Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament

Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament
Conference Softball Championship
Sport Softball
Conference Mid-American Conference
Number of teams 11
Format Double-elimination
Current stadium Firestone Stadium
Current location Akron, Ohio
Played 1982–1986
1996–present
Last contest 2018
Current champion Ohio (2)
Most championships Central Michigan (10)
Official website getsomemaction.com/tournaments/?id=84&path=softball
Host stadiums
Campus sites (1982–1986; 1996–2001)
Firestone Stadium (2002–2005; 2008–present)
Currie Stadium (2006–2007)

The Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament is the conference softball championship of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The top eight finishers participate in the double-elimination tournament, which has been played at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, since 2008. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. The tournament began in 1982, but was discontinued after 1986. It resumed in 1996 and has been held annually since. Through 2018, Central Michigan has won the most tournament titles with 10, followed by Miami with four.

History

The Mid-American Conference added softball as a varsity sport for the 1982 season, but regular-season conference play did not begin until 1983. The first tournament in 1982 featured all ten conference members, with two rounds of single-elimination play, followed by double-elimination rounds with the final four teams. The following year, 1983, it became a double-elimination tournament featuring the top six teams in conference play, then was reduced to the top four teams for the 1984, 1985, and 1986 tournaments. This format remained in place when the tournament was resumed in 1996 and again in 1997. From 1998 through 2004, the format was expanded to include the top six teams in conference play, and since 2005 it has included the top eight teams.[1]

From the 1983 tournament through 2001, all rounds were held at the home field of the regular-season overall conference champion, with the inaugural 1982 tournament being held at Ebert Field on the campus of Western Michigan University. Beginning in 2002, the tournament was held at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, where it was held through 2005. After two seasons at Currie Stadium in Midland, Michigan, the tournament returned to Firestone Stadium in 2008, and has remained there since.[1]

Champions

By year

The following is a list of tournament champions and sites listed by year.[1]

YearTeam championSiteMost Valuable Player
1982Central MichiganEbert Field • Kalamazoo, Michigan—
1983Central MichiganVarsity Field • Ypsilanti, Michigan—
1984Western MichiganEbert Field • Kalamazoo, Michigan—
1985Central MichiganScott Park Softball Complex • Toledo, Ohio—
1986Central MichiganScott Park Softball Complex • Toledo, Ohio—
No tournament held, 1987–1995
1996No championBuchtel Field • Akron, Ohio—
1997Central MichiganMargo Jonker Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MichiganAmy Daugherty (Western Michigan)
1998Ball StateBuchtel Field • Akron, OhioHeather Hinkle (Ball State)
1999Central MichiganBell Field • DeKalb, IllinoisTina Kinney (Central Michigan)
2000Central MichiganBell Field • DeKalb, IllinoisHope Robertson (Central Michigan)
2001Central MichiganMargo Jonker Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MichiganHope Robertson (Central Michigan)
2002Central MichiganFirestone Stadium • Akron, OhioAmber Puchalski (Central Michigan)
Karly McCormack (Central Michigan)
2003Western MichiganJackie Poggendorf (Miami)
2004Bowling GreenJody Johnson (Bowling Green)
2005MiamiJackie Poggendorf (Miami)
2006Kent StateCurrie Stadium • Midland, MichiganBrittany Robinson (Kent State)
2007Eastern MichiganLindsay Schmid (Eastern Michigan)
2008Kent StateFirestone Stadium • Akron, OhioJamie Fitzpatrick (Kent State)
2009MiamiJessica Simpson (Miami)
2010Ball StateElizabeth Milian (Ball State)
2011Western MichiganMeredith Whitney (Western Michigan)
2012MiamiJessica Simpson (Miami)
2013Central MichiganKara Dornbos (Central Michigan)
2014OhioSavannah Jo Dorsey (Ohio)
2015Ball StateHanne Stuedemann (Ball State)
2016MiamiAmber Logemann (Miami)
2017Kent StateRonnie Ladines (Kent State)
2018OhioDanielle Stiene (Ohio)

By school

The following is a list of tournament champions listed by school and the years each team was eligible to play in the tournament.[1]

ProgramTenureTitlesTitle years
Central Michigan1982–1986
1996–present		101982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2013[2]
Miami1982–1986
1996–present		42005, 2009, 2012, 2016
Ball State1982–1986
1996–present		31998, 2010, 2015
Kent State1982–1986
1996–present		32006, 2008, 2017[3]
Western Michigan1982–1986
1996–present		31984, 2003, 2011
Ohio1982–1986
1996–present		22014, 2018
Bowling Green1982–1986
1996–present		12004
Toledo1982–1986
1996–present		0
Akron1996–present0
Northern Illinois1982–1986
1998–present		0
Buffalo2001–present0
Eastern Michigan1982–1986
1996–2018[4]		12007[5]
Marshall1996–20050

Former conference members shaded in ██ silver

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 2017 Mid-American Conference Record Book (PDF). Mid-American Conference. March 24, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  2. ↑ Central Michigan Softball Record Book (PDF). Central Michigan University. 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  3. ↑ Kent State Softball Record Book (PDF). Kent State University. 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  4. ↑ Jesse, David (March 20, 2018). "Eastern Michigan University budget woes prompt cutting of 4 sports programs". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  5. ↑ EMU Softball History (PDF). Eastern Michigan University. 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
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