We are nearing the end of the regular season in college baseball with just three more weekend series remaining before the ASUN Tournament begins. This year’s event will be played entirely in Fort Myers, Florida from May 24-28. Most of the games will be played on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University at Swanson Stadium while an alternate site game will be used for some games.
The conference has revised its format for this year’s ASUN Tournament, and it is slightly confusing. So, let’s try to break it all down in the least confusing manner possible.
Eight teams will advance to the ASUN Baseball Tournament from the 12 team ASUN. The top three teams from the ASUN East Division and the top three teams from the ASUN West Division will advance to the ASUN Tournament. The final two spots will be granted to the two remaining teams with the highest RPI, regardless of division finish or conference record.
These eight teams will be split up into two pools consisting of four teams each. Teams will play three games in pool play, one against each team in its pool. Four teams will then advance to the semifinals with the two semifinal winners advancing to meet for the ASUN Championship and automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Pool A will consist of four teams, seeded 1-4. The two regular season division winners will be seeded 1 and 2, with the highest RPI finisher of the two getting the 1-seed. Seeds 3 and 4 of Pool A will be awarded to the top two rated RPI teams that qualify for the ASUN Tournament, regardless of divisional standing.
Pool B will consist of four teams, seeded 5-8. The teams will be seeded solely based on RPI.
The top three teams from Pool A will advance to the semifinals while only the top team from Pool B will advance to the semifinals.
Pool A winner will play the Pool B winner in the semifinals while the other two Pool A teams which advance to the semifinals will meet. The two winners will play for the ASUN championship.
The tiebreakers for advancement out of pool play will be head to head result in pool play for a two-way tie. For three way ties, head to head among the three will be used first. If that doesn’t break the tie, the highest seeded team will advance.
Confusing enough?
Here’s the schedule for this year’s ASUN Tournament:
Tuesday, May 24
Pool A #1 vs #4
Pool A #2 vs #3
Pool B #1 vs #4
Pool B #2 vs #3
Wednesday, May 25
Pool A #1 vs #3
Pool A #2 vs #4
Pool B #1 vs #3
Pool B #2 vs #4
Thursday, May 26
Pool A #1 vs #2
Pool A #3 vs #4
Pool B #1 vs #2
Pool B #3 vs #4
Friday, May 27
Pool A Winner vs Pool B Winner
Pool A runner-up vs Pool A third place
Saturday, May 28
Two semifinal winners will meet
To win the ASUN championship, you have to play five games in five days which will certainly test teams’ pitching depth throughout the week.
With three weeks left in the regular season, here’s a look at the eight teams that would advance to the ASUN Tournament and how those teams would be seeded in Pool A and Pool B:
Pool A
1. Liberty
2. Eastern Kentucky
3. Kennesaw State
4. FGCU
The top 3 finishers in pool play would advance to semifinals.
Pool B
5. Jacksonville
6. North Florida
7. Lipscomb
8. Jacksonville State
Pool B winner will advance to the semifinals.
