Frisco, Texas – The championship games of the 2012 Southland Conference baseball and softball tournaments will be televised exclusively on ESPN3, the league announced Thursday.
“We are very pleased to announce the broadcast of the baseball and softball tournament championship games on ESPN3,” Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett said. “This innovative platform provides us the opportunity to put these two outstanding championship events before a very large online viewing audience.”
The Southland Conference softball tournament will be held May 10-12 at Roadrunner Field in San Antonio, Texas. The six-team, double-elimination tournament, which will be played on the UTSA campus, will feature four games Thursday and Friday with at least two games scheduled for Saturday, including the championship game at 2 p.m. If needed, an “if necessary” game would follow and would also be carried live on ESPN3.
The conference baseball tournament gets underway Wednesday, May 23 at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas. Eight teams try to advance through the dual-bracket, double-elimination format that is similar to the College World Series, though it pits the bracket winners in one winner-take-all championship game rather than a series. Two potential “if necessary” bracket championship games are scheduled for Saturday though only the championship game will be carried on ESPN3 at either 1 p.m. (if none or one “if necessary” game is needed) or at 5 p.m. (if both “if necessary” games must be played).
All other games of the baseball and softball tournament will be streamed live and for free on SLC NOW on Southland.org.
Lincoln Rose will handle play-by-play duties for the softball tournament championship game and will be joined by Chris Mycoskie, the Southland Conference's director of television and electronic media, who will provide color commentary. Mycoskie will take on play-by-play duties for the championship game of the baseball tournament and will be teamed with 17-year MLB veteran Greg Swindell.
The winner of the Southland Conference baseball and softball tournaments receive the league's automatic berth into the respective NCAA tournaments.
About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually and accessible online via WatchESPN.com. It is currently available to 72 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks. It is also accessible through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app through an affiliated provider.
