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.

Oklahoma City (11-4) defeated Northwood (TX) 13-5 and won two of three against U. of Science and Arts of Oklahoma 12-2, 8-5, and 2-4. RF Dane Phillips went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the first game against USAO; Blake Schwartz and Allen Townsend combined for a two-hitter. 1B Miguel Beltran went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI in the second game; Rich Hawkins got the win. 1B Zach Gonzales singled in the winning run for USAO in the third game. Adam Wilson got the win, held the Stars to five hits. The Stars host Oklahoma Wesleyan Feb. 28, visit Northwestern Oklahoma State March 1, and host Northwestern Oklahoma State March 3.

Concordia-Irvine (9-5) began their defense of their Golden State Athletic Conference championship by winning three of four against San Diego Christian, 5-4, 12-4, 6-1, and 5-6. RF Ty Holm stole home for the winning run in the first game. DH Tony Harkey hit a three-RBI double in the second game. Jake Hovis pitched a complete game in the third game, allowed five hits. The Eagles were done in by three unearned runs on the fourth game. They visit Vanguard March 1-2, and host Vanguard March 3.

During the first two seasons of the current “direct qualification” arrangement, no unranked teams made it through to the Baseball National Championship in Lewiston. The lowest ranked team to get to Lewiston was Tennessee Wesleyan, ranked #24 at the end of the 2010 season.

This season turned out differently. Concordia-Irvine (ISR #14) and Tennessee Wesleyan (ISR #28) will be in the Baseball National Championship field.

Concordia-Irvine won the Riverside bracket, defeating #3 Cal Baptist 4-2 in the final. DH Bryan Nicholson hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to win it for the Eagles. Brent Clapper, who allowed six hits in 7 1/3 innings, got the win.

The was the Eagles' eighth straight win, and their 20^th win in their past 22 games.

Tennessee Wesleyan won the Paducah bracket, defeating #5 Cumberland 9-2 in the “if necessary” game. DH David Bergin hit two home runs and had six RBI for Wesleyan in the all-Bulldogs matchup. Josh McDaniel, pitching for Wesleyan on short rest, went six innings, allowed no earned runs on two hits. Corey Collins went the rest of the way, held Cumberland scoreless; both of Cumberland's runs came in the first inning.

Cumberland defeated Wesleyan 19-10 earlier the same day. LF Jesse Bowman went 4-5 with six RBI for Cumberland; Bergin hit two home runs for Wesleyan in this game, too, and he now has 23 on the season.

Wesleyan defeated Cumberland 5-3 earlier in the tournament, and the starters were Bergin and Aaron Wilkerson. Neither got a decision, but Bergin got the best of the matchup, went 6 1/3 innings, allowed three runs on six hits, struck out seven. Wilkerson, making the last appearance of his career, went three innings, allowed three runs on eight hits. His numbers for 2011 are 12-0, 1.49 ERA, and 90 strikeouts. He had 26 straight wins in his two seasons at Cumberland. He got the only at-bat of his career in a 14-7 win over William Jewell in this tournament; he came in as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, and reached on a fielder's choice.

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for May 3, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes: Embry-Riddle 15, Oklahoma City 4, Cal Baptist 1, Cumberland 1

Third round action at the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament in Columbus, GA:

#13 Faulkner and #19 Southern Polytechnic joined the list of ranked teams that have been taken out of this tournament. Faulkner lost 7-4 to #16 Brewton-Parker 7-4. The winning run for the Barons came in the sixth inning; 2B Errick Fox scored when LF Randall Shepherd drew a bases-loaded walk. Fox went 3-5 with an RBI for the game.

#22 Belhaven is now in the driver's seat in this tournament. The Blazers defeated host William Carey 7-1. Both teams had six hits, but four of the Blazers' came in the fifth inning; they scored six runs, four of which came on a grand slam home run by CF Tyler Wrinkle. Brandon McHenry got the win; he went seven innings, allowed no runs on five hits, struck out six.

Shorter took out Southern Polytechnic 4-3. The Hawks trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, but pinch-hitter Shannon Houston hit a two-RBI single to win it. Tim Day got the win in relief, but a good effort by starter Stephen Adkins kept the Hawks in the game; he went seven innings, allowed three runs on seven hits.

Schedule for Tuesday (times EDT): Brewton-Parker vs. Belhaven, 1 PM, audio webcast; William Carey vs. Shorter, 4 PM.

Third round action at the Red River Athletic Conference tournament in Shreveport:

#9 LSU-Shreveport continued their domination of this tournament, defeating Texas-Brownsville 11-4. This game was tied 2-2 after four innings, but the Pilots scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth; SS Manny Estrada and DH Kyle Pearson hit RBI doubles, and 1B  Kevin Smith, 2B Michael Diffie and CF Justin Brodnax hit RBI singles. Pearson finished 3-4 with two RBI.

#17 Northwood (TX) stayed in the tournament by defeating Wiley 8-2.

Schedule for Tuesday (times CDT): Northwood vs. Texas-Brownsville, 11:30 AM; LSU-Shreveport vs. Northwood-Texas-Brownsville winner, 3:00 PM, audio webcast.

The start of the TranSouth Athletic Conference tournament in Jackson, TN was postponed until Tuesday due to weather. The Sun Conference tournament starts Tuesday in Fort Myers, FL. The Golden State Athletic Conference tournament starts in Riverside, CA on Tuesday. The Sooner Athletic Conference tournament starts in Lubbock, TX on Wednesday. The NAIA West tournament starts in Atherton, CA on Wednesday.

Blowouts in Shreveport, and upsets in Columbus, GA.

At the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament in Columbus:

#4-ranked Lee went two-and-out. They were taken out by #19 Southern Polytechnic 7-4. The Hornets won it with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on only one hit; the winning run was scored by courtesy runner Conrad Boron when pinch-hitter Blake Parrot drew a bases-loaded walk. The Hornets drew a total of eight walks and two hit batters. Brad Hutson got the win in relief; starter Josh Strawn put in a good effort for the Hornets, recorded eleven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, allowed three earned runs on eight hits.

#6 Auburn-Montgomery also went two-and-out, losing to #16 Brewton-Parker 8-7 (10 innings). 1B Jacob Evors hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings, then hit a bases-loaded single in the tenth to win it. Evors finished the game 3-6 with five RBI. The Barons used six pitchers; Ben Gillespie got the win, faced two batters, threw nine pitches. Story from Auburn-Montgomery site: No. 6 AUM Falls in Extras to No. 16 Brewton-Parker, 8-7

#13 Faulkner is still in the tournament, but they're in the losers' bracket. The Eagles lost to host William Carey 7-6. RF Javier Ortiz scored the winning run in the seventh; he reached base on a walk, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a wild throw. Starter Scotty Reese got the win for the Crusaders; Ortiz finished the game 2-3 with a double and two runs scored.

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

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for April 12, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes: Lee 14, Embry-Riddle 2, Oklahoma City 7

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for April 5, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes: Oklahoma City 21, Lee 1