Article by Tyler Norris Goode in the Asheville Citizen-Times about Montreat RHP Marti Sementelli: Female baseball player ready to blaze trail at Montreat College. Sementelli, of Birmingham, CA, will be the third woman to play college baseball on a scholarship. Montreat College press release

Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2011 MLB draft:

Ryan O'Sullivan, RHP, Oklahoma City, Angels, 134th overall pick Story O'Sullivan never played for the Stars; he transferred from San Diego State, and was red-shirted for the 2011 season.

Jesse Darrah, RHP, Fresno Pacific, Diamondbacks, 244 Story

Zach Arneson, RHP, Lewis-Clark State, Yankees, 299 Story

Will Locante, LHP, Cumberland, Diamondbacks, 334 Story

Chris Grayson, OF, Lee, Rangers, 414 Story

Craig Stem, RHP, Trevecca Nazarene, Dodgers, 464 Story

Jonathan Clark, CF, Lee, Mets, 522

William Rankin, RHP, Southern Polytechnic, Rockies, 528

Taylor Siemens, LHP, Cal Baptist, Diamondbacks, 544 Story

John Hill, C, Concordia-Irvine, Phillies, 601 Story

Tyler Barrett, LHP, Lewis-Clark State, Tigers, 617

Cameron McVey, RHP, Biola, Giants, 687 Story

Ruben Sosa, 2B, Oklahoma City, Astros, 700 Story

R.L. Eisenbach, LHP, Faulkner, Padres, 713 Story

Samuel Munson, RF, Tennessee Wesleyan, A's, 716

Brian Sharp, SS, Cal Baptist, Pirates, 722

Freddie Cabrera, RHP, Central Methodist, Dodgers, 794

Kirk Walker, SS, Oklahoma City, A's, 806

Chris Mazza, RHP, Menlo, Twins, 838

Truman Sample, RHP, Rogers State, Diamondbacks, 844

Dexter Price, RHP, South Carolina-Beaufort, Diamondbacks, 904

David Bergin, RHP, Tennessee Wesleyan, Cardinals, 920

Mike Marshall, 1B, Lubbock Christian, Phillies, 931

Sharif Othman, C, Cal Baptist, Marlins, 973 Story

Kyle Brule, RHP, Oklahoma Baptist, Padres, 983

Sheldon McDonald, LHP, British Columbia, Cubs, 999 Story

Alex Kreis, RHP, Jamestown, Nationals, 1057 Story

Johnny Omahen, RHP, Cal State-San Marcos, Marlins, 1063 Story

Drew Madrigal, RHP, Cal Baptist, Cardinals, 1070

Michael Hashem, LHP, Fisher, A's, 1076

Jeremy Williams, OF, U. of Mobile, Rangers, 1104

Gardner Adams, RHP, Asbury, Braves, 1106

Nico Taylor, RF, Northwood (TX), Blue Jays, 1159

Bryan Nicholson, 1B, Concordia-Irvine, Giants, 1167 Story

Patrick Francescon, RHP, Trevecca Nazarene, Cubs, 1209

Shay Crawford, LHP, Lee, Rays, 1260

Andre Kinder, LHP, Peru State, Phillies, 1291

Bobby O'Neill, RHP, Biola, Twins, 1318 Story

Colby Broussard, RHP, Faulkner, Blue Jays, 1339

Brandon Creath, RHP, Embry-Riddle, Cardinals, 1340

Richie Mirowski, RHP, Oklahoma Baptist, Nationals, 1357

Cory Farris, OF, Cumberland, White Sox, 1371 Story

Maxx Catapano, RHP, Lee, Mariners, 1383

Derek Vaughn, RHP, Texas Wesleyan, Rays, 1440

Eric Brown, RHP, British Columbia, Blue Jays, 1519

Kirk Walker of Oklahoma City is the Rawlings-NAIA Player of the Year. Click here for the story from Oklahoma City.

Click here for the NAIA's list of All-Americans.

Click here for Rawlings-NAIA Baseball Gold Glove team.

The Concordia-Irvine Eagles won their first-ever national championship. Results from the sixth and final day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, in Lewiston, ID:

Concordia-Irvine 9, Lubbock Christian 3

The Eagles opened the scoring in the top of the third inning with an RBI single by 3B Danny Casey. The Chaparrals took a brief 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third when SS Ryan Burnaman reached on a single, and scored on an error. Courtesy runner Brett Morte scored the second run on a ground out. The Eagles took the lead for good in the fourth, when 2B Robbie Knowles hit a bases loaded triple.

The Chaps got one back in the bottom of the fourth on a home run by RF Austin Stewart. After that, the score stayed 4-3 until the ninth inning. The Eagles got five insurance runs in the top of the ninth. The first key play was a triple by CF Matt Ivanoff with one out. The Chaps brought the infield and outfield in close for the next batter, LF Kyle Konicek. The Chaps also sent in Tyler Curtis, who got the win in the first game of the day, to pitch. Konicek proceeded to hit what would normally have been a sacrifice fly, but it went over the head of the right fielder for another triple. The Eagles eventually sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, and the Chaps used four pitchers. The game ended on a double play.

Blake Harrison went the distance for the Eagles, threw 111 pitches. He allowed two earned runs on six hits, didn't walk a batter, struck out three. Casey and RF Ryan Sheeks stole bases. Shane Ingram got the loss for the Chaps. Attendance: 3,075

Box score and play-by-play
Story from Concordia site
Story from NAIA site

Ivanoff was voted Most Valuable Player, and received the Charles Berry Hustle Award. Click here for the all-tournament team. The was the first-ever championship for a team from the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Eagles were unranked in the NAIA coaches' poll, but were #14 in the ISR, and #1 in strength of schedule, going into the Opening Round.

A one-hitter for Lee's Shay Crawford. Results from the fifth day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, in Lewiston, ID:

Concordia-Irvine 8, LSU-Shreveport 4 (LSU-Shreveport eliminated)
Lee 1, Lubbock Christian 0

Concordia-Irvine 8, LSU-Shreveport 4 (LSU-Shreveport eliminated)

The Eagles scored six runs in the first two innings.

The Eagles got a strong performance by starter Dean Persinger, who went 7 2/3 innings, threw 130 pitches, allowed only two runs on four hits until the eighth inning. In the eighth, he gave up a solo home run by 1B Kevin Smith. He recorded a strikeout, and gave up a single to 2B Michael Diffie. He then walked two batters, and turned the ball over to Jacob McBride with two out and the bases loaded. McBride gave up an RBI single by LF Curtis Beaudoin, but got the batter to fly out, ending the inning with the bases loaded. McBride finished the game with a three-up, three-down ninth.

The early offensive onslaught started with a two-RBI single by C John Hill and an RBI double by 1B Tyler Derby in the first inning. In the second inning, CF Matt Ivanoff hit an RBI single, chasing Pilot starter Jared Mata. LF Kyle Konicek hit an RBI double, and DH Bryan Nicholson hit an RBI single.

Ivanoff made a big defensive play in the third inning, catching a ball off the center field fence hit by SS Manny Estrada with a runner on base. Ivanoff and Konicek both finished the game 3-4 with an RBI.

Persinger's final numbers were four runs on seven hits, ten strikeouts, and three walks. McBride got a save, and Mata got the loss.

Box score and play-by-play
Story from Concordia site
Story from NAIA site

Results from the fourth day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, in Lewiston, ID:

Lee 7, Embry-Riddle 4 (Embry-Riddle eliminated)
Concordia-Irvine 7, Oklahoma City 4 (Oklahoma City eliminated)
Lubbock Christian 3, LSU-Shreveport 0

Lee 7, Embry-Riddle 4 (Embry-Riddle eliminated)

The Flames took the early lead, chasing Eagles starter Kevin Maloney after he recorded only two outs. The Eagles tied it 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh on reliever Matt Passauer, with an RBI single by 3B Steve Sabins, and an RBI double by 1B Chris Page. Passauer was replaced by Curtis Camilli, who held the Eagles to one hit the rest of the way.

The winning run for the Flames came on a solo home run by 1B Roberto Reyes in the eighth inning. They added two insurance runs in the ninth with RBI singles by DH Chris Grayson and Reyes.

Camilli got the win. Starter Jay Bolen went six innings for the Flames, allowed two runs on five hits, struck out five. Brandon Creath took over from Maloney for the Eagles, went six innings, allowed two runs on three hits.

This will be the fourth straight year that the Flames have finished in the final four. They took the Eagles out of this tournament in the semifinal last year.

Box score and play-by-play
Story from NAIA site

Results from the third day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, in Lewiston, ID:

Concordia-Irvine 7, Oklahoma Baptist 5 (Oklahoma Baptist eliminated)
Lee 7, Lewis-Clark State 3 (Lewis-Clark State eliminated)
LSU-Shreveport 3, Embry-Riddle 2 (10 innings)
Lubbock Christian 8, Oklahoma City 1

Concordia-Irvine 7, Oklahoma Baptist 5 (Oklahoma Baptist eliminated)

The Bison led 5-3 after four innings, on a grand slam home run by 3B Alan Trayler. The Eagles closed to 5-4 with a sacrifice fly by DH Bryan Nicholson in the fifth, then completed the scoring with three runs in the sixth; CF Matt Ivanoff hit a two-RBI triple, then scored on a throwing error.

The Bison didn't go out without a fight, however. They opened the bottom of the ninth with singles by C Mitchell Prophet and SS Jonathan Gelpi. 2B Terrence Buchanan bunted, moving courtesy runner Chris Lemus to third, and Gelpi to second. The Eagles replaced starter Brent Clapper with Ryan Day, with one out and the tying run on second. Gelpi was replaced with a pinch-runner, Jorden Newton. The next batter, CF Reece Alnas, hit a line drive that was caught by RF Ryan Sheeks. Newton, who didn't think the ball would be caught, was caught off second base, ending the game.

Ivanoff had a big day; 4-4 with a double, an triple, four RBI, and three runs scored. Clapper scattered 11 hits, struck out five. Starter Ryan Plum got the loss for the Bison.

Box score and play-by-play
Story from NAIA site

Results from the second day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, in Lewiston, ID:

Lee 7, Faulkner 3 (Faulkner eliminated)
Oklahoma Baptist 8, Tennessee Wesleyan 6 (Tennessee Wesleyan eliminated)
Embry-Riddle 9, Concordia-Irvine 3
Oklahoma City 2, Lewis-Clark State 1

Lee 7, Faulkner 3 (Faulkner eliminated)

Curtis Camilli and Matt Passauer combined to hold the Eagles to five hits. 1B Roberto Reyes went 4-4 with three double and a home run.

Box score and play-by-play
Story from NAIA site

Results from the first day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, in Lewiston, ID:

Concordia-Irvine 7, Faulkner 2
LSU-Shreveport 5, Lee 4
Lubbock Christian 7, Oklahoma Baptist 2
Lewis-Clark State 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 4

Concordia-Irvine 7, Faulkner 2

Faulkner started their ace, R.L. Eisenbach, and Concordia was able to score four runs on five hits on him in only three-plus innings. Eisenbach was chased by a two-RBI double by 2B Robbie Knowles. The first of the two RBI held up as the winning run; Concordia starter Dean Persinger held Faulkner to two runs on four hits over the first six innings, and reliever Josh White held Faulkner scoreless the rest of the way.

Knowles got a sacrifice fly late in the game, and finished 1-3 with three RBI. LF Kyle Konicek went 2-4 with a double and two RBI.

Box score and play-by-play
Story from NAIA site

Schedule for the first day of the 55^th NAIA Baseball National Championship, Friday, May 27, Harris Field, Lewiston, ID (all times PDT):

8:30 AM: #8 seed Faulkner (48-13) vs. #9 Concordia-Irvine (38-18)

Faulkner (Montgomery, AL) is making their first appearance at the Baseball National Championship.
Nickname: Eagles
Rankings: #12 in coaches' poll, #7 in ISR. Strength of schedule: #29
Significant wins: 2-2 vs. Brewton-Parker, 1-1 vs. Tennessee Wesleyan, 2-1 vs. Union C. (KY)
Top position players: LHP/OF Tucker Willard (.391), IF Daniel Cayton (.371), IF Michael Clayton (.355, 15 HR, 69 RBI)
Top pitchers: LHP R.L. Eisenbach (14-1, 1.36 ERA, 112 K), RHP Jacob Simmons (10-3, 3.70 ERA), RHP Colby Broussard (4-0, 4.29 ERA, 8 saves). Eisenbach leads the NAIA in wins. He made two starts for Lubbock Christian in the 2009 BNC. One of them was a complete-game 2-1 loss to Point Loma Nazarene, one of the best games played in Lewiston in recent years. He allowed five hits, struck out eight. (Click here and scroll down for story.)
Coach: Patrick McCarthy, second season
Outlook: Faulkner will probably go 1-2.

Concordia-Irvine (Irvine, CA) is making their second trip to Lewiston; the first one was in 2006. They won the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament, and come into this tournament with an eight-game winning streak.
Nickname: Eagles
Rankings: Unranked in coaches' poll, #12 in ISR. SoS: #1
Significant wins: 2-0 vs. British Columbia, 2-4 vs. Cal Baptist, 3-2 vs. Fresno Pacific, Cal Poly Pomona
Top position players: 1B Bryan Nicholson (.423, 9 HR, 61 RBI), OF Kyle Konicek (.380)
Top pitchers: RHP Blake Harrison (7-1, 2.67 ERA, 60 K), RHP Dean Persinger (6-4, 3.82 ERA, 56 K), RHP Brent Clapper (8-4, 4.20 ERA, 61 K), RHP Ryan Day (1-1, 4.00 ERA, 7 saves)
Coach: Mike Grahovac, third season
Outlook: Concordia had a strong finish in a tough conference, and won the Opening Round bracket with the strongest field. They can finish in the top four. The first game will be tough if Faulkner starts Eisenbach.