The 2026 Southern (SoCon) Baseball Championship schedule takes place from May 20-23, 2026, at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. The 8-team, double-elimination bracket opens Wednesday, May 20, with four first-round matchups. Thursday features two elimination games on the losers’ side with winners’ bracket play continuing, and Friday reaches the winners’ bracket final and losers’ bracket final. The SoCon Baseball Championship Presented by Holston Gases crowns its champion in a single winner-take-all final Saturday night. All games Wed through Sat will air on ESPN+, with the Championship Game on Sat, May 23 at 7:00 PM ET. You can download and print the bracket here in PDF format.
🏆 2026 Southern Baseball Tournament Champion: The Citadel
The Citadel captured the 2026 Southern Baseball Tournament title (May 20-23), at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC.
Champion: No. 5 The Citadel won the 2026 SoCon Baseball Tournament, defeating No. 3 Samford 3-1 in the final, and earns the Southern Conference automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It is The Citadel’s first SoCon title since 2010.
Live update (May 24, 2026): The tournament at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC is complete. The Citadel beat Samford 3-1 for the title. Final results are below.
SoCon Tournament Results
| Game | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 5 The Citadel vs No. 8 VMI | The Citadel 21, VMI 11 (8 inn.) |
| 2 | No. 7 UNCG vs No. 6 ETSU | UNCG 6, ETSU 5 |
| 3 | No. 5 The Citadel vs No. 4 Wofford | The Citadel 13, Wofford 7 |
| 4 | No. 3 Samford vs No. 7 UNCG | Samford 13, UNCG 1 |
| 5 | No. 5 The Citadel vs No. 1 Mercer | The Citadel 9, Mercer 2 |
| 6 | No. 3 Samford vs No. 2 Western Carolina | Samford 9, Western Carolina 5 |
| 7 | No. 1 Mercer vs No. 4 Wofford | Mercer 9, Wofford 8 – Wofford eliminated |
| 8 | No. 2 Western Carolina vs No. 7 UNCG | Western Carolina 4, UNCG 3 – UNCG eliminated |
| 9 | No. 5 The Citadel vs No. 1 Mercer | The Citadel 14, Mercer 4 – Mercer eliminated |
| 10 | No. 3 Samford vs No. 2 Western Carolina | Samford 5, Western Carolina 1 (13 inn.) – Western Carolina eliminated |
| Final | No. 5 The Citadel vs No. 3 Samford | The Citadel 3, Samford 1 – The Citadel wins the title |
2026 Southern (SoCon) Baseball Tournament Schedule
The 2026 Southern Conference Baseball Championship runs Wednesday, May 20 through Saturday, May 23 at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina. Mercer enters as the No. 1 seed; Western Carolina earned the No. 2 seed. The eight-team field uses a modified double-elimination bracket with single-elimination play-in games on Wednesday morning. The championship game on Saturday is single-elimination. All times Eastern.
| Date | Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, May 20 – Play-In / Round 1 | ||||
| Wed, May 20 | 1 | [5] The Citadel vs [8] VMI (play-in) | Final | The Citadel 21, VMI 11 |
| Wed, May 20 | 2 | [6] ETSU vs [7] UNC Greensboro (play-in) | Final | UNC Greensboro 6, ETSU 5 |
| Wed, May 20 | 3 | [4] Wofford vs The Citadel | Final | The Citadel 13, Wofford 7 |
| Wed, May 20 | 4 | [3] Samford vs UNC Greensboro | Final | Samford 13, UNC Greensboro 1 |
| Thursday, May 21 | ||||
| Thu, May 21 | 5 | [1] Mercer vs The Citadel | Final | The Citadel 9, Mercer 2 |
| Thu, May 21 | 6 | [2] Western Carolina vs Samford | Final | Samford 9, Western Carolina 5 |
| Thu, May 21 | 7 | Mercer vs Wofford (elimination) | Final | Mercer 9, Wofford 8 |
| Thu, May 21 | 8 | Western Carolina vs UNC Greensboro (elimination) | Final | UNC Greensboro 4, Western Carolina 3 |
| Friday, May 22 (Today) | ||||
| Fri, May 22 | 9 | The Citadel vs Mercer (Bracket 1 final) | 9:00 AM | TBD |
| Fri, May 22 | 10 | Samford vs UNC Greensboro (Bracket 2 final) | 12:30 PM | TBD |
| Fri, May 22 | 11 | If necessary – Bracket 1 rematch | 4:00 PM | TBD |
| Fri, May 22 | 12 | If necessary – Bracket 2 rematch | 7:30 PM | TBD |
| Championship – Saturday, May 23 | ||||
| Sat, May 23 | CH | SoCon Championship Game (single elimination) | 7:00 PM | TBD |
2026 SoCon Tournament Seedings
- Mercer
- Western Carolina
- Samford
- Wofford
- The Citadel
- ETSU
- UNC Greensboro
- VMI
Southern (SoCon) Baseball Tournament Schedule FAQ
Where is the 2026 Southern (SoCon) Baseball Tournament being played? The tournament is being held at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC, the home of the Greenville Drive, High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, located at 945 S. Main Street.
How can I watch the Southern (SoCon) Baseball Tournament? The entire tournament is broadcast on ESPN+.
How many teams make the Southern (SoCon) Baseball Tournament? The top 8 teams in the conference standings qualify.
What are the tiebreaker rules for seeding? Seeding is determined by conference winning percentage. If teams are tied, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record, followed by record against common Southern (SoCon) opponents.
College Baseball Resources
2026 D1 Baseball Tournament: Master Schedule & CWS Guide
2026 College Baseball Postseason Hub
2026 NCAA DI Baseball & College World Series Schedule
