The Ohio Valley Conference announced on May 17 that the field is set for the 2026 OVC Baseball Championship, which will take place from May 19 to May 23 at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. This marks the tournament’s 47th edition since its inception as an elimination event in 1979.
The annual tournament brings together top collegiate baseball teams from the conference to compete for the championship title. The venue, formerly known as Rent One Park, opened in 2007 and is currently home to the Prospect League team Thrillville Thrillbillies. The park has hosted the OVC Baseball Tournament five times, with a contract extending through at least 2029.
SIUE secured the regular season title and enters as the No.1 seed, while Eastern Illinois University (EIU) holds the No.2 seed; both teams receive byes until Thursday’s games. Southeast Missouri (SEMO) and Little Rock are seeded third and fourth respectively. Morehead State will play Southern Indiana in a first-round matchup between seeds five and eight, while Lindenwood faces UT Martin in a contest between seeds six and seven.
Tickets are available for $30 for an all-session pass or $10 per adult per day; children under eighteen and college students with valid identification can attend for $5 per day. All seating is general admission, with tickets available online or at Mtn Dew Park.
This year’s bracket features two single-elimination games on Tuesday before moving into double-elimination play that includes SIUE and EIU beginning Thursday. Fans can watch every game live on ESPN+ by subscribing monthly or annually or through bundled packages.
The tournament schedule spans five days with daily matchups leading up to Saturday’s potential final pairing if necessary.
