# Big East Conference baseball tournament

The Big East Conference baseball tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Big East Conference. It is a double-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular-season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The Big East Tournament champion is separate from the conference champion. The conference championship is determined solely by regular-season record.
From 1985 to 2013, the tournament was sponsored by the old Big East Conference. Starting with the 2014 tournament, it has been sponsored by the newly formed, non-football Big East Conference.

## Tournament

The Big East Conference baseball tournament is a four-team double-elimination tournament, held annually at various locations in the Big East Conference region. The four teams with the best conference record at the end of the regular season earn berths in the tournament. The winner earns the Big East's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I baseball tournament. The remaining Big East teams can also qualify for the 64-team NCAA Tournament by receiving an at-large bid.

## History

The tournament was first held in 1985.

### 1985–1995

The Big East Conference Baseball Tournament was established in 1985 as the championship event for Big East baseball teams. The tournament determined the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. Between 1985 and 1995, the event was held at Muzzy Field in Bristol, Connecticut, and it utilized a four-team, double-elimination format.

### Champions and Notable Highlights

* 1985: St. John's won the inaugural tournament, defeating Seton Hall 7–6 in the championship game. Joe Armeni of Seton Hall was named the Most Outstanding Player.
* 1986: St. John’s secured back-to-back titles with a 13–4 victory over Providence College.
* 1987: Seton Hall captured its first tournament championship, edging out Villanova 10–9 in a closely contested final.
* 1988: St. John's claimed its third title in four years, shutting out Villanova 5–0 in the championship game.
* 1989: Villanova won its first tournament championship, defeating Providence 10–7.
* 1990: Connecticut secured its first tournament title with a 4–3 victory over Seton Hall.
* 1991: Villanova earned its second championship with a dominant 12–3 win over St. John's.
* 1992: Providence won its first tournament title, defeating Connecticut 5–3 in the final.
* 1993: St. John's claimed another title, defeating Connecticut 9–0.
* 1994: Connecticut secured its second championship by defeating Seton Hall 4–2.
* 1995: Pittsburgh won its first tournament title, beating Providence 10–4. Jon DeBernardis of Pittsburgh was named the Most Outstanding Player.

### Legacy

During this period, St. John’s dominated with four championships, while Villanova and Connecticut each won two titles. The Big East Tournament established itself as a key event in the college baseball postseason, offering teams a pathway to the NCAA Tournament. Muzzy Field remained the consistent venue, providing a classic baseball setting for these competitive matchups.

### 1996–2000

The Big East Conference Baseball Tournament expanded in 1996, shifting from a four-team to a six-team format. The tournament determined the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. During this period, the event saw increased competition and new champions emerging.

### Champions and Notable Highlights

* 1996: The tournament expanded to six teams for the first time. Providence College captured its second title, defeating St. John’s 9–5.
* 1997: Notre Dame won its first tournament championship, defeating Villanova 10–2 in the final.
* 1998: Notre Dame successfully defended its title, edging out Rutgers 7–5 in a closely contested championship game.
* 1999: Rutgers University broke through with its first Big East championship, defeating Notre Dame 6–4.
* 2000: Rutgers won its second consecutive championship, defeating Boston College 12–5 in the final.

### Legacy

During this period, the tournament saw increased competition with the expansion to six teams in 1996. Notre Dame emerged as a powerhouse with consecutive championships, while Rutgers solidified its place as a title contender by winning in 1999 and 2000. The tournament continued to be a key event in the Big East baseball landscape, helping teams gain national recognition and NCAA Tournament berths.

### 2001–2005

The tournament returned to a four-team, double-elimination format.
The Big East Conference Baseball Tournament continued to evolve in the early 2000s. The tournament remained a crucial event for teams seeking an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. During this period, powerhouse programs solidified their dominance, and new contenders emerged.

### Champions and Notable Highlights

* 2001: Notre Dame won its third Big East championship, defeating Rutgers 6–4 in the final.
* 2002: Notre Dame secured back-to-back championships with an 11–3 victory over Rutgers.
* 2003: Rutgers reclaimed the title by defeating West Virginia 4–2 in a tightly contested championship game.
* 2004: Boston College captured its first Big East championship, defeating Pittsburgh 10–3.
* 2005: Notre Dame won its fourth championship in five years with a 7–3 victory over Boston College.

### Legacy

Between 2001 and 2005, Notre Dame continued to be the dominant program, winning three championships during this stretch. Rutgers and Boston College also emerged as strong contenders, with Boston College winning its first-ever title. The tournament remained an important pathway for Big East teams seeking national recognition and NCAA postseason berths.

### 2006–2013

The tournament was expanded to become an eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

### 2014

In the 2012–2013 academic year, the old Big East Conference had 15 members. In its inaugural 2013–2014 academic year, the new Big East Conference had only 10 members.
With only seven baseball-sponsoring schools in the conference, the top four teams participate.

## Champions by year

| Year | School | Site | Jack Kaiser Award (Most Outstanding Player) |
| 1985 | St. John's | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Joe Armeni, Seton Hall |
| 1986 | St. John's | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Tom Finke, St. John's |
| 1987 | Seton Hall | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Mo Vaughn, Seton Hall |
| 1988 | St. John's | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Mike Weinberg, St. John's |
| 1989 | Villanova | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Rafael Novoa, Villanova |
| 1990 | Connecticut | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Craig MacDonald, Connecticut |
| 1991 | Villanova | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Mike Neill, Villanova |
| 1992 | Providence | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Jim Foster, Providence |
| 1993 | St. John's | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Mike Maerten, St. John's |
| 1994 | Connecticut | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Chris Bisson, Connecticut |
| 1995 | Pittsburgh | Muzzy Field • Bristol, CT | Jon DeBernardis, Pittsburgh |
| 1996 | West Virginia | Dodd Stadium • Norwich, CT | Chris Enochs, West Virginia |
| 1997 | St. John's | Dodd Stadium • Norwich, CT | Mike Dzurilla, St. John's |
| 1998 | Rutgers | Dodd Stadium • Norwich, CT | Dave Marciniak, Rutgers |
| 1999 | Providence | Waterfront Park • Trenton, NJ | Marc DesRoches, Providence |
| 2000 | Rutgers | Commerce Bank Ballpark • Bridgewater, NJ | Bobby Brownlie, Rutgers |
| 2001 | Seton Hall | Commerce Bank Ballpark • Bridgewater, NJ | Isaac Pavlik, Seton Hall |
| 2002 | Notre Dame | Commerce Bank Ballpark • Bridgewater, NJ | Steve Stanley, Notre Dame |
| 2003 | Notre Dame | Commerce Bank Ballpark • Bridgewater, NJ | Javi Sanchez, Notre Dame |
| 2004 | Notre Dame | Commerce Bank Ballpark • Bridgewater, NJ | Matt Macri, Notre Dame |
| 2005 | Notre Dame | Commerce Bank Ballpark • Bridgewater, NJ | Matt Edwards, Notre Dame |
| 2006 | Notre Dame | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Wade Korpi, Notre Dame |
| 2007 | Rutgers | KeySpan Park • Brooklyn, NY | Todd Frazier, Rutgers |
| 2008 | Louisville | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Chris Dominguez, Louisville |
| 2009 | Louisville | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Andrew Clark, Louisville |
| 2010 | St. John's | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Kyle Hansen, St. John's |
| 2011 | Seton Hall | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Joe DiRocco, Seton Hall |
| 2012 | St. John's | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Matt Carasiti, St. John's |
| 2013 | Connecticut | Bright House Field • Clearwater, FL | Billy Ferriter, Connecticut |
| 2014 | Xavier | MCU Park • Brooklyn, NY | Mitch Elliott, Xavier |
| 2015 | St. John's | TD Ameritrade Park Omaha • Omaha, NE | Alex Caruso, St. John's |
| 2016 | Xavier | Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium • Aberdeen, MD | Daniel Rizzie, Xavier |
| 2017 | Xavier | TD Ameritrade Park Omaha • Omaha, NE | Conor Grammes, Xavier |
| 2018 | St. John's | Prasco Park • Mason, OH | Jeff Belge, St. John's |
| 2019 | Creighton | Prasco Park • Mason, OH | Jack Strunc, Creighton |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | UConn | Prasco Park • Mason, OH | Kyler Fedko, UConn |
| 2022 | UConn | Prasco Park • Mason, OH | Luke Franzoni, Xavier |
| 2023 | Xavier | Prasco Park • Mason, OH | Jack Housinger, Xavier |
| 2024 | St. John's | Prasco Park • Mason, OH | Jimmy Keenan, St. John's |
All championship information, including tournament results, all-tournament teams, and Jack Kaiser award winners, can be found on pages 64–66 of the 2009 Big East Baseball Media Guide.

## Championships by school

| School | Tourney Titles | Title Years |
| St. John's | 10 | 1985, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2024 |
| Notre Dame | 5 | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 |
| UConn | 5 | 1990, 1994, 2013, 2021, 2022 |
| Xavier | 4 | 2014, 2016, 2017, 2023 |
| Seton Hall | 3 | 1987, 2001, 2011 |
| Rutgers | 3 | 1998, 2000, 2007 |
| Louisville | 2 | 2008, 2009 |
| Providence | 2 | 1992, 1999 |
| Villanova | 2 | 1989, 1991 |
| Creighton | 1 | 2019 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | 1995 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 1996 |
| Georgetown | 0 | |
| Butler | 0 | |
* Italics indicate that the program is no longer a Big East member.