Baseball heads to Claremore, Okla. for NAIA Opening Round
The Bellevue University baseball team received an at-large berth into the NAIA Baseball National Championship beginning this week at nine separate Opening Round sites. The Bruins will open play on Thursday, May 9, in Claremore, Okla. against Lyon (Ark.) College.
The Bellevue University baseball team received an at-large berth into the NAIA Baseball National Championship beginning this week at nine separate Opening Round sites. The Bruins will open play on Thursday, May 9, in Claremore, Okla. against Lyon (Ark.) College.
Bellevue finished the regular season with a 44-8-1 overall record, winning the MCAC regular season title after finishing with a 21-3 league mark. York College won the conference's automatic berth after capturing the MCAC Tournament last week in Omaha.
Participants in the Claremore Opening Round site include: No. 1 seed Lubbock Christian, No. 2 Bellevue, No. 3 Lyon, No. 4 Rogers State, and No. 5 Midland.
Bellevue will take on Lyon at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Diamond Sports Complex.
Bellevue is tied for No. 11 in the latest national poll. Lubbock Christian is ranked No. 4. Lyon is receiving votes in the final regular season poll.
Each Opening Round site will feature a five-team double-elimination tournament with the winners joining host Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at the 57th annual Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, on May 24-31.
Notes:
- This will mark the program's third-consecutive and 16th overall appearance in the NAIA Baseball National Tournament.
- Bellevue captured the 1995 NAIA National Championship and has advanced to the NAIA World Series 12 times.
- This will be Bellevue's fourth time in the Opening Round since the Opening Round format was adopted in 2009.
- Bellevue has a 3-6 all-time record in the Opening Round.