Six NAIA schools with baseball teams will the playing their final NAIA season this spring.
The most prominent departure is Lee. Their record for the past six seasons under Head Coach Mark Brew has been astonishing: 326-771-1, a trip to the Baseball National Championship every season, and they came within one out of winning the championship in 2008.
Lee also has successful in women's basketball and soccer, and volleyball. However, until recently, they had some difficulty attracting press attention in southeastern Tennessee, and the "NCAA brand" was a factor in their decision. Also a factor was the loss of traditional opponents, Union U. (TN), Berry, and Shorter to Division II.
Lee will become a member of the Gulf South Conference.
Lubbock Christian has a well-funded baseball program. They won the National Championship in 1983 and 2009, and were runners-up in 2011. They will be competing in the Heartland Conference.
Rogers State were runners-up at the 2012 National Championship. This was the seventh season of their program, and first trip to Lewiston. They are also moving the the Heartland Conference.
Oklahoma Christian is also going to the Heartland Conference. They were 25-20 in 2011, but 8-34 last season.
Northwestern Oklahoma State is going to the Great American Conference. The Rangers were 34-24 in 2012.
Lubbock Christian and Rogers State will be competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2013, but Oklahoma Christian and NWOSU are already out of the conference. If the SAC doesn't add any members, they will have six baseball-playing members in 2014, the minimum necessary to get an automatic bid for the Opening Round.
Virginia-Wise is going to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which also includes Trevecca Nazarene. They were 24-26 in 2012.
In addition to Lee, Lubbock Christian, and Rogers State, the NAIA has lost these schools who have competed in the National Championship over the past ten seasons: Houston Baptist, Point Loma Nazarene, Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific, Cal Baptist, Ohio Dominican, Spalding, Seton Hill, Walsh, and Berry.