2011 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round Pairings Announced
May 8, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) officially announced the pairings and site selection for the 2011 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round on Sunday. Each of the nine locations will feature a five-team double-elimination tournament May 12 – 16.
National Championship Opening Round winners will join host Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The 55th annual event will be played May 27 – June 3 at Harris Field.
Thirty-two teams earned an automatic berth to the 45-team National Championship Opening Round by winning their respective conference/independent/unaffiliated group tournament. Thirteen additional clubs earned at-large selections determined by the final NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll released Sunday.
Among the 45 teams selected, six will make their respective program’s debut in the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. First-time qualifiers include: California State-San Marcos, Doane (Neb.), Edward Waters (Fla.), Hastings (Neb.), Iowa Wesleyan and Rogers State (Okla.).
Eighteen squads are playing in their third-straight National Championship Opening Round. Lee (Tenn.) and Oklahoma City are 6-0 in three trips to the National Championship Opening Round. California Baptist is also undefeated, going 3-0 last season.
Nine qualifiers have previously taken home a World Series title, led by Lewis-Clark State with 16. The Warriors own a championship record mark of 118-35 in 29 previous appearances. Defending national champion Cumberland (Tenn.), who received an at-large bid, and Lubbock Christian (Texas) have won two banners each.
| 2011 Baseball National Championship Opening Round Pairings | Five-Team Bracket (PDF) |
|
| Daytona Beach Bracket | No. 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
| Hosted by Embry-Riddle (Fla.) - Daytona Beach, Fla. | No. 2 Brewton-Parker (Ga.) |
| No. 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) | |
| No. 4 William Carey (Miss.) | |
| No. 5 Edward Waters (Fla.) | |
| Oklahoma City Bracket | No. 1 Oklahoma City |
| Hosted by Oklahoma City - Oklahoma City, Okla. | No. 2 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) |
| No. 3 Belhaven (Miss.) | |
| No. 4 Texas at Brownsville | |
| No. 5 Doane (Neb.) | |
| Riverside Bracket | No. 1 California Baptist |
| Hosted by California Baptist - Riverside, Calif. | No. 2 British Columbia |
| No. 3 Concordia (Calif.) | |
| No. 4 California State-San Marcos | |
| No. 5 St. Thomas (Fla.) | |
| Joliet Bracket | No. 1 Oklahoma Baptist |
| Hosted by Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference and St. Francis (Ill.) - Joliet, Ill. | No. 2 Biola (Calif.) |
| No. 3 St. Francis (Ill.) | |
| No. 4 Robert Morris (Ill.) | |
| No. 5 Jamestown (N.D.) | |
| Paducah Bracket | No. 1 Cumberland (Tenn.) |
| Hosted by Paducah CVB/Brooks Stadium - Paducah, Ky. | No. 2 Southern Poly (Ga.) |
| No. 3 Tennessee Wesleyan | |
| No. 4 Bellevue (Neb.) | |
| No. 5 William Jewell (Mo.) | |
| Montgomery Bracket | No. 1 LSU Shreveport (La.) |
| Hosted by Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) - Montgomery, Ala. | No. 2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
| No. 3 Union (Tenn.) | |
| No. 4 William Woods (Mo.) | |
| No. 5 Huntington (Ind.) | |
| Cleveland Bracket | No. 1 Lee (Tenn.) |
| Hosted by Lee (Tenn.) - Cleveland, Tenn. | No. 2 Missouri Baptist |
| No. 3 Culver-Stockton (Mo.) | |
| No. 4 Indiana Tech | |
| No. 5 Shawnee State (Ohio) | |
| Kingsport Bracket | No. 1 Union (Ky.) |
| Hosted by Kingsport CVB and Appalachian Athletic Conference - Kingsport, Tenn. | No. 2 Faulkner (Ala.) |
| No. 3 IU Southeast | |
| No. 4 Iowa Wesleyan | |
| No. 5 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) | |
| Lubbock Bracket |
No. 1 Lubbock Christian (Texas) |
| Hosted by Lubbock Christian (Texas) - Lubbock, Texas | No. 2 Rogers State (Okla.) |
| No. 3 Northwood (Texas) | |
| No. 4 Kansas Wesleyan | |
| No. 5 Hastings (Neb.) | |
