The NCAA Division III baseball tournament is an annual college baseball tournament held at the culmination of the spring regular season to determine the NCAA Division III baseball champion. The tournament has been played since 1976, soon after the formation of Division III. Most of the 56 teams who qualify do so by winning an automatic bid that comes along with their conference's championship; others receive at-large bids. The initial round consists of six- and eight-team regionals held at pre-selected sites in eight regions: New England, New York, Mid-Atlantic, South, Mideast, Midwest, Central, and West. The eight regional champions advance to the final round of the Division III Baseball Championship tournament.[1]
Current season, competition or edition: 2024 NCAA Division III baseball tournament | |
 | |
| Sport | College baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976 |
| No. of teams | 56 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Misericordia (1st) |
| Most titles | Marietta (6 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | ESPNU |
| Official website | NCAA.com |
The tournament final will be hosted in Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio beginning in 2024.
History
editThe event was formerly held at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, just outside of Appleton for 18 years until it left for Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa following the 2018 championships.[2] The championship was held in Cedar Rapids four times beginning in 2019 and hosted by the American Rivers Conference.[3] Cedar Rapids was set to only host until 2022, but was awarded the 2023 championships after 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19. The championships will move to Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio for the 2024 NCAA championships.[4]
In both the regional and final rounds, the tournament uses a "double elimination" format, in which teams must lose twice to be eliminated.
Marietta is the most successful program, with six national titles.[5]
Misericordia are the reigning national champions, winning their first championship in 2024.[6]
Results
editChampions
editActive programs
edit| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Marietta | 6 | 1981, 1983, 1986, 2006, 2011, 2012 |
| Eastern Connecticut State | 5 | 1982, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2022 |
| Montclair State | 3 | 1987, 1993, 2000 |
| Chapman | 2 | 2003, 2019 |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | 2 | 2005, 2014 |
| North Carolina Wesleyan | 2 | 1989, 1999 |
| Southern Maine | 2 | 1991, 1997 |
| William Paterson | 2 | 1992, 1996 |
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 2 | 1985, 1994 |
| Ithaca | 2 | 1980, 1988 |
| Rowan | 2 | 1978, 1979 |
| Misericordia | 1 | 2024 |
| Lynchburg | 1 | 2023 |
| Salisbury | 1 | 2021 |
| Cal Lutheran | 1 | 2017 |
| Trinity (TX) | 1 | 2016 |
| Cortland | 1 | 2015 |
| Linfield | 1 | 2013 |
| George Fox | 1 | 2004 |
| Illinois Wesleyan | 1 | 2010 |
| Trinity (CT) | 1 | 2008 |
| Kean | 1 | 2007 |
| La Verne | 1 | 1995 |
| Ramapo | 1 | 1984 |
Former programs
edit| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus State | 2 | 1976, 1977 |
| St. Thomas (MN) | 2 | 2001, 2009 |
| Texas–Tyler | 1 | 2018 |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "DIVISION III BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS RECORDS BOOK" (PDF). NCAA.org. NCAA. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Sherry, Mike. "Final pitch: Last Division III World Series in Fox Cities bittersweet for baseball fans". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Cedar Rapids awarded seven NCAA Division III championships through 2022". www.thegazette.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Eke, Isabella. "NCAA Division III Baseball Championships to be hosted at the Lake County Captains Stadium from 2024-26". The Carroll News. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "NCAA Division III National Championships". Marietta College Athletics. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Misericordia wins first Division Three Baseball National Championship". pahomepage.com. 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-06.