweep on Friday clinched the outright Sun Belt Conference regular season championship and the West Division for the Texas State Bobcats (36-18, 20-10). The Bobcats defeated UT Arlington (31-24, 17-12) 10-9 in game one and 13-11 in the second contest to earn its first regular season title since joining the league.
The Bobcats will face the lowest remaining seed from Tuesday’s first round matchups on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Georgia Southern won the East division and closed out the regular season winning two of three from Georgia State. The Eagles are 32-23 overall and 18-12 in league play. The Eagles will play the highest remaining seed from Tuesday’s first round on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Little Rock (28-26, 18-11) earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will take on No. 6 Troy (29-27, 16-14) on Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET. In the battle of the Trojans earlier this season, Little Rock took two of three from Troy.
UTA (31-24, 17-12) will be the tournament’s fourth seed. The Mavericks will face No. 5 seed and tournament host, Coastal Carolina (30-23-1, 15-13) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. The two teams split their season series this year.
The tournament begins on Tuesday with single-elimination games between No. 7 South Alabama (30-25, 16-14) and No. 10 ULM (24-29, 12-17) at 3:00 p.m. ET. In Tuesday night’s finale, No. 8 Louisiana (27-29, 15-15) takes on No. 9 Appalachian State (22-30, 13-16) at 6:30 p.m. ET.
USA and ULM did not play this season while Appalachian State, making its first Sun Belt Baseball Championship appearance, claimed two of three games against the Ragin’ Cajuns this season.
The Sun Belt champion will earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2019 Baseball Championship Schedule
Tuesday, May 21 (Single-elimination)
Game 1: 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+) – No. 7 South Alabama vs. No. 10 ULM
Game 2: 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – No. 8 Louisiana vs. No. 9 Appalachian State
Wednesday, May 22 (Double-elimination)
Game 3: 9:00 a.m. (ESPN+) – No. 3 Little Rock vs. No. 6 Troy
Game 4: 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – No. 2 Georgia Southern vs. 1st Round Winner (High Seed)
Game 5: 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+) – No. 4 UT Arlington vs. No. 5 Coastal Carolina
Game 6: 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – No. 1 Texas State vs. 1st Round Winner (Low Seed)
Thursday, May 23
Game 7: 9:00 a.m. (ESPN+) – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 8: 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
Game 9: 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 10: 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Friday, May 24
Game 11: 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 9
Game 12: 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 10
Saturday, May 25
Game 13: 9:00 a.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11
Game 14: 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 12
*Game 15: 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner Game 13 vs. Loser Game 13 (if necessary)
#Game 16: 7:30 p.m. ^ (ESPN+) – Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14 (if necessary)
Sunday, May 26 (Championship Game)
Championship: 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+) – Winner take all
* Game 15 is necessary if the winner of Game 11 also wins Game 13.
# Game 16 is necessary if the winner of Game 12 also wins Game 14.
^ If Game 15 is not necessary and Game 16 is necessary, Game 16 shall begin 75 minutes after the conclusion of Game 14.
All times are Eastern and Subject to Change
2019 Baseball Championship seeds and Sun Belt records
- Texas State (36-18, 20-10) – West Division Champions
- Georgia Southern (32-23, 18-12) – East Division Champions
- Little Rock (28-26, 18-11)
- UT Arlington (31-24, 17-12)
- Coastal Carolina (30-23-1, 15-13)
- Troy (29-27, 16-14) *
- South Alabama (30-25, 16-14)
- Louisiana (27-29, 15-15)
- Appalachian State (22-30, 13-16)
- ULM (24-29, 12-17)
* – Troy and South Alabama finished the regular season with identical 16-14 conference records. Troy earned the No. 6 seed based on its series win, head-to-head, over South Alabama. Troy claimed two of the three games in the season-ending series.
