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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Forty-five teams are vying for nine spots in the 2017 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series, as the National Championship Opening Rounds open action tomorrow at nine host locations. Each opening round is a five-team, double-elimination tournament with the winner earning one of the coveted World Series berths.

The official 10-team World Series bracket is scheduled to be announced by the end of the day on May 19. The World Series is scheduled for May 26 – June 2 at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) is hosting the event for the 18th-straight season and 26th time in NAIA history.

The 45-team field consists of 30 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular-season champions, tournament champions or tournament runners-up – and 15 at-large teams. Conferences with 10-or-more members received two automatic qualifiers, while leagues with less than 10 are given one.

At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council (NAC) Postseason Selection and Ratings Committee, the past president of the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.

Monday opens with each of the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds playing in the first game of the day, followed by the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds facing off in game two. The top seeded clubs close the opening day with a showdown against the winner of the No. 4-No. 5 contest in the nightcap.

The schedule continues with three games on Tuesday, two on Wednesday and the “if necessary” game slated for Thursday.

Bellevue (Neb.), Faulkner (Ala.), Science & Arts (Okla.), Tennessee Wesleyan and The Master's (Calif.) are all looking to punch a ticket for the World Series for a second-straight season.

The Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan – the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Champion and No. 2 seed in the Kingsport Bracket – and LSU Shreveport (La.) – the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament Champion and No. 5 seed in the Lawrenceville Bracket are the only two teams to participate in every opening round since the format began in 2009.

Conversely, nine teams punched their first-ever ticket to the opening round – Antelope Valley (Calif.), Concordia (Neb.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Hope International (Calif.), Marian (Ind.), Midway (Ky.), St. Ambrose (Iowa), Truett McConnell (Ga.) and Webber International (Fla.). Prior to the opening round format, St. Ambrose reached the World Series in 1994 and 1996.

For more information on the 2017 NAIA Baseball National Championship, click here. You can also follow the action on the NAIA's Twitter (@NAIA), Facebook (PlayNAIA) and Instagram (playnaia) using #NAIABaseball.