LEWISTON, Idaho. -- The Bellevue University baseball team, after suffering a 9-3 setback in their second game in Lewiston on Monday, continues their quest for an NAIA National Championship at the 2016 Avista-NAIA World Series.
Bellevue is making their 13th appearance in the World Series, and their first since 2008. The Bruins take on 8th-seeded Lindsey Wilson at 12 p.m. local time (2 p.m. CT) on Tuesday in an elimination game.
The 60th annual event takes place May 27-June 3 at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho for the 17th-consecutive season and 25th time overall. The World Series is a 10-team, double-elimination tournament with the winner being crowned either June 2 or June 3.
Comprising the tournament field are 10 teams. In seeded order, they are; Faulkner (Ala.), Tennessee Wesleyan, Bellevue, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Science & Arts (Okla.), Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), Sterling (Kan.), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), The Master's (Calif.), and Point (Ga.).
Six teams remain after Science & Arts and Point were both eliminated on Saturday and The Master's and Auburn Montgomery were sent packing on Monday. Two other teams will also be sent home Tuesday before the tournament schedule is shuffled for match-up purposes.
Stretch Internet will be broadcasting the first 15 games of the 2016 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series. Day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-World Series ticket is available for $29.95. Games played June 1-3 are going to be delivered on ESPN3.
How they got here:
No. 3 Bellevue topped Auburn Montgomery 6-5 in 10 innings on Friday night before falling 9-3 to Tennessee Wesleyan yesterday afternoon.
No. 8 Lindsey Wilson opened the tournament on Friday with a 7-1 win over The Master's before falling to Faulkner 5-4 on Saturday. The Blue Raiders staved off elimination by winning a 15-12 slugfest against Auburn Montgomery on Monday.
Tuesday's match-up:
No. 3 Bellevue (52-11/20-3 NSAA) won both the North Star's Regular-Season and Tournament Championships to qualify for the National Tournament for the 18th time in program history. Bellevue is 29-5 since the beginning of April and has not lost back-to-back games at any point during the season. After battling out of the loser's bracket in Grand Rapids last week, the Bruins qualified for their 13th World Series. Bellevue is one of three teams (Faulkner and Lewis-Clark State) in the World Series field with a National Championship to their program's credit.
No. 8 Lindsey Wilson (44-24/13-8 Mid-South) picked up runner-up finishes in both the Mid-South Conference Regular-Season and Tournament, falling short to Campbellsville on both occasions and claimed an at-large bid to the National Tournament. The Blue Raiders won five-straight elimination games in the Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket, besting top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett twice to reach the World Series. LWC is playing well of late with a 10-4 record in the post-season.
Notes:
- Bellevue and Lindsey Wilson have met just once on the baseball diamond. The Blue Raiders topped Bellevue 6-5 in the 2012 Opening Round in Paducah, Ky.
- Including this NAIA World Series appearance (their 13th in program history), the Bruins have racked up 18 victories, including the 1995 National Championship.
- The Bruins are now 7-6 in their opening game at the World Series.
- Bellevue is 4-0 in elimination games this post-season. BU defeated Mayville State in the single-game NSAA Championship and won three-straight elimination games in the Opening Round Davenport Bracket to reach the World Series.
- The Bruins have an impressive 48-0 record when holding the opposition to five or fewer runs.
Players to Watch:
No. 3 Bellevue –
- Sr. RHP Aaron Bain (4-1, 4.40 ERA, 37 SO, 47.0 IP)
- Sr. 2B Ross Feeley (.333/.448/.362, 6 XBH, 26 RBI, 56 Runs, 9 SB)
- Sr. OF Trevor Jones (.390/.442/.496, 16 XBH, 43 RBI, 60 Runs, 9 SB)
- Sr. 1B Joe Mancuso (.386/.482/.658, 14 XBH, 33 RBI, 25 Runs)
- Sr. OF Colton Nash (.343/.389/.457, 20 XBH, 46 RBI, 52 Runs)
- Sr. RHP Leland Tilley (10-1, 8 Saves, 1.66 ERA, 40 SO, 38.0 IP)
- Sr. LHP Braulio Torres-Perez (10-1, 2.88 ERA, 92 SO, 97.0 IP)
- Jr. OF Derik Bontempo (.418/.467/.655, 32 XBH, 76 RBI, 51 Runs)
- Jr. C Jake Browne (.335/.412/.441, 10 XBH, 40 RBI, 16 Runs)
- Jr. RHP Ben McKendall (11-2, 1.95 ERA, 119 SO, 110.2 IP)
- Jr. OF Joe Moran (.456/.471/.653, 18 XBH, 23 RBI, 44 Runs, 9 SB)
- Jr. RHP/1B Todd Nicks (11-2, 2.59 ERA, 98 SO, 87.0 IP)
No. 8 Lindsey Wilson –
- Sr. OF Aaron Ashton (.329/.339/.344, 22 XBH, 60 RBI, 39 Runs)
- Sr. OF Austin Atwell (.346/.423/.587, 22 XBH, 44 RBI, 41 Runs)
- Sr. RHP Aaron Doughty (8-6, 3.94 ERA, 61 SO, 75.1 IP)
- Sr. OF Edgar Lebron (.320/.398/.432, 16 XBH, 31 RBI, 60 Runs, 25 SB)
- Sr. LHP Scott Sebald (10-3, 2.88 ERA, 119 SO, 112.2. IP)
- Jr. RHP James Doubet (3-5, 7 Saves, 4.54 ERA, 26 SO, 35.2 IP)
- Jr. RHP Daniel Ferrell (7-3, 4.15 ERA, 48 SO, 78.0 IP)
- Jr. OF Miguel Reyes (.316/.413/.537, 15 XBH, 32 RBI, 35 Runs, 11 SB)
- Jr. RHP Tyler Russell (7-2, 5.14 ERA, 45 SO, 84.0 IP)
- So. IF Jan Carlos Ortiz (.299/.374/.447, 18 XBH, 34 RBI, 39 Runs, 13 SB)
What's Next?:
The tournament game committee will reset the field with match-ups that avoid teams facing off against opponents they've already played at the World Series. That information will be announced shortly after the final game tomorrow night.
Avista-NAIA World Series | Harris Field | Lewiston, Idaho
Tuesday Schedule (Note: all times Pacific):
Game 13: No. 3 Bellevue vs. No. 8 Lindsey Wilson, 12 p.m. (Elimination Game)
Game 14: No. 1 Faulkner vs. No. 7 Sterling, 3 p.m. (Elimination Game)
Game 15: No. 4 Lewis-Clark State vs. No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan, 6:30 p.m.
