BELLEVILLE, Ill. - The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the move of its conference baseball tournament to CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Mo. SLIAC Commissioner Dr. Dick Kaiser reached a two-year agreement to hold the SLIAC Baseball Tournament at CarShield Field beginning with the 2020 season. The contract includes an additional two-year option in 2022.
"I am extremely excited about having the opportunity to have the SLIAC baseball championship tournament take place at CarShield Field. The all-turf facility is a true minor league ballpark with all of the amenities and will provide a great playing venue for the championships," said SLIAC Commissioner Dr. Dick Kaiser.
The SLIAC Baseball Tournament is currently a four-team, double-elimination format with the winner of the tournament earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament. The 2020 SLIAC Tournament will be held May 7-9 with first-round games on Thursday, May 7th followed by three games on Friday, and the championship round on Saturday.
"This move should present a tremendous player and fan experience for all the conference and especially for those that earn their way into the tournament. The neutral-site quality facility will hopefully create greater fan interest and provide the playoff teams with an outstanding championship atmosphere. The move to CarShield should also provide a bit of a hedge against possible weather issues the league has encountered during the past at that time of year," said Kaiser.
CarShield Field first opened in 1999 and is located in the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex in O'Fallon, Mo. The field seats 3,500 people with an additional 1,600 fans on the lawn and picnic area. CarShield Field has served previously as the host for River City Rascals, Missouri State High School Association Baseball State Championship, and numerous celebrity/charity home run derby events and games and will welcome a new team from the Prospect League as its new tenant this coming summer.
