Seven of the nine Opening Round brackets were decided today, and two “if necessary” games will be played on Monday, May 13.

Sterling was the first team to qualify for this year's National Championship tournament. They won the Oklahoma City bracket by defeating Oklahoma City 1-0 in the final. Steven Cazares pitched a three-hit shutout for the Warriors. The only run of the game came on an RBI single by C Ian Josh in the second inning.

The Warriors got to the final by defeating Science and Arts of Oklahoma 8-5, and Jamestown 13-3. DH Andrew Clark hit a grand slam home run against USAO; Daniel Cloteaux got the win, despite allowing 13 hits and walking four in six inning of work (story). The Warriors got six runs in the first inning against Jamestown, led by a bases-loaded triple by 3B Anthony Feliciano. Feliciano, from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, had a total of six RBI for the game. The Warriors used four pitchers, gave up 14 hits (story).

This will be Sterling's first-ever appearance in the National Championship tournament. The school is located in Sterling, KS. It has 674 students, and supports 16 varsity sports.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for May 5, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 23, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 2, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below the fold.

NAIA Coaches' poll for March 26, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below the fold.

NAIA baseball action during the past week, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking.

ISR #1 Lewis-Clark State is also #1 in strength of schedule. They swept four games against Menlo, 10-3, 8-1, 2-0, and 11-7. 2B Brian Corliss was 2-for-4 with a bases-loaded triple in the first game (story). RF Cody Lavalli went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the second game. Carsen Nylund and Steve Thompson combined for the shutout in the third game; Nylund went eight innings, allowed two hits, struck out eight. LF Jake Shirley scored the winning run on a ground out by CF Zach Holley in the first inning (story). Lavalli hit another home run in the fourth game, went 2-for-4 with four RBI (story).

The Warriors host Oregon Tech March 15-16 (streaming audio). They then travel to Daytona Beach, FL for six games, starting with Saint Thomas on March 18.

#2 Faulkner lost a mid-week game to Point, 3-2. All three of Point's runs were unearned, and Tommy Braddock got the win for the Skyhawks. The Eagles then lost the first game of a series at Spring Hill, 6-5 (ten innings). The Eagles trailed most of the game, but took a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth on three unearned runs. The Badgers sent it into extra innings with an RBI single by 2B Brian Sims. The winning run came on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Trey Marshall. Douglas Keller, who allowed only one hit the last three innings, got the win (story).

The Badgers didn't get another run in the series; the Eagles won the remaining two games 6-0 and 11-0. Will Dismukes and Julian Esquibel pitched the shutouts. 1B Ethan Williams hit a three-run home run in the first game, and C Zach Colby went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the second game. (story).

The Eagles are 21-4, and Esquibel is 6-0 in six starts, with an ERA of 1.05. The Eagles visit Blue Mountain March 12, and host #18 William Carey March 15-16.

It wasn't pretty, but five Biola pitchers combined for a 6-0 no-hitter against The Master's, giving the Eagles the series win, and their first no-hitter since 1970.

Josh Staumont pitched the first 5 1/3 innings for the Eagles, got the win. He struck out three, walked five. The next pitcher, Garrett Picha, faced only one batter. He walked him, and threw a wild pitch while doing it. He was relieved by Erick Allen, who went 2 1/3 innings. Javier Martinez came in with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, and a ground ball to third base was scored as an error, the only one of the game. Martinez got a fly out to end the inning, and struck out the first batter in the bottom of the ninth. Will Emerson recorded a fly out and a strikeout to complete the no-hitter.

C Nick Oddo went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI for the Eagles. 1B Sage Poland singled in the winning run in the second inning. Eagles Head Coach John Verhoeven didn't realize that his team got a no-hitter until ten minutes after the game was over.

Story from Biola site: Five Biola Pitchers Combine to No-Hit The Master's

The Eagles and Mustangs traded 2-0 shutouts on Saturday. A.J. Work and Daniel Sheaffer combined for the shutout for the Mustangs in the first game, Nick Turner and Javier Martinez combined for the shutout for the Eagles in the second game.

LHP Cole Swanson, a transfer from San Diego State (he pitched 26 1/3 innings for the Aztecs last year, struck out 21), got the start for Concordia-Irvine's season opener, and he delivered a complete-game one-hitter against Arizona Christian. He struck out 14. The one hit was a two-run home run by 1B Ryan Jones in the seventh inning. The final score was 4-2. The winning run for the Eagles came on an RBI single by LF Dylan Bryant in the fifth inning. 1B Bryan Garza completed the Eagles' scoring with a home run in the sixth.

The Eagles, the pre-season pick to win the Golden State Athletic Conference, got a win in the first good matchup this season. The Tritons are ranked #23 in the Division II pre-season poll.

The Eagles got an early 2-0 lead on an RBI single by C Chris Kuber and a sacrifice fly by SS Matt Palmer. The Tritons got one back on a solo home run by starting pitcher Justin Rahn. The Eagles took a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by 2B Spencer Ofelt and DH Joe Golderberg, and a run scored by Ofelt on a double play. However, the Tritons tied it with four runs on the bottom of the fifth, led by a two-RBI triple by 1B Richard Siegel. Siegel actually hit a home run, but the home run was taken away because he failed to touch home plate.

Four Eagles pitchers, Chris Garrison, Phil Gerber, Sean Buford, and Danny Romero, held the Tritons scoreless the rest of the way. Gerber and Buford pitched hitless innings, and Romero, who pitched the 11th inning, struck out three of the four batters he faced.

The Eagles pushed across the winning run when Kuber and Palmer drew walks to start the 11th inning. Pinch-hitter Chance Kopacz hit a ground ball to shortstop, and a throwing error by the second baseman allowed Steven Hurst, pinch-running for Kuber, to score.

Rahn finished the game 3-for-4 for the Tritons. Buford got the win for the Eagles, and Romero got a save.

LSU-Shreveport, Tennessee Wesleyan, Embry-Riddle, Point Park, and Rogers State have qualified for the Baseball National Championship tournament. Results from the third day of the NAIA Baseball Opening round:

At Paducah, KY:

LSU-Shreveport 5, Lindsey Wilson 1: Logan Norris pitched a three-hitter for the Pilots, struck out six, walked three. RF Kade Billeaudeaux hit a sacrifice fly for the winning run. Billeaudeaux went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

At Kingsport, TN:

Tennessee Wesleyan 14, Saint Francis (IL) 4: The Bulldogs got all the runs they needed in the third inning, on RBI singles by 1B Jake Stone and 3B Taylor Oldham, and a three-RBI double by DH Drew Levi. Levi went 3-for-5 with four RBI. Jeremy Fitzgerald got the win. Saint Francis used eight pitchers.

Results from the second day of the NAIA Baseball Opening round:

At Hardeeville, SC:

South Carolina-Beaufort 7, Faulkner 3: The #5-ranked Eagles went two-and-out, and the Sand Sharks gave Corey Black his second loss of the season. The Sand Sharks scored five runs in the last two innings, and the winning run came on a pinch-hit RBI single by Blake Cilwick. Miles Galvin got the win for the Sand Sharks, struck out eleven. The Sand Sharks play Union U. (TN) on Saturday, and the winner plays Saint Thomas.

Saint Thomas (FL) 6, Union U. (TN) 3: The Bobcats go to 2-0 in the tournament. Pinch-hitter Oscar Romero hit a two-RBI single for the winning run.

At Paducah, KY:

LSU-Shreveport 1, Lindsey Wilson 0: Lindsey Wilson starter Darren Travers gave up a run in the first inning on an RBI single by 1B Greg Friesen, and held the Pilots scoreless the rest of the way. The Pilots needed a shutout from Jared Mortensen, and got one. Mortensen held the Blue Raiders to four hits, struck out ten, and walked only one. The Pilots will face the Peru State-Lindsey Wilson winner tomorrow for the championship.