Northeast Conference baseball tournament

The Northeast Conference baseball tournament is the conference baseball championship of the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference (NEC). In the current format, established in 2023 after the NEC absorbed the former baseball league of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the top six regular-season finishers among teams eligible for postseason competition[a] advance to the double-elimination tournament. The winner of the tournament, if eligible to participate, receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Northeast Conference baseball tournament
Conference baseball championship
SportBaseball
ConferenceNortheast Conference
Number of teams6
FormatDouble-elimination
Current stadiumHeritage Financial Park
Current locationWappingers Falls, New York
Played1993–present
Last contest2023
Current championCentral Connecticut (8)
Most championshipsCentral Connecticut (8)
Official websitewebsite
Host stadiums
Heritage Financial Park (2023–)
Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium (2011–12, 2014–2022)
First Energy Park (2002–06, 2013)
TD Bank Ballpark (2010)
New Britain Stadium (2007, 2009)
Surf Stadium (2000–01, 2008)
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard (1999)
Cochrane Stadium (1998)
Host locations
Wappingers Falls, NY (2023–)
Norwich, CT (2011–12, 2014–2022)
Lakewood, NJ (2002–06, 2013)
Bridgewater, NJ (2010)
New Britain, CT (2007, 2009)
Atlantic City, NJ (2000–02, 2008)
Bridgeport, CT (1999)
Jersey City, NJ (1999)
Sussex, NJ (1997)
Ewing Township, NJ (1993–96)

Champions

By year

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

YearProgramSiteMVP
1993St. FrancisMoody Park • Ewing Township, NJJohn Gambale, St. Francis
1994RiderMoody Park • Ewing Township, NJMark Gola, Rider
1995RiderMoody Park • Ewing Township, NJLou Deman, Long Island
1996RiderMoody Park • Ewing Township, NJJim Gordon, Rider
1997MaristSkylands ParkSussex, NJBen Shove, Marist
1998MonmouthCochrane StadiumJersey City, NJJoe McCullough, Monmouth
1999MonmouthThe Ballpark at Harbor YardBridgeport, CTMike Benfield, Monmouth
2000WagnerThe SandcastleAtlantic City, NJSteve Coppola, Wagner
2001UMBCThe Sandcastle • Atlantic City, NJEric Weltmer, UMBC
2002Central ConnecticutFirst Energy ParkLakewood, NJKevin Rival, Central Connecticut
2003Central ConnecticutFirst Energy Park • Lakewood, NJZack Herrick, Central Connecticut
2004Central ConnecticutFirst Energy Park • Lakewood, NJEvan Scribner, Central Connecticut
2005QuinnipiacFirst Energy Park • Lakewood, NJRyan Rizzo, Quinnipiac
2006Sacred HeartFirst Energy Park • Lakewood, NJBobby McKee, Sacred Heart
2007MonmouthNew Britain StadiumNew Britain, CTMatt Coulson, Monmouth
2008Mount St. Mary'sBernie Robbins Stadium • Atlantic City, NJJosh Vittek, Mount St. Mary’s
2009MonmouthNew Britain Stadium • New Britain, CTChris Collazo, Monmouth
2010Central ConnecticutTD Bank BallparkBridgewater, NJPat Epps, Central Connecticut
2011Sacred HeartSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial StadiumNorwich, CTJohn Murphy, Sacred Heart
2012Sacred HeartSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTTroy Scribner, Sacred Heart
2013BryantFirst Energy Park • Lakewood, NJJordan Mountford, Bryant
2014BryantSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTCraig Schlitter, Bryant
2015Sacred HeartSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTJesus Medina, Sacred Heart
2016BryantSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTCole Fabio, Bryant
2017Central ConnecticutSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTTT Bowens, Central Connecticut
2018LIU BrooklynSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTGregory Vaughn, LIU Brooklyn
2019Central ConnecticutSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTGregory Vaughn, LIU Brooklyn
2020Canceled due to COVID-19
2021Central ConnecticutSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTBuddy Dewaine, Central Connecticut
2022LIUSenator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium • Norwich, CTNick Torres, LIU
2023Central ConnecticutHeritage Financial ParkWappingers Falls, NYDominic Niman, Central Connecticut
2024LIUHeritage Financial Park • Wappingers Falls, NYSeth Surrett, LIU

By school

The following is a list of conference champions listed by school. Schools in italics no longer field baseball teams in the NEC.

ProgramNo. of titlesTitle years
Central Connecticut82002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
Monmouth[b]41998, 1999, 2007, 2009
Sacred Heart42006, 2011, 2012, 2015
Bryant[b]32013, 2014, 2016
Rider[b]31994, 1995, 1996
LIU32018,[c] 2022, 2024
Marist[b]11997
Mount St. Mary's[b]12008
Quinnipiac[b]12005
St. Francis Brooklyn[b]11993
UMBC[b]12001
Wagner12000

Among current NEC baseball members:

  • Coppin State, Delaware State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Maryland Eastern Shore, Merrimack, and Norfolk State have yet to win a championship. Fairleigh Dickinson is the only one of these schools to have been an NEC member before the 2019–20 school year. Merrimack first became eligible for the NEC tournament in the 2023 season, having begun a transition from Division II when it joined the NEC in 2019, but did not qualify for that tournament. The other four schools, all full MEAC members, joined NEC baseball for the 2023 season when the NEC absorbed the MEAC baseball league.
  • Stonehill will be eligible for the NEC tournament for the first time in 2025, and Le Moyne in 2026.

References