Baseball earns at-large berth, travels to Oklahoma
Bellevue baseball opens against No. 20 Northwestern (Iowa) on Monday, May 12 at 3:30 p.m.
The Bellevue University baseball team received an at-large berth into the NAIA Baseball National Championship May 12-15 at nine separate Opening Round sites. The Bruins will open play on Monday, May 12, in Shawnee, Okla. against Northwestern (Iowa) at 3:30 p.m.
Bellevue finished the regular season with a 37-15-2 overall record, finishing runner-up in the MCAC regular season and tournament to third-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
This marks the program's fourth-consecutive and 17th overall appearance in the NAIA Baseball National Tournament.
Northwestern (Iowa) also earned an at-large berth after finishing the season with a 41-11 record.
This will mark the second time the two teams will play this season. The Bruins fell to the Red Raiders, 8-5, on April 8 in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Participants in the Shawnee Opening Round site include: No. 1 seed Oklahoma Baptist, No. 2 Bellevue, No. 3 Northwestern (Iowa), No. 4 Friends (Kan.) and No. 5 Bacone (Okla.).
Bellevue is ranked No. 18 in the latest national poll. Oklahoma Baptist is the top-ranked team in the NAIA while Northwestern (Iowa) is 20th. Friends is receiving votes in the final regular season poll.
Each Opening Round site will feature a five-team double-elimination tournament with the winners advancing, with host Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), to the 58th annual Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho on May 23-30.
This will be Bellevue's fifth appearance in the Opening Round since the format was adopted in 2009. The Bruins have a 4-8 all-time record in the Opening Round.
Bellevue captured the 1995 NAIA National Championship and has advanced to the NAIA World Series 12 times.
NAIA National Championship Opening Round
Shawnee Bracket | Bison Field at Ford Park
Monday, May 12
Game 1: No. 4 Friends (Kan.) (36-23) vs. No. 5 Bacone (Okla.) (34-18)
Game 2: No. 2 Bellevue (Neb.) (37-15-2) vs. No. 3 Northwestern (Iowa) (41-11)
Game 3: No. 1 Oklahoma Baptist (50-6) vs. Winner Game 1
Tuesday, May 13
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 5: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Wednesday, May 14
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7