KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Bellevue University baseball team is headed to the NAIA National Tournament for the 13th-straight season and 26th time in program history.
The Bruins have been assigned to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round – Williamsburg Bracket as the NAIA announced the entire field of qualifiers for this year’s National Championship on Thursday afternoon.
This will be the fourth time that BU has played an Opening Round in Kentucky, having previously competed in the Paducah Bracket (2011, 2012) and Bowling Green Bracket (2018).
The 46-team field is set to compete in 10 four- or five-team Opening Round sites around the country from May 13-16. The 10 Opening Round winners will advance to Lewiston, Idaho for the 65th Avista NAIA World Series to once again be played at Harris Field on the Lewis-Clark State College campus.
University of the Cumberlands will be hosting the Williamsburg Bracket and serve as the No. 1 seed. Bellevue is the No. 2 seed in the bracket while No. 3 seed Loyola University, No. 4 seed University of Saint Francis, and No. 5 seed Park University round out the Opening Round field.
All games from the Williamsburg Bracket will be livestreamed via the University of the Cumberlands Sports Network (UCSN) and live stats will be available on both Presto and Stat Broadcast.
The Bruins gained qualification to the field by winning the North Star Athletic Association Tournament for the third-straight season. BU has posted a 39-12 record to date and went 21-2 in NSAA play to win their fifth-straight league regular season title.
Cumberlands qualified by winning their fourth-straight Mid-South Conference Tournament. The Patriots are 48-6 on the season and ranked No. 3 in Final NAIA Coaches’ Poll. They took home the MSC regular season title with a 17-1 record in conference play. UC was an Avista NAIA World Series qualifier last season and is making their seventh Opening Round appearance.
Loyola qualified as an at-large selection after posting a 36-17 overall mark and going 18-12 in South States Athletic Conference play. The Wolfpack, ranked No. 22 in the Final NAIA Coaches’ Poll, earned the No. 4 seed in their conference tournament. Loyola is making their third Opening Round appearance, having most recently qualified in 2022.
Saint Francis qualified by reaching the finals of the Crossroads League Tournament, including a win over 2023 Avista NAIA World Series qualifier Indiana Wesleyan. The Cougars are 37-17 on the year and posted a 24-12 mark in CL play. They will be making their first Opening Round appearance.
Park qualified by making a Cinderella run to the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Game. The Pirates lost their second game but won three-straight elimination games to reach the finals where they forced the “if necessary” game. They are making their first Opening Round appearance after posting a 35-17 record on the year and a 21-11 mark in HAAC play.
Last season, Bellevue hosted and won the Opening Round – Bellevue Bracket to reach the program’s 16th Avista NAIA World Series. The quest for a 17th World Series appearance begins on Monday, May 13 against third-seeded Loyola.
NAIA National Tournament Opening Round
Williamsburg Bracket • Doyle Buhl Stadium • hosted by University of the Cumberlands
Monday, May 13:
Game 1: #4 Saint Francis vs #5 Park
Game 2: #2 Bellevue vs. #3 Loyola
Game 3: #1 Cumberlands vs Game 1 Winner
Tuesday, May 14:
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
Game 5: Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner
Game 6: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner
Wednesday, May 15:
Game 7: Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner
Game 8: Game 5 Winner vs/ Game 7 Winner
Thursday, May 16:
Game 9: Same teams as Game 8 (if necessary)
