Coastal Carolina enters the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship as the No. 2 seed, ready to open play on May 20 at Riverwalk Stadium. The Chanticleers will meet the highest‑seeded first‑round winner, which emerges from the matchup between No. 7 Louisiana and No. 10 Marshall, at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The tournament schedule was confirmed by the league office, with the first round of games taking place on May 19. The lowest‑seeded survivor from that round will then square off against regular‑season champion Southern Miss at 5 p.m. ET, setting the stage for a potential bracket‑shaking contest.
Tournament Outlook
Coastal Carolina finished the regular season with a 36‑19 overall record and a 21‑9 mark in Sun Belt play, marking the second consecutive year the program has posted at least 20 conference victories. This achievement has been driven by head coach Kevin Schnall, whose steady development of the roster has kept the team competitive year after year.
The championship itself will run from May 19 through May 24, culminating in a final that awards the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. All games will be streamed live on ESPN+, giving fans nationwide access to the action.
Beyond the immediate stakes, the event serves as a showcase for the Sun Belt’s growing baseball pedigree. With teams like Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, and Louisiana all vying for postseason relevance, the tournament promises competitive matchups and memorable moments that could shape the national landscape of college baseball.