The NAIA Coaches' poll for May 1, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 18, Azusa Pacific 2

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport won the Red River Athletic Conference championship, defeating Bacone 5-2 in the final. This was the only game of the tournament that was close. CF Ridge Gonsoulin went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the final; Drew Middleton got the win.

Oklahoma City swept three games against Wayland Baptist, 5-4, 7-0, and 22-6, and won the Sooner Athletic Conference pennant. 1B Miguel Beltran hit a three-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to win the first game. Blake Schwartz pitched a complete-game two-hitter in the second game, struck out ten. Beltran hit two home runs in the third game, to bring his season total to 22, tied for most in the NAIA. They finished their regular season with a 8-4 win over Division II Central Oklahoma. RF Chad Carman went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. The Stars are hosting the SAC tournament, and are scheduled to play Southern Nazarene May 2, Northwestern Oklahoma State on May 3, and #24 Lubbock Christian on May 4.

Faulkner was defeated by #5 Lee 13-0 in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament, and because the Eagles lost an earlier game in the tournament, 12-9 to Shorter, the loss took the Flames out of the tournament. The loss to Shorter forced the Eagles to deplete their pitching staff, and they had to move position players to the mound for the last two innings of the game against Lee. This was the only meeting of the Eagles and Flames this season.

Azusa Pacific won three of four against Point Loma Nazarene. They lost the first game 6-5 when Matt Winkler balked in a run in the bottom of the 13^th inning. Garrett Gooding, who pitched 5 1/3 relief innings for the Sea Lions, allowed four hits, struck out five, got the win. The Cougars won the remaining three games 3-1, 7-3, and 4-2. Jacob Cage got the in in the first game, went six innings, allowed zero earned runs on five hits. RF Brent Warren batted in two of the Cougars' runs, including a bunt single that sent in the winning run. DH Trevor Lothrup hit a grand slam home run to win the second game. 3B Brendan Casey scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the third game; J.C. Aguayo scattered seven hits for the win. The Cougars were upset by Westmont 12-5 in the first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament. 3B David Gabel went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double for the Warriors, batted in four runs. Timothy Leary went eight innings, got the win. This was Westmont's first post-season game in 15 years. The Cougars will play Fresno Pacific on May 2.

Oklahoma City (15-4, 6-1 SAC) defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan 12-4, and swept Northwestern Oklahoma State, 10-5, 3-0, and 10-2. 2B Brian Fisher went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI against Oklahoma Wesleyan. C Chad Carman hit a solo home run for the winning run in the first game against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Rich Hawkins pitched the shutout in the second game, allowed four hits. C/RF Dane Phillips hit a three-run home run in the third game, and got another RBI on a ground out. The Stars visit Southern Nazarene March 6, host Mid-America Christian March 8 and 10, and visit Mid-America Christian March 9.

Concordia-Irvine (13-5, 7-1 GSAC) swept four games against Vanguard, 9-7 , 20-6, 10-9, and 14-4. Pinch-hitter Matt Taylor hit a two RBI double in the top of the ninth to win the first game. 1B Tony Harkey, Jr. hit two home runs and went 3-for-4 with three RBI and four runs scored in the second game. LF Kyle Konicek when 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI in the third game, and 3B Ryan DiMascio went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the fourth game. The Eagles visit non-conference Cal State-San Marcos March 9, and visit Cal State-San Marcos March 10. The Eagles lead the Golden State Athletic Conference; The Master's is second with a 6-2 record.

Lee (21-2, 9-0 SSAC) swept Milligan 10-1 and 13-0. SS Edmanuel Rivera and 1B Roberto Reyes hit home runs in the first game. Dustin Lawson, Kyle Briner, and Joe Fabre combined for a two-hit shutout in the second game. The Flames then swept three games against Truett McConnell, 8-1, 3-2, and 14-4. Kris Hall went seven innings in the first game, allowed one run on three hits, struck out 12. The Flames were out-hit 5-4 in the second game, but 2B Blake Barber singled in a run in the bottom of the seventh to win it. LF Mike Moore went 3-for-4 with a home run in the third game. The Flames visit Bryan March 7 and Tennessee Temple March 8, then host Loyola-New Orleans March 9-10. Barber is batting .507 for the Flames.

Savannah College of Art and Design has announced that they are dropping baseball and two other sports at the end of this season. Click here for the announcement and comments.

The program had been successful in recent years, under Coach Doug Wollenburg. The 2009 team was 39-23. The Bees have two alumni currently playing pro ball, RHP Ryan Pope (Yankees) and LHP Richard Sullivan (Braves). Pope had an ERA of 1.15 in 2007, recorded 122 strikeouts, pitched a no-hitter and a phenomenal 14 complete games; he completed every game he started.

Story by Dennis Knight in Savannah Morning News: SCAD to drop baseball, softball and volleyball

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for April 26, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes: Embry-Riddle 17, Oklahoma City 3, Lee 1

Cal State-San Marcos initiated their on-campus ballpark with an 8-7 win over Vanguard on Friday. The Cougars and Lions split a double-header at Vanguard on Saturday; the Lions won the first game 2-1, and the Cougars won the nightcap 7-2.

Friday's game drew a crowd of 787. They saw the Cougars trailing 7-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. They got a run on a passed ball, followed by a two-RBI single by LF Anthony Renteria to tie it. Courtesy runner Cory McCloskey scored the winning run on a single by SS Johnny Omahen. Mitch Ferguson, who pitched two perfect innings for the Cougars, got the win in relief; Mike Leal got the loss. Omahen hit a home run earlier in the game. Story from CSUSM site: Omahen, Holtman, Cougar Fans All Heroes in Thrilling Debut Win at CSUSM Baseball Field

In Saturday's first game, Lions starter Antonio Peraza went 7 2/3 innings, struck out ten, allowed one run. Cougars starter Matt Kretchmer went 7 1/3 innings, allowed only one hit, and the only run scored on him was unearned. The Lions won it in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by 1B Kyle Hardman. Robert Purpura, who retired all four batters he faced, got the win; Kyle Smart got the loss.

In the second game, the Cougars got a complete seven-inning game from Brett Miller, who allowed one earned run on six hits. The winning run came on the fourth inning on a two-RBI double by DH Mike Mecucci. The Lions left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Starter Gabriel Garcia got the loss. Story from CSUSM site: Kretchmer, Miller Both Outstanding in Road Split with Vanguard

Here is how the NAIA players taken in the 2010 MLB draft did this summer.

Joseph Staley - C, Lubbock Christian, 8^th round, Giants - Played 33 games for the AZL Giants, batted .250, five home runs, 25 RBI. He will be spending the Fall in the Instructional League in Scottsdale, AZ.

Kawicka Emsley-Pai - C, Lewis-Clark State, 10^th round, Diamondbacks - Played 42 games with the Yakima Bears of the short-season Class A Northwest League, batted .167.

Tyler Knigge - RHP, Lewis-Clark State, 12^th round, Phillies - Pitched 30 1/3 innings for the GCL Phillies (ten appearances, four starts), had a record of 0-3, 5.04 ERA, 27 strikeouts. One of his teammates with the Phillies was Pat Murray (1B, Lewis-Clark State, 34^th round, Phillies). Murray played 52 games, batted .313, with two home runs, 26 RBI.