BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship will be held at Lexington Legends Ballpark in Lexington, Kentucky from May 25-28.

This year's championship will feature the top eight teams in the OVC standings competing for the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

This year marks a change in the bracket which will include four single elimination games on Wednesday, with the winners advancing to the double elimination portion of the bracket which will include the No. 1 and 2 seeds (who receive a bye until Thursday games). Saturday's Championship Game will be a one-game "Winner Take All" matchup.

Lexington Legends Ballpark opened in 2001 and has a seating capacity of 6,994 with additional picnic, lawn and standing room only areas. It is home to the Lexington Legends, a MLB Partner League professional baseball team that competes in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Legends won the Atlantic League Championship in 2021, marking the fourth championship in the franchise's 20-year history.

"The Legends have coveted hosting the OVC Tournament at our Ballpark for years," said Lexington Legends CEO Andy Shea. "This is a great honor to host this Tournament on their path to Omaha and the NCAA Tournament." The first elimination style OVC Baseball Tournament was held in 1980, most usually being played at the site of the regular season champion.

Beginning in 2001 the tournament switched to a neutral site for the first time, with nine championships (2001-09) being held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Kentucky, followed by seven years (2010-16) at the Ballpark at Jackson, two years (2017-18) at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama and one year each at Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois (2019) and once again at the Ballpark in Jackson (2021).

This year will mark the 43rd OVC Baseball Championship. 

EIU will begin their season on Friday, Feb. 18 when try travel to play Arkansas-Little Rock. Their first home game will be held on Tuesday, Mar. 22 against Bellarmine.