If the Sun Belt Tournament Started Today

There are still two weekends to go in Sun Belt Conference play and every team is trying to improve its standing in the league before the tournament begins in Statesboro, GA two weeks from today.

The top ten teams qualify for the tournament, with seeds 7-10 playing a preliminary round game Tuesday.  The two survivors will join the double elimination bracket.  Seeds 1,4,5 and the 8/9 winner will comprise one side, while seeds 2,3,6 and the 7/10 survivor will be in the other.

As it stands, five teams (UTA, South Alabama, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern and Louisiana) have qualified for the tournament.  The others still have work to do.  No one has yet been eliminated from consideration.

Here's what the seedings would look like if the tournament started this week:

1.  UTA (19-5):  Best overall league record and West Division Champion

2.  South Alabama (17-7) East Division Champion

3.  Coastal Carolina (16-7-1)

4.  Georgia Southern (15-9)

5.  Louisiana (14-9-1)

All of those teams are assured of being in Statesboro, but the final order is yet to be determined.

6.  Troy (12-12)  A two game lead in the fight for the all-important six seed.

7.  Arkansas State (10-14)

8.  Texas State (10-14)--The Red Wolves would win the tiebreaker based on their series in San Marcos.

9.  Appalachian State (8-16)--The Mountaineers won the series against both Little Rock and Georgia State and get the tiebreaker over those two schools

10.  Little Rock (8-16)--As of today, Little Rock would win the tiebreaker over Georgia State because of getting a win against South Alabama, while Georgia State was swept (both schools were 1-2 vs. UTA).  However, Georgia State and Little Rock play this weekend in the state of Arkansas and the winner of that series will own the tiebreaker.

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11. Georgia State (8-16)--Can move ahead of Little Rock by winning the series this weekend.

12.  ULM (6-18)

So, here's what the pairings would look like:

TUESDAY:  7.  Arkansas State vs. 10. Little Rock, 8. Texas State vs. 9. Appalachian State.

WEDNESDAY:  2.  South Alabama vs. A-State/ LR winner

3. CCU vs. 6. Troy

1.  UTA vs. Texas State/App winner

4.  Ga. Southern vs. Louisiana

Times for the games will depend on Georgia Southern's decision on when to play their first game.  As it stands now, the Wednesday games involving the 2,3,6,7/10 teams would be played during the day, while the other side of the bracket would have the evening session.

We'll update you again next week.