New Braunfels, Texas – Seedings and matchups for the 2026 American Southwest Conference Baseball Championship were announced Monday morning ahead of the tournament, set for April 30-May 2 in Marshall, Texas.
East Texas Baptist University claimed the ASC Regular Season title and the right to host after finishing conference play with a perfect 12-0 record. The Tigers enter postseason play on a 14-game winning streak and are ranked No. 1 in Region X. Led by Jared Hood, East Texas Baptist will look to carry its momentum into championship play.
This year's tournament will be a four-team, double-elimination format.
No. 1 Seed East Texas Baptist (30-10, 12-0 ASC) earned the tournament’s top seed for the fifth consecutive year and are ranked in multiple national polls, including No. 23 in the Perfect Game poll and No. 26 in the American Baseball Coaches Association poll. This marks East Texas Baptist’s 15th overall tournament appearance. The Tigers have been dominant at home this season, posting an 18-5 record in Marshall.
No. 2 Seed Hardin-Simmons (24-14 7-5 ASC) open tournament play Thursday, April 30, against Mary Hardin-Baylor at 3:00 p.m. Hardin-Simmons closed conference play by taking three of four games at home against the Cru. Pitcher Caleb Reynolds enters the tournament just five strikeouts shy of the program’s single-season strikeout record, currently sitting at 74.
No. 3 Seed Mary Hardin-Baylor (24-10, 5-7 ASC) enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed after dropping their regular-season series finale to Hardin-Simmons. The 2026 championship marks Mary Hardin-Baylor’s 12th tournament appearance. The winner of the Cru-Cowboys matchup will advance to face either East Texas Baptist or Howard Payne on Friday, May 1, at 3:00 p.m.
No. 4 Seed Howard Payne (13-25, 0-12 ASC) will face East Texas Baptist in Game 2 on Thursday, April 30, at 7:00 p.m. Howard Payne is making its ninth tournament appearance and is 0-4 against the Tigers this season, with its closest contest coming on April 23 in a 7-2 final.
The winner of the ASC Championship game will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2026 ASC Baseball Championship Central
2026 ASC Baseball Championship Bracket