Coastal Athletic Association baseball tournament

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 twelve 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.

Coastal Athletic Association baseball tournament
Conference baseball championship
SportBaseball
ConferenceCoastal Athletic Association
Number of teams12
FormatDouble-elimination
Current stadiumBrooks Field
Current locationWilmington, NC
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, 2024)
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, 2024)
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)

Format

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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

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By year

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

Year Program Site MVP, Pos, School
1986 Richmond Harrington FieldGreenville, NC Kevin Sickinger, P/DH, Richmond
1987 East Carolina The DiamondRichmond, VA Gary Smith, P, East Carolina
1988 George Mason The Diamond • Richmond, VA John Styles, P, George Mason
1989 East Carolina Brooks FieldWilmington, NC Brien Berckman, P, East Carolina
1990 East Carolina Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Calvin Brown, 1B, East Carolina
1991 East Carolina Harrington Field • Greenville, NC David Leisten, OF, East Carolina
1992 George Mason Harrington Field • Greenville, NC Chris Widger, C, George Mason
1993 East Carolina Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Lyle Hartgrove, P, East Carolina
1994 Old Dominion Bud Metheny Baseball ComplexNorfolk, VA Matt Quataro, 1B/OF, Old Dominion
1995 Old Dominion Grainger StadiumKinston, NC Maika Symmonds, OF/P, Old Dominion
1996 Old Dominion Grainger Stadium • Kinston, NC Ron Walker, 3B/P, Old Dominion
1997 Richmond Grainger Stadium • Kinston, NC John Wagler, OF, Richmond
1998 Richmond Grainger Stadium • Kinston, NC Mike Dwyer, 1B/P, Richmond
1999 East Carolina Grainger Stadium • Kinston, NC James Molinari, OF, East Carolina
2000 East Carolina Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NC Lee Delfino, SS, East Carolina
2001 William & Mary Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NC Mike O'Kelly, 1B, William & Mary
2002 VCU Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NC Brian Marshall, P, VCU
2003 VCU Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field • Manteo, NC Matt Prendergast, P, VCU
2004 UNC Wilmington Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Matt Poulk, 3B, UNCW
2005 VCU Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Tim St. Clair, 1B/DH, VCU
2006 UNC Wilmington Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Chris Hatcher, C, UNCW
2007 VCU Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC John Leonard, P/OF, VCU
2008 James Madison Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Alex Foltz, OF, James Madison
2009 Georgia State Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Bradley Logan, 3B/1B, Georgia State
2010 VCU Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Joe Van Meter, 3B, VCU
2011 James Madison Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Johnny Bladel, OF, James Madison
2012 UNC Wilmington Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial ParkHarrisonburg, VA Jimmy, Yezzo, 1B, Delaware
2013 Towson Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VA Zach Fisher, 3B, Towson
2014 College of Charleston Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Bailey Ober, P, College of Charleston
2015 UNC Wilmington CofC Baseball Stadium at Patriots PointMount Pleasant, SC Corey Dick, 1B, UNCW
2016 William & Mary CofC Baseball Stadium at Patriots Point • Mount Pleasant, SC Josh Smith, OF, William & Mary
2017 Delaware Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC Jeremy Ake, SS, Delaware
2018 UNC Wilmington Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VA Cole Weiss, 3B, UNC Wilmington
2019 UNC Wilmington Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park • Harrisonburg, VA Greg Jones, SS, UNC Wilmington
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Northeastern Brooks Field • Wilmington, NC[4] Ben Malgeri, OF, Northeastern
2022 Hofstra Walter C. Latham ParkElon, NC[4] Brad Camarda, P, Hofstra
2023 UNC Wilmington The Ballpark at Patriots PointMount Pleasant, SC Dillon Lifrieri, OF, UNCW

By school

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

Program No. of titles Title years
East Carolina 7 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2000
UNC Wilmington 7 2004, 2006, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023
VCU 5 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010
Old Dominion 3 1994, 1995, 1996
Richmond 3 1986, 1997, 1998
George Mason 2 1988, 1992
James Madison 2 2008, 2011
William & Mary 2 2001, 2016
Charleston 1 2014
Delaware 1 2017
Georgia State 1 2009
Hofstra 1 2022
Northeastern 1 2021
Towson 1 2013
  • Italics indicate that the program is no longer a CAA member, as of the upcoming 2024 season.

References

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  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. ^ a b "2021 Baseball Record Book" (PDF). Colonial Athletic Association. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "UNCW to Host CAA Baseball Championship in 2021, Elon Will Host in 2022". Colonial Athletic Association. May 18, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.