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Baseball National Championship Qualifiers Revealed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [Opening Round Schedule] The NAIA has announced the 46-team field and pairings for the 2022 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. The 13th annual event takes place May 16-19 at 10 host sites. Six of the sites will feature five-team, double-elimination tournament; the final four brackets will sport only four squads.

Since No. 5-ranked Lewis-Clark State College is hosting the 65th annual Avista NAIA World Series, the Warriors get an automatic bid to the Opening Round. UBC picked up the Cascade Collegiate Conference’s automatic qualifier for the Opening Round after finishing as runner-up in the 2022 CCC Baseball Tournament Championship, presented by U.S. Bank.
 
Both the Warriors and Thunderbirds drew the same bracket and will look to advance to the World Series round through Lewiston, Idaho. UBC first takes on Saint Katherine, while LC State will play the winner of that matchup. 
 
The winners of all 10 opening round sites will head to LC State for the NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 27 – June 3. For more information on the World Series, click here.
 
The field consists of 31 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 receive two automatic qualifiers, while leagues with less than 10 get 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, a member of the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association Executive Committee and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
 
For more information on NAIA Baseball, click here.
 
Institution Qualifying Method Record Appearances Last Time OR Titles OR Record
Antelope Valley (Calif.) Cal Pac Regular Season Champion 37-11 5 2019 1 5-5
Bellevue (Neb.) NSAA Tournament Champion 45-10 12 2021 2 21-19
British Columbia CCC Tournament Runner-Up 29-23 8 2019 0 11-16
Bryan (Tenn.) AAC Tournament Champion 27-26 7 2021 0 8-12
Central Methodist (Mo.) Heart Tournament Champion 42-13 5 2021 1 5-6
Columbia (Mo.) At-Large 38-12 3 2021 0 3-4
Concordia (Neb.) GPAC Tournament Champion 36-15-1 4 2021 1 6-5
Cumberlands (Ky.) MSC Tournament Champion 43-14 5 2021 0 4-8
Doane (Neb.) GPAC Regular Season Champion 37-12 5 2021 0 4-8
Faulkner (Ala.) At-Large 34-15 12 2021 8 28-8
Fisher (Mass.) CAC Tournament Runner-Up 29-28 2 2021 0 0-2
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) MSC Tournament Runner-Up 37-15 7 2021 2 12-9
Georgia Gwinnett CAC Tournament Champion 41-14 8 2021 4 21-8
Hope International (Calif.) GSAC Tournament Champion 41-13 4 2021 1 9-4
IU Southeast (Ind.) RSC Tournament Champion 39-13 8 2021 1 11-12
Judson (Ill.) CCAC Tournament Runner-Up 21-28 8 2018 0 5-12
Kansas Wesleyan KCAC Tournament Champion 34-27 5 2011 0 6-6
Keiser (Fla.) At-Large 35-20 3 2021 1 3-2
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) World Series Host Berth 51-4 N/A N/A NA NA
Loyola (La.) At-Large 33-22 2 2021 0 0-2
LSU Alexandria (La.) RRAC Tournament Champion 33-14 6 2018 0 2-8
LSU Shreveport (La.) RRAC Regular Season Champion 47-5 13 2021 3 20-19
Lyon (Ark.) AMC Tournament Champion 36-20 7 2019 0 7-10
Madonna (Mich.) WHAC Tournament Runner-Up 27-13 8 2018 0 4-12
McPherson (Kan.) At-Large 39-12 2 2021 0 2-2
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) Heart Tournament Runner Up 36-16 5 2021 0 3-6
Middle Georgia State At-Large 30-19-1 6 2021 0 6-8
Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) Crossroads League Regular Season Champion 37-17 8 2021 0 5-12
Northwestern Ohio WHAC Regular Season/Tournament Champion 37-12 5 2021 1 8-4
Oklahoma City Sooner Tournament Champion 47-4 12 2021 6 24-10
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) CCAC Regular Season/Tournament Champion 38-15 4 2021 0 1-4
Ottawa (Kan.) KCAC Regular Season Champion 42-8 2 2021 0 0-0
Point Park (Pa.) At-Large 37-14 6 2021 1 5-6
Reinhardt (Ga.) At-Large 35-21 3 2021 1 3-1
Saint Katherine (Calif.) Cal Pac Tournament Runner-Up 31-21 2 2021 0 0-0
Science & Arts (Okla.) At-Large 35-13 7 2021 2 11-4
Southeastern (Fla.) The Sun Tournament Champion 51-3 7 2021 3 10-6
St. Thomas (Fla.) At-Large 38-17 10 2021 3 18-11
Tabor (Kan.) At-Large 37-17-1 8 2017 2 18-9
Taylor (Ind.) Crossroads League Tournament Champion 39-16 8 2018 0 5-12
Tennessee Wesleyan AAC Tournament Champion 51-5 13 2021 5 29-16
Vanguard (Calif.) At-Large 43-13 6 2021 1 13-8
Warner (Fla.) At-Large 40-16 3 2021 0 0-2
Webber International (Fla.) At-Large 38-19 5 2019 0 5-6
Westmont (Calif.) At-Large 42-11 7 2021 0 7-10
William Carey (Miss.) SSAC Tournament Champion 37-15 8 2021 1 15-11

Opening Round Notes

  • Overall, there are 36 repeat qualifiers from the 2021 opening round, including eight teams that won opening round titles last season.
  • This season marks the first in the Opening Round format in which LCSC will play in the first phase. 
  • Three teams achieved the 50 win threshold - Southeastern (Fla.), Tennessee Wesleyan, and Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
  • Twenty-two have combined to win 51 Opening Round crowns.
  • The Sun paces all conference with five entrants, followed by the SSAC and KCAC with four each, while the GSAC and AAC put forth three teams. 
  • All-Time Opening Round Record by Seed
    • No. 1-Seed: 212-79 (.728)
    • No. 2 seed: 140-140 (.500)
    • No. 3 seed: 139-142 (.494)
    • No. 4 seed: 106-152 (.410)
    • No. 5 seed: 91-159 (.364)
  • All-Time Opening Round Host Records
    • 2011 Hosts: 17-7 (.708)
    • 2012 Hosts: 23-7 (.766)
    • 2013 Hosts: 20-5 (.800)
    • 2014 Hosts: 18-8 (.692)
    • 2015 Hosts: 20-9 (.689)
    • 2016 Hosts: 20-14 (.588)
    • 2017 Hosts: 21-10 (.677)
    • 2018 Hosts: 17-9 (.653)
    • 2019 Hosts: 21-8 (.76)4
    • 2021 Hosts: 15-11 (.576)
    • TOTAL: 192-88 (.685)

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