The USA won the first-ever women's baseball gold medal at the Pan American Games in Ajax, Ontario, defeating Canada 11-3 in the final. The game drew a capacity crowd of 5,224.

RHP Marti Sementelli, who played baseball and softball at Montreat, played a key role in this. She made two appearances, both in the preliminary round. She pitched the final inning of a 10-6 win over Venezuela, allowed no hits, walked one. She started the final preliminary round game against Canada, which the USA won 3-1. She pitched six shutout innings, scattered seven hits, struck out three, walked one, and got the win. She had to pitch her way out of a bases loaded and no outs situation in the fifth inning, and escaped with a pair of popups and a strikeout.

This game decided first place in the preliminary round, which meant that the USA got the next day off while Canada had to play Venezuela to get into the gold medal game. USA Coach Jonathan Pollard said, "Marti is probably our most experienced vet on this team with the exception of [Malaika] Underwood. No moment is too big for her which is why we had her going against Canada because we knew she could handle situations like that.”

Sementelli, of Sherman Oaks, CA, made 15 relief appearances for the Cavaliers in 2012, her freshman year. Her numbers were 0-1 (two saves), 5.94 ERA, seven strikeouts, and four bases on balls in 16 2/3 innings pitched. She switched to softball for the remainder of her time at Montreat.

Story from USA Baseball: WNT advances to gold-medal game with 3-1 win over Canada

Canada won its second straight gold medal in baseball in the 2015 Pan American Games, played in Ajax, Ontario.

In both 2011 and 2015, alumni of NAIA schools played a key role in Canada's win. The 2011 team had four players who played at NAIA schools, and RHP Chris Kissock of Lewis-Clark State played a key role for that team (story).

The 2015 edition included two NAIA alumni, LHP Jeff Francis of British Columbia and RHP Jared Mortensen of LSU-Shreveport. Francis got two saves during the preliminary round, retired all six batters he faced, struck out two of them. He was called upon to start the gold medal game against the USA. He went seven innings, allowed four runs (two of them on a home run by DH Patrick Kivlehan [Mariners organization, Rutgers]) on eight hits, struck out seven, and walked one. He got a no-decision; the game was tied 4-4 when he left it. Canada ultimately won the game 7-6 in ten innings; the tying and winning runs came on a bad pickoff attempt followed by a throwing error.

Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft:

2015 NAIA Baseball All-America First Team

2015 Rawlings-NAIA Baseball Gold Glove Team

Schedule for the first two days of the 59^th NAIA Baseball National Championship, Friday-Saturday, May 22-23, Harris Field, Lewiston, ID (all times PDT):

9 AM: #7 seed Lindsey Wilson (41-17) vs. #10 Vanguard (38-20)

Lindsey Wilson (Columbia, KY) is making their first appearance at the Baseball National Championship.
Nickname: Blue Raiders
Rankings: Unranked in coaches' poll, #31 in ISR. Strength of schedule: #105
Quality wins: 2-1 vs. Auburn-Montgomery, 1-1 vs. Faulkner, 2-1 vs. Campbellsville, 2-1 vs. Tennessee Wesleyan
Top position players: RF Alex Bautista (.383, 19 HR, 72 RBI), 3B Ryan Harper (.400). Bautista's 72 RBI is fourth-best in the NAIA.
Top pitchers: LHP Scott Sebald (10-3, 1.07 ERA), LHP Ryan Hartman (10-2, 2.04 ERA, 103 K)
Coach: Jonathan Burton, fourth season
Outlook: Happy to be here.

Vanguard (Costa Mesa, CA) is making their second appearance at the Baseball National Championship; the first one was in 1985.
Nickname: Lions
Rankings: Unranked in coaches' poll, #16 in ISR. SoS: #12
Quality wins: 4-2 vs. Westmont, British Columbia, Northwestern Ohio
Top position players: OF Brandon Sandoval (.291, 36 stolen bases), SS Jose Rojas (.333, 12 HR, 57 RBI), OF Paul Keating (.330)
Top pitchers: RHP Sean Isaac (9-5, 2.91 ERA, 92 K), RHP Scott Torrey (6-1, 3.07 ERA)
Coach: Rob Pegg, third season
Outlook: The Lions play in the very competitive Golden State Athletic Conference, and got to the National Championship by winning the toughest Opening Round bracket. They should do better than their #10 seeding, but won't be championship contenders.

Noon: #8 Concordia-Irvine (47-16) vs. #9 Saint Thomas (44-16)

Concordia-Irvine (CA) is making their third appearance at the Baseball National Championship. (It will be their final appearance; they are moving to Division II next year.) They won the championship in 2011.
Nickname: Eagles
Rankings: #19 in coaches' poll, #2 in ISR. SoS: #3 (highest in tournament)
Quality wins: 1-1 vs. Oklahoma City, 1-1 vs. Lewis-Clark State, 6-1 vs. Vanguard
Top position players: SS Ryan Goodman (.314), OF Robert Shiroky (.292), OF Mitchell Esser (.312, 52 RBI)
Top pitchers: RHP Tyler Mark (5-1, 1.30 ERA, 64 K), RHP Dillon Moran (9-4, 3.63 ERA, 64 K), RHP Isaiah Terrazas (6-2, 2.61 ERA). Mark has 23 saves, the most in the NAIA.
Coach: Mike Grahovac, seventh season
Outlook: The Eagles won the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament, and split with #1 Oklahoma City in the Opening Round to make it here. They should be a contender for the championship.

Saint Thomas (Miami Gardens, FL) is making their fifth appearance at the Baseball National Championship; the last one was in 2007.
Nickname: Bobcats
Rankings: #20 in coaches' poll, #22 in ISR. SoS: #25
Quality wins: 2-1 vs. Northwood, 2-1 vs. Georgia Gwinnett, Westmont
Top position players: 1B Eric Santamaria (.374, 53 RBI), 3B Paul Chacin (Maracuabo, Venezuela; .335, 69 RBI), LF Jerry Downs (.348, 7 HR, 51 RBI)
Top pitchers: RHP Marcos Barrios (9-2, 3.63 ERA, 78 K), RHP Alex Hernandez (3-1, 2.93 ERA, 43 K). RHP Chris Rodriguez (2-0, 3.00 ERA, 26 K, 12 saves)
Coach: Jorge Perez, sixth season
Outlook: The Bobcats are happy to be here.

The NAIA Baseball National Championship Open Round takes place in nine locations, May 12-15. The winners of these nine brackets go to the National Championship in Lewiston, ID May 22-29.

NAIA Schedule and Results page

Bellevue Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Roddy Field | Bellevue, Neb.
Tournament Website

1. Tabor (Kan.)
2. Bellevue (Neb.)
3. William Woods (Mo.)
4. Madonna (Mich.)
5. Mayville State (N.D.)

Daytona Beach Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Sliwa Stadium | Daytona Beach, Fla.
Tournament Website
Live Audio/Video

1. Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)
2. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
3. Bryan (Tenn.)
4. Southeastern (Fla.)
5. Rio Grande (Ohio)

Grand Rapids Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex | Grand Rapids, Mich.
Tournament Website
Live Video

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan
2. Davenport (Mich.)
3. Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio)
4. Peru State (Neb.)
5. Grand View (Iowa)

Kingsport Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Hunter Wright Stadium | Kingsport, Tenn.
Tournament Website

1. Tennessee Wesleyan
2. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
3. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
4. LSU Alexandria (La.)
5. Judson (Ill.)

Lawrenceville Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Grizzly Baseball Complex | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Tournament Website
Live Video

1. Georgia Gwinnett
2. Westmont (Calif.)
3. St. Thomas (Fla.)
4. St. Catharine (Ky.)
5. Spring Arbor (Mich.)

Montgomery Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Harrison Field | Montgomery, Ala.
Tournament Website
Live Video

1. Faulkner (Ala.)
2. Northwood (Fla.)
3. Campbellsville (Ky.)
4. Lyon (Ark.)
5. St. Francis (Ill.)

Oklahoma City Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Jim Wade Stadium | Oklahoma City, Okla.
Tournament Website
Live Video

1. Oklahoma City
2. Concordia (Calif.)
3. York (Neb.)
4. Missouri Baptist
5. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)

Santa Clarita Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Reese Field at Lou Herwaldt Stadium | Santa Clarita, Calif.
Tournament Website
Live Video

1. The Master's (Calif.)
2. Northwestern Ohio
3. British Columbia
4. Vanguard (Calif.)
5. Cal State San Marcos

Shawnee Bracket
May 12 - 15 | Bison Field at Ford Park | Shawnee, Okla.
Tournament Website
Live Video

1. Oklahoma Baptist
2. LSU Shreveport (La.)
3. Sterling (Kan.)
4. Briar Cliff (Iowa)
5. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)

In every conference listed here (except the the Southern States Athletic Conference, which had a winner-take-all final), the title was decided by an “if necessary” game. ISR's mentioned here are as of May 6.

Cal State San Marcos (ISR #13) won the Association of Independent Institutions championship for the third time in five years. They lost the first “final” to #1 Georgia Gwinnett 2-1. The Grizzlies out-hit the Cougars 11-5, and SS Ernesto Vasquez hit an RBI single for the winning run. CSUSM won the deciding game 11-5. The Cougars got five runs in the first inning, and added four more in the second. LF Clinton Perez hit an RBI single for the winning run. Emilio Esquibel got his second win of the tournament, and ran his record to 12-1, 2.43 ERA. Story Georgia Gwinnett will host an Opening Round bracket.

#2 Oklahoma City won the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament, defeating #3 Oklahoma Baptist twice, 9-6 and 7-5. The Stars trailed in the late innings of both games. They scored four runs in the eighth inning of the first one. In the second one, C Connor Lynch hit a grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth. Story Both Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Baptist are hosting Opening Round brackets.

NAIA coaches' poll for April 28, 2015, with Boyd Nation's ISR. Recaps below.

NAIA coaches' poll for April 21, 2015, with Boyd Nation's ISR. Recaps below.

Locations for the 2015 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, which will take place May 12-15:

Each of these tournaments will have a field of five teams, which will play a double-elimination tournament. The champions of these nine tournaments plus Lewis-Clark State will form the field for the Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID May 22-29.

Click here for the official NAIA press release.