LAKE CHARLES – When a group of baseball fanatics gathered together over 25 years ago to come up with an idea of how to bring top-flight collegiate baseball to Southwest Louisiana, no one would ever imagine the success that the idea would have. Two decades later, the Lake Area Classic is making its way back to Joe Miller Ballpark for the 15th edition of the round-robin event.
 
The tournament took off in the 1992 McNeese baseball season as Lake Area Pinch Hitters Club president, the late Frank Landry, Sr. and tournament director and current McNeese assistant coach Jim Ricklefsen brought in Creighton, Louisiana Tech and Ohio State for the inaugural event. The round-robin tournament sparked an instant hit with baseball fans all over the Lake Area and continued to bring in some of the top teams and talent over the next decade.
 
From 1992 to 2004 the Lake Area Classic brought in notable teams such as Georgia, Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tulane, Oklahoma State and Southern Miss.
 
The tournament was discontinued after the 2004 season but reappeared by accident in 2014. With winter weather affecting most of the northern states, first-year head coach Justin Hill decided to turn a three-game series with Chicago State into a round-robin tournament with Missouri and Southern Miss joining in on the action.
 
The Lake Area Classic was reborn and fans from all across the region arrived to watch some of the top teams compete on the opening weekend.
 
Hill and his staff decided to reignite the tournament once again with squads who have written their own history as of late.
 
The Cowboys will start the season against the 2012 College World Series participant Stony Brook Friday evening at 6 p.m. The Seawolves made their historic run to Omaha after upsetting LSU in Baton Rouge and continue to compete at the top of their league each season.
 
2016 Atlantic 10 Champion and NCAA Tournament team Rhode Island will also participate after completing one of the best seasons in program history last year. The Rams topped those moments with a thrilling victory over South Carolina in the first round of regional action.
 
Missouri State will round out the tournament participants for the upcoming weekend. The Bears have made nine NCAA Tournaments including an appearance in the 2003 College World Series. The last time Missouri State made the tournament was back in 2015.
 
Missouri State is making its third appearance in the tournament after having participated in the 1997 and 2001 events. Rhode Island and Stony Brook will make their first appearance in the round-robin event.
 
Each team will add to the legacy created this weekend by those who wanted Southwest Louisiana to have a good time and watch top-level baseball at the collegiate level.
 
For the late Frank Landry, Sr., he will look down from the heavens and cast a smile upon The Jeaux.
 
Classic Champions
1992: McNeese
1993: Lamar
1994: McNeese
1995: McNeese
1996: Ohio State
1997: Louisiana-Lafayette
1998: Ohio State
1999: McNeese
2000: McNeese
2001: McNeese
2002: McNeese
2003: South Alabama
2004: Southern Miss
2014: McNeese