The 2026 American Conference Baseball Tournament kicks off on May 20 in Clearwater, FL, involving eight teams vying for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid and a chance to compete in the College World Series. The tournament structure has changed this year, favoring higher seeds with double byes for the top two teams, UTSA and East Carolina, while the lower seeds face elimination in single elimination format. South Florida and Tulane are excluded from play this year, and the championship game will be aired on ESPN News, with all other games streamed on ESPN+.

By the Numbers
  • UTSA and East Carolina both shared the regular season title, but UTSA dropped its last two series.
  • Rice doubled its win total from last season and has scored 10+ runs in six of the last 10 games.
State of Play
  • The tournament runs from May 20 to May 24, with a mix of single elimination and round-robin formats.
  • The opening games feature matchups between Florida Atlantic vs. Wichita State and Memphis vs. Charlotte.
What's Next

If top seeds UTSA and East Carolina perform as expected, they could meet in the finals, but dark horse Rice and inconsistent Memphis might disrupt those predictions, creating potential surprises throughout the tournament.

Bottom Line

This tournament serves as a pivotal moment for teams aiming to solidify their postseason presence, with changes in format enhancing the competitive edge for higher seeds, while creating urgency for lower seeds to advance quickly.