The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday of the move of its conference baseball tournament to CarShield Field in O’Fallon, Missouri. 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.
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.
Dr. Kaiser said in a press release that the move to the all-turf field will provide better amenities for players in its true minor league field environment. Kaiser also said the neutral site should also provide a buffer to any weather-related issues.
According to a press release from the SLIAC offices, CarShield Field first opened in 1999 and is located in the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex in O’Fallon, Missouri. 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 summer.
MacMurray College in Jacksonville is a member of the SLIAC Conference. MacMurray finished 9-30 last year.