1979 Trans America Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament

The 1979 Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) Baseball Tournament, the first-ever for the league known since the 2001–02 school year as the Atlantic Sun Conference, was held at Centenary Park on the campus of Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana from May 10 through 13. Mercer won the first tournament championship. As a new conference, the TAAC did not have an automatic bid to the 1979 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

1979 Trans America Athletic Conference
Baseball Tournament
Teams5
FormatDouble-elimination
Finals site
ChampionsMercer (1st title)
Winning coachBarry Myers (1st title)
MVP,
1979 Trans America Athletic Conference baseball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
Mercer ‍‍‡‍ 0–0 –  38–16 .704
Oklahoma City ‍‍‍ 0–0 –  31–23 .574
Centenary ‍‍‍ 0–0 –  28–19 .596
Northeast Louisiana ‍‍‍ 0–0 –  22–26 .458
Hardin–Simmons ‍‍‍ 0–0 –  14–25 .359
‡ – Tournament champion
As of June 30, 1979[1]; Rankings from Collegiate Baseball

Format

The new league used a blind draw to determine matchups, and records for any earlier games between conference members are incomplete. The teams played a five team, double elimination tournament.[2][3]

Results
  First round Second round Third Round Semi-Finals Finals
                                                 
Winner's Bracket
  Oklahoma City 6     Mercer 3  
  Centenary 3     Oklahoma City 0    
      Mercer 8              
      Hardin–Simmons 0              
  Hardin–Simmons 7     Mercer 14          
  Northeast Louisiana 0     Hardin–Simmons 1        
        Mercer 8 6
Loser's Bracket       Oklahoma City 11 3
             
               
                 
                   
            Centenary 9*              
          Northeast Louisiana 10*              
      Oklahoma City 14    
    Northeast Louisiana 5  

* - Indicates game required 10 innings.

All-Tournament Team

The following players were named to the All-Tournament Team. No MVP was named until 1985.[4]

POSPlayerSchool
PKen McLeodHardin–Simmons
PDwight ErhardOklahoma City
PDan FitzsimmonsMercer
1BJay BranhamNortheast Louisiana
1BScott HalamMercer
OFSteve BrumfieldCentenary
OFRusty HamricHardin–Simmons
OFFrank MillerdMercer
OFDon MurphyOklahoma City
OFJay RossMercer
DHTom PatmanOklahoma City

References
  1. Atlantic Sun Baseball Record Book (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. p. 2. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  2. Atlantic Sun Baseball Record Book (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. p. 2. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  3. "2013 Media Guide". Mercer Bears. p. 71. Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  4. Atlantic Sun Baseball Record Book (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. p. 21. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
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