May 8, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released the pairings and seedings for the 2009 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, scheduled for May 12-15 at nine sites across the country.  Each site will feature a five-team double elimination tournament.  The winners of those nine Opening Round tournaments, in addition to host school Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), will meet at the final site for the 53rd Annual Avista-NAIA World Series from May 22-29 in Lewiston, Idaho.


This marks the first year of an opening round format in NAIA baseball.

"These hosts were selected because they have a history of hosting quality NAIA events both at the conference and national level," said NAIA Manager of Championship Sports Scott McClure. "This new format allows top-rated teams from the same conferences to play at different opening round tournaments and then for the best teams to advance to Lewiston.  We look forward to working with the hosts in this exciting, new chapter of NAIA baseball."

Belhaven (Miss.), Bellevue (Neb.), Brescia (Ky.), British Columbia, Campbellsville (Ky.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D), Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Houston-Victoria (Tex.), Indiana Tech, Jamestown (N.D.), Kansas Wesleyan, Lindenwood (Mo.), Lubbock Christian (Tex.), Malone (Ohio), McKendree (Ill.), Northwood (Tex.), Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.), Taylor (Ind.), Tennessee Wesleyan, Union (Tenn.) and William Penn (Iowa) all received an automatic bid after winning their respective conference/independent/unaffiliated tournaments.

Berry (Ga.), Nebraska Wesleyan, Oklahoma City, Purdue-North Central (Ind.), St. Xavier (Ill.), Texas Wesleyan, The Masters (Calif.), Union (Ky.) and William Jewell (Mo.) earned an automatic bid based on their conference qualification plan.

Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Biola (Calif.), Cumberland (Tenn.), Fresno Pacific (Calif.), Lee (Tenn.), LSU-Shreveport (La.),  Madonna (Mich.), Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.), Southern Nazarene (Okla.),  Spring Arbor (Mich.), Warner (Fla.), Wayland Baptist (Tex.), and William Carey (Miss.) all received an at-large bid.
 
Opening Round ID
Opening Round Host
Schools Involved
Field #1
Lubbock Christian (Texas)
(Web Site)
No. 1 Lubbock Christian (Tex.)
No. 2. Wayland Baptist (Tex.)
No. 3 Northwood (Tex.)
No. 4 William Jewell (Mo.)
No. 5 Houston-Victoria (Tex.)
Field #2
Oklahoma City
No. 1 Oklahoma City
No. 2 LSU-Shreveport (La.)
No. 3 Southern Nazarene (Okla.)
No. 4 McKendree (Ill.)
No. 5 Texas Wesleyan
Field #3
Southern States Athletic Conference / Mount Berry, Ga.
No. 1 Berry (Ga.)
No. 2 Malone (Ohio)
No. 3 St. Xavier (Ill.)
No. 4 The Masters (Calif.)
No. 5 Taylor (Ind.)
Field #4
Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
(Web Site)
No. 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
No. 2 Union (Ky.)
No. 3 Warner (Fla.)
No. 4 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)
No. 5 Union (Tenn.)
Field #5
Lee (Tenn.)
No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan
No. 2 Lee (Tenn.)
No. 3 Spring Arbor (Mich.)
No. 4 Belhaven (Miss.)
No. 5 Indiana Tech
Field #6
Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
No. 1 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.)
No. 2 British Columbia
No. 3 Biola (Calif.)
No. 4 Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
No. 5 Purdue-North Central (Ind.)
Field #7
William Carey (Miss.)
(Web Site)
No. 1 Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.)
No. 2 William Carey (Miss.)
No. 3 Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.)
No. 4 Cumberland (Tenn.)
No. 5 Brescia (Ky.)
Field #8
Lindenwood (Mo.)
(Web Site)
No. 1 Campbellsville (Ky.)
No. 2 Lindenwood (Mo.)
No. 3 Kansas Wesleyan
No. 4 William Penn (Iowa)
No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
Field #9
Sioux City, Iowa / Great Plains Athletic Conference
No. 1 Bellevue (Neb.)
No. 2 Fresno Pacific (Calif.)
No. 3 Madonna (Mich.)
No. 4 Jamestown (N.D.)
No. 5 Nebraska Wesleyan