The NAIA National Tournament starts on Monday with what is called the “Opening Round.” It is comprised of 46 teams divided into 10 different brackets. These brackets are played at campus sites with either 4 or 5 teams in each bracket. The winner of each bracket then moves on to the NAIA World Series the following week in a double elimination bracket.

Four Oklahoma squads made the field. MACU and OK Wesleyan both received automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments (MACU – SAC, OKWU – KCAC). OCU and USAO made the field as at-large bids as they proved over the season they were elite level teams as well.

MACU and OK Wesleyan were put into the Hattiesburg bracket with the Evangels receiving the #1 seed and the Eagles receiving the #3 seed.

OCU was placed in the Lewiston bracket as the #2 seed and USAO placed in the Lincoln bracket as the #3 seed. Both the Stars and Drovers are in five team brackets.

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Hattiesburg Regional

MACU comes into the regional as one of the hottest teams in the country. The Evangels finished the season with a record of 40-11. MACU went 28-3 in their last 31 games and finished the regular season ranked #11 in the NAIA Coaches Poll, #10 in the NAIA Ball poll, and #6 in the Bo Chip ratings.

OK Wesleyan lead the KCAC for most of the season before stumbling the last couple of weeks and finishing in third place. However, the Eagles found “it” and went a perfect 4-0 in the conference tournament including wins over the #1 and #2 seeds along the way.

Neither team has played the host school William Carey and the #4 seed Milligan, but they did play each other in late March with MACU winning 10-1 in weather shortened 5 inning game.

Hattiesburg Bracket
May 13-16 | Milton Wheeler Field | Hosted by William Carey (Miss.)

1. Mid-America Christian (Okla.) (1-2)
2. William Carey (Miss.) (2-0)
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan (0-2)
4. Milligan (Tenn.) (1-1)

Monday
– Game 1/1:30: William Carey 6 OK Wesleyan 5
– Game 2/5:00: MACU 2 Milligan 4

Tuesday
– Game 3/1:30: OKWU 4 MACU 5
– Game 4/ 5:00: William Carey 24 Milligan 5

Wednesday
– Game 5/1:30: MACU 7 Milligan 8
– Game 6/5:00: William Carey vs Winner 5

Thursday
– Game 7/1:30: (If necessary)

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Lewiston Regional

OCU has been one of the most consistent teams in the country this year. They played one of, if not the, toughest schedules in the country this year. The Stars did finish 2nd in the Sooner Athletic Conference in both the regular season and conference tournament winning 9 of their last 11 games on the season.

OCU did not play any of the other 4 teams in the bracket as they are all schools from the western part of the country (Idaho, Washington, and Arizona).

Lewiston Bracket
May 13-16 | Harris Field | Hosted by Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)

1. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (0-0)
2. Oklahoma City (0-2)
3. Arizona Christian (3-0)
4. British Columbia (1-0)
5. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) (0-1)

Monday
– Game 1/1:00: British Columbia 5 Embry-Riddle 2
– Game 2/ 4:30: OCU 3 AZ Christian 10
– Game 3/8:00: Lewis-Clark St 8 British Columbia 1

Tuesday
– Game 4/1:00: Embry-Riddle 10 OCU 0
– Game 5/4:30: AZ Christian vs Winner 3
– Game 6/8:00: Loser 3 vs Winner 4

Wednesday
– Game 7/4:30: Winner 6 vs Loser 5
– Game 8/8:00: Winner 7 vs Winner 5

Thursday
– Game 9/2:00: If necessary

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Lincoln Regional

USAO comes into the NAIA Opening Round playing some of their best baseball of the season. Needing a strong finish over the last month. In their last 17 games, the Droves went 13-4 with the losses coming to only MACU and OCU.

The difference has been the pitching. In that 17 game span, the Drovers gave up more than 5 runs only twice.

The “highlight” of this bracket is the #1 team in the country, Southeastern (FL), is in the field.

USAO has not played any of the other teams in the field.

Lincoln Bracket
May 13-16 | Sherman Field | Hosted by Doane (Neb.)

1. Southeastern (Fla.) (3-0)
2. Doane (Neb.) (1-2)
3. Science & Arts (Okla.) (2-2)
4. Mount Mercy (Iowa) (2-2)
5. St. Francis (Ill.) (0-2)

Monday
– Game 1/2:00: Mount Mercy 8 St Francis 7
– Game 2/5:00: Doane 6 USAO 8
– Game 3/8:00: Southeastern 10 Mount Mercy 2

Tuesday
– Game 4/11:00: St Francis 4 Doane 10
– Game 5/2:30: USAO 2 Southeastern 7
– Game 6/6:00: Mount Mercy 5 Doane 3

Wednesday
– Game 7/11:00: Mount Mercy 2 USAO 4
– Game 8/2:30: USAO 2 Southeastern 11

Thursday
– Game 9/11:00: If necessary