HAMMOND, La. – On the eve of the 2021 college baseball season, the Southland Conference has awarded its postseason tournament to host institution Southeastern Louisiana, Athletic Director Jay Artigues announced Thursday. The 2021 Southland Conference Tournament, presented by GeoSurfaces, will be played at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, May 26-29.
 
"This is huge news, not just for our baseball program but for our university and the community as a whole," Artigues said. "After everything businesses in our community have been through, this will be a shot in the arm economically."
 
The top eight finishers in the conference's regular-season race earn a spot in the Southland Tournament, and the winner of the double-elimination event earns automatic qualification into the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.   As many as 15 games can be played at the tournament, with four games scheduled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Saturday's schedule depends on earlier tournament results, with one, two or three games in the championship round.
 
"Besides the economic impact, it will also be a huge advantage for the Lions to play on our own field and sleep in our own beds," Artigues said. "It definitely goes a long way to be hosting the tournament."
 
Opened in 1996, and rededicated in 2006, the vibrant neighborhood ballpark has led the Southland in per-game attendance each of the last six seasons, ranking first or second in both total and average attendance every year since 2007. The ballpark is outfitted with energy-efficient LED lighting, a video scoreboard and an abundance of field-level box seats.
 
It will be the second time Southeastern serves as the site of the conference tournament, previously hosting in 2004. The Lions won the 2014 tournament in Conway, Arkansas, the last time it was hosted on a participant's campus.
 
The 2021 event will be the 33rd Southland Tournament, played sporadically over the nearly six decades of the Conference's existence. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the tournament had been held annually since 1993.
 
The Southland Tournament has been a springboard for numerous players that have gone on to Major League careers, including current stars Hunter Dozier of the Kansas City Royals, Wade Miley of the Cincinnati Red, Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals, Caleb Smith of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kyle Keller of the Los Angeles Angels.  Charlie Montoyo, a former two-time Southland Hitter of the Year, is the current manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.
 
All games of the Southland Baseball Tournament will be available live on ESPN+, the network's video streaming subscription service available in the United States.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors safety precautions required for entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
 
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