Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament

The Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament was the conference softball championship of the Mid-American Conference, a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The top eight finishers participated in the double-elimination tournament, which was most recently played at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, from 2008 through 2019. The winner of the tournament received 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 was held annually through 2019. It was scheduled to be played in May 2020, but was cancelled in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. As part of several changes announced in May 2020 related to the pandemic, the tournament was eliminated along with the post-season tournaments of seven other sports, for at least four seasons.[1] Central Michigan won the most tournament titles with 10, followed by Miami with four.

Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament
Conference Softball Championship
SportSoftball
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Number of teams11
FormatDouble-elimination
Played1982–1986
1996–2020
Last contest2019
Current championToledo (1)
Most championshipsCentral Michigan (10)
Official websitegetsomemaction.com/tournaments/?id=84&path=softball
Host stadiums
Campus sites (1982–1986; 1996–2001)
Firestone Stadium (2002–2005; 2008–2019)
Currie Stadium (2006–2007)

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.[2]

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, where it remained until the tournament was eliminated.[2]

Champions

By year

The following is a list of tournament champions and sites listed by year.[2]

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)
2019ToledoErin Hunt (Toledo)
2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

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.[2]

ProgramTenureTitlesTitle years
Central Michigan1982–1986
1996–2020		101982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2013[3]
Miami1982–1986
1996–2020		42005, 2009, 2012, 2016
Ball State1982–1986
1996–2020		31998, 2010, 2015
Kent State1982–1986
1996–2020		32006, 2008, 2017[4]
Western Michigan1982–1986
1996–2020		31984, 2003, 2011
Ohio1982–1986
1996–2020		22014, 2018
Bowling Green1982–1986
1996–2020		12004
Toledo1982–1986
1996–2020		12019
Akron1996–20200
Northern Illinois1982–1986
1998–2020		0
Buffalo2001–20200
Eastern Michigan1982–1986
1996–2018[5]		12007[6]
Marshall1996–20050
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References
  1. Strack, Jordan (May 12, 2020). "Major changes coming to Mid-American Conference". WTOL.com. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  2. 2017 Mid-American Conference Record Book (PDF). Mid-American Conference. March 24, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  3. Central Michigan Softball Record Book (PDF). Central Michigan University. 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  4. Kent State Softball Record Book (PDF). Kent State University. 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  5. Jesse, David (March 20, 2018). "Eastern Michigan University budget woes prompt cutting of 4 sports programs". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  6. EMU Softball History (PDF). Eastern Michigan University. 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
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