May 15, 2011

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Cumberland (Tenn.) was eliminated and two other brackets were completed in the 2011 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round on Sunday. After forcing the “if necessary” championship game with a 19-10 victory against third-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan, top-seeded Cumberland fell 9-2 in the Paducah (Ky.) Bracket. Tennessee Wesleyan joins the other Sunday bracket winners, No. 1-seeded LSU Shreveport (La.) and top-seeded Lee (Tenn.), on their way to the Avista-NAIA World Series from May 27 - June 3 in Lewiston, Idaho.

LSU Shreveport set a National Championship Opening Round single-game record by scoring 32 runs in the 32-7 smashing of No. 2-seeded Auburn Montgomery (Ala.). The Pilots scored at least three runs in each of the first six innings to take a 27-2 lead en route to the Montgomery (Ala.) Bracket Championship. They will make their first World Series trip since 2003 and second overall. The old scoring record was 28 runs, set by Lubbock Christian (Texas) in 2009.

In the Cleveland (Tenn.) Bracket, Lee improved to 3-0 overall in the bracket after a 13-2 triumph over Indiana Tech. The Flames posted 18 hits, including five doubles, in cruising to the victory. They blew open a 4-0 lead with nine runs in the game’s final three frames. Lee makes its sixth overall trip to the World Series, including its fifth-straight. The Flames out-scored their opponents 32-4 during the four-day event.

Tennessee Wesleyan will appear in its second-consecutive World Series. The Bulldogs are searching for their first victory in Lewiston, Idaho.

For the second-straight day, inclement weather caused the Joliet (Ill.) Bracket championship game to be postponed. Top-seeded Oklahoma Baptist leads No. 2-seeded Biola (Calif.) 2-0 with one out in the bottom of the second inning. If Biola wins the first championship game, scheduled to start at 10 a.m. CDT, the Eagles will force the “if necessary” game immediately after.

Top-seeded Union (Ky.) takes on second-seeded Faulkner (Ala.) in the Kingsport (Tenn.) Bracket in the “if necessary” game Monday at Noon EDT.

The winner of those two games Monday will join the seven other National Championship Opening Round winners and host Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) in the World Series. The official 10-team bracket will be announced on Monday.

For the National Championship Opening Round Scoreboard, click here