OVC Baseball Championship Moved To Alabama

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- The Ohio Valley Conference Board of Directors of Athletics have approved a plan to move the OVC Baseball Championship to Oxford, Alabama for the next two years, beginning with the 2017 season. The first of those six-team, double-elimination tournaments will be held May 24-28 at Choccolocco Park.
 
The 2016 season marked the 38th year the OVC Baseball Championship had been held. The first elimination style tournament was held in 1980, most usually being played at the site of the regular season champion. Beginning in 2001 the tournament switched to a neutral site for the first time, with nine championships (2001-09) being held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Kentucky. For the past seven years (2010-16) the event was held at the Ballpark in Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee.
 
"Baseball is very important to the Ohio Valley Conference and we have been fortunate to have wonderful venues in which to conduct our championship," OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche said.  "We want to thank the City of Jackson for being great hosts over the past seven years. Our Athletics Directors saw value in moving the championship throughout our footprint and are excited for the opportunity playing in Oxford presents."
 
Choccolocco Park is run by the Oxford Parks & Recreation Department which oversaw the completion of the 370-acre sports complex which includes baseball, soccer, softball and track & field/cross country facilities. The first major event hosted at the complex was the 2016 OVC Softball Championship held in May of this past year; the 2017 OVC Softball Championship will also be held at the same site.
 
More information on the park can be found http://www.choccoloccopark.com.
 
The Ohio Valley Conference currently has 11 baseball-playing institutions including Austin Peay State University, Belmont University, Eastern Illinois University, Eastern Kentucky University, Jacksonville State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin.