Liberty No. 2 Seed for 2026 CUSA Baseball Championship
5/16/2026 10:40:00 PM | Baseball
Championship Central | 2026 Championship Bracket (PDF)
LYNCHBURG, VA. – The field is set for the 2026 Conference USA Baseball Championship. The Liberty Flames (38-18, 21-9 CUSA) will be the No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season in second place in the conference standings.
The Championship features the top nine teams in regular-season league play. The format will consist of three pools, each with three teams, followed by a single-elimination semifinal round and a championship game. Pool A will contain seeds No. 1, 6 and 9. Pool B will contain seeds No. 2, 5 and 8. Lastly, Pool C will contain seeds No. 3, 4 and 7.
Pool A
No. 1 Jax State (42-13, 23-7 CUSA)
No. 6 WKU (29-26, 14-16 CUSA)
No. 9 MTSU (26-29, 12-18 CUSA)
Pool B
No. 2 Liberty (38-18, 21-9 CUSA)
No. 5 LA Tech (33-23, 19-11 CUSA)
No. 8 Sam Houston (24-32, 13-17 CUSA)
Pool C
No. 3 Missouri State (32-18, 20-10 CUSA)
No. 4 DBU (31-24, 19-11 CUSA)
No. 7 Kennesaw State (25-26, 13-17 CUSA)
The top team from each pool, plus a wild card team, will advance to compete in bracket play on Saturday. The tiebreaker for the wild card position goes to the highest remaining seed with the best record in pool play.
The tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, as Pool B starts things off with No. 5 LA Tech taking on No. 8 Sam Houston. Pool B continues into Thursday as Sam Houston will face off with No. 2 Liberty. The Flames and Bulldogs will then clash to conclude pool play on Friday. All Pool B games will be played at 10 a.m.
Wednesday's second matchup features No. 6 Western Kentucky and No. 9 Middle Tennessee. MTSU will turn around and play top-seeded Jax State on Thursday afternoon. Pool A finishes with the Gamecocks and Hilltoppers facing off on Friday. All Pool A games will be played at 1:30 p.m.
Day one of the action will conclude with host and No. 7 Kennesaw State matching up with No. 4 Dallas Baptist. The Owls will collide with No. 3 Missouri State on Thursday after finishing the regular season against each other. The Bears and Patriots will face off in the last pool game of the tournament on Friday. All Pool C games will be played at 5 p.m.
The 2026 CUSA Championship will be played at a member home site for the sixth consecutive season and the 22nd time in league history. The Championship Game on Sunday at 1 p.m. will be nationally televised by CBS Sports Network, while all other games will be aired on ESPN+.
Game Schedule
Wednesday, May 20 (ESPN+)
Game 1 No. 8 Sam Houston vs. No. 5 LA Tech (Pool B) 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 No. 9 MTSU vs. No. 6 WKU (Pool A) 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 No. 7 Kennesaw State vs. No. 4 DBU (Pool C) 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 21 (ESPN+)
Game 4 No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 8 Sam Houston (Pool B) 10:00 a.m.
Game 5 No. 1 Jax State vs. No. 6 WKU (Pool A) 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 No. 3 Missouri State vs. No. 7 Kennesaw State (Pool C) 5:00 p.m.
Friday, May 22 (ESPN+)
Game 7 No. 5 LA Tech vs. No. 2 Liberty (Pool B) 10:00 a.m.
Game 8 No. 6 WKU vs. No. 1 Jax State (Pool A) 1:30 p.m.
Game 9 No. 4 DBU vs. No. 3 Missouri State (Pool C) 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 23 (ESPN+)
Game 10 Semifinal Round 11:00 a.m.
Game 11 Semifinal Round 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 24 (CBS Sports Network)
Game 12 Championship Game 1:00 p.m.
LYNCHBURG, VA. – The field is set for the 2026 Conference USA Baseball Championship. The Liberty Flames (38-18, 21-9 CUSA) will be the No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season in second place in the conference standings.
The Championship features the top nine teams in regular-season league play. The format will consist of three pools, each with three teams, followed by a single-elimination semifinal round and a championship game. Pool A will contain seeds No. 1, 6 and 9. Pool B will contain seeds No. 2, 5 and 8. Lastly, Pool C will contain seeds No. 3, 4 and 7.
Pool A
No. 1 Jax State (42-13, 23-7 CUSA)
No. 6 WKU (29-26, 14-16 CUSA)
No. 9 MTSU (26-29, 12-18 CUSA)
Pool B
No. 2 Liberty (38-18, 21-9 CUSA)
No. 5 LA Tech (33-23, 19-11 CUSA)
No. 8 Sam Houston (24-32, 13-17 CUSA)
Pool C
No. 3 Missouri State (32-18, 20-10 CUSA)
No. 4 DBU (31-24, 19-11 CUSA)
No. 7 Kennesaw State (25-26, 13-17 CUSA)
The top team from each pool, plus a wild card team, will advance to compete in bracket play on Saturday. The tiebreaker for the wild card position goes to the highest remaining seed with the best record in pool play.
The tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, as Pool B starts things off with No. 5 LA Tech taking on No. 8 Sam Houston. Pool B continues into Thursday as Sam Houston will face off with No. 2 Liberty. The Flames and Bulldogs will then clash to conclude pool play on Friday. All Pool B games will be played at 10 a.m.
Wednesday's second matchup features No. 6 Western Kentucky and No. 9 Middle Tennessee. MTSU will turn around and play top-seeded Jax State on Thursday afternoon. Pool A finishes with the Gamecocks and Hilltoppers facing off on Friday. All Pool A games will be played at 1:30 p.m.
Day one of the action will conclude with host and No. 7 Kennesaw State matching up with No. 4 Dallas Baptist. The Owls will collide with No. 3 Missouri State on Thursday after finishing the regular season against each other. The Bears and Patriots will face off in the last pool game of the tournament on Friday. All Pool C games will be played at 5 p.m.
The 2026 CUSA Championship will be played at a member home site for the sixth consecutive season and the 22nd time in league history. The Championship Game on Sunday at 1 p.m. will be nationally televised by CBS Sports Network, while all other games will be aired on ESPN+.
Game Schedule
Wednesday, May 20 (ESPN+)
Game 1 No. 8 Sam Houston vs. No. 5 LA Tech (Pool B) 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 No. 9 MTSU vs. No. 6 WKU (Pool A) 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 No. 7 Kennesaw State vs. No. 4 DBU (Pool C) 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 21 (ESPN+)
Game 4 No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 8 Sam Houston (Pool B) 10:00 a.m.
Game 5 No. 1 Jax State vs. No. 6 WKU (Pool A) 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 No. 3 Missouri State vs. No. 7 Kennesaw State (Pool C) 5:00 p.m.
Friday, May 22 (ESPN+)
Game 7 No. 5 LA Tech vs. No. 2 Liberty (Pool B) 10:00 a.m.
Game 8 No. 6 WKU vs. No. 1 Jax State (Pool A) 1:30 p.m.
Game 9 No. 4 DBU vs. No. 3 Missouri State (Pool C) 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 23 (ESPN+)
Game 10 Semifinal Round 11:00 a.m.
Game 11 Semifinal Round 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 24 (CBS Sports Network)
Game 12 Championship Game 1:00 p.m.
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