1979 Trans America Athletic Conference baseball tournament


The 1979 Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) baseball tournament, the first-ever for the league known since the 2001–02 school year as the Atlantic Sun Conference, was held at Centenary Park on the campus of Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, from May 10 through 13. Mercer won the first tournament championship. As a new conference, the TAAC did not have an automatic bid to the 1979 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

1979 Trans America Athletic Conference
baseball tournament
Teams5
FormatDouble-elimination
Finals site
ChampionsMercer (1st title)
Winning coachBarry Myers (1st title)
  • baseball tournament
  • 1980
1979 Trans America Athletic Conference baseball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Mercer ‍‍ 0 0   38 16   .704
Oklahoma City ‍‍‍ 0 0   31 23   .574
Centenary ‍‍‍ 0 0   28 19   .596
Northeast Louisiana ‍‍‍ 0 0   22 26   .458
Hardin–Simmons ‍‍‍ 0 0   14 25   .359
‡ – Tournament champion
As of June 30, 1979[1]
Rankings from Collegiate Baseball

Format

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The new league used a blind draw to determine matchups, and records for any earlier games between conference members are incomplete. The teams played a five team, double elimination tournament.[2][3]

Results

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Upper round 1Upper round 2Upper finalFinal
Mercer3
Oklahoma City6Oklahoma City0
Centenary3Mercer8
Hardin–Simmons0
Mercer14
Hardin–Simmons7Hardin–Simmons1
Northeast Louisiana0
Mercer86
Oklahoma City113
Lower round 1Lower round 2Lower round 3Lower final
Oklahoma City14
Centenary9*Northeast Louisiana5
Northeast Louisiana10*

* - Indicates game required 10 innings.

All-Tournament Team

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The following players were named to the All-Tournament Team. No MVP was named until 1985.[4]

POS Player School
P Ken McLeod Hardin–Simmons
P Dwight Erhard Oklahoma City
P Dan Fitzsimmons Mercer
1B Jay Branham Northeast Louisiana
1B Scott Halam Mercer
OF Steve Brumfield Centenary
OF Rusty Hamric Hardin–Simmons
OF Frank Millerd Mercer
OF Don Murphy Oklahoma City
OF Jay Ross Mercer
DH Tom Patman Oklahoma City

References

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  1. ^ Atlantic Sun Baseball Record Book (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. p. 2. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  2. ^ Atlantic Sun Baseball Record Book (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. p. 2. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "2013 Media Guide". Mercer Bears. p. 71. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  4. ^ Atlantic Sun Baseball Record Book (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. p. 21. Retrieved September 21, 2013.