2017 NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round

Baseball 5/11/2017 5:02:00 PM

Stars gun for World Series berth in NAIA Championship Opening Round OKC Bracket

Top-ranked OCU plays 6 p.m. Monday at Jim Wade Stadium

OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City University hosts the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket with an NAIA World Series berth at stake starting Monday at Jim Wade Stadium.
Top-ranked Oklahoma City, 22nd-ranked Mayville State (N.D.), No. 23 Campbellsville (Ky.), Friends (Kan.) and College of Idaho comprise the field for the double-elimination tournament Monday through Wednesday. The championship game has been scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday with an if-necessary game noon Thursday, May 18.
College of Idaho meets Friends at 11 a.m., then Campbellsville faces Mayville State at 2:30 p.m., and the Stars await the winner of the first game 6 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students per session. Tournament games will be available via live video at a rate of $8.95 per game or in a tournament package that costs $24.95. The tournament forecast features high temperatures in the upper 80s with winds between 15-25 mph. The chance for precipitation is 20 percent on Tuesday and Wednesday and 60 percent May 18.
Jared Baker, the Sooner Athletic Conference player of the year, paces eight Stars who were all-conference performers for No. 1 seed OCU (45-8). Stars designated hitter Branden Grieger, outfielder Cory Linn and pitcher Matt Young snared first-team all-SAC nods.
Baker, a senior from Edmond, Okla., ranks third with 1.50 RBIs per game, fourth with 78 RBIs and fifth in with 3.04 total bases a game among the NAIA. Baker is a preseason NAIA all-American, a 2016 honorable-mention all-American, three-time all-SAC selection and OCU's career doubles leader.
OCU swept the SAC regular-season and tournament crowns. The Stars top the NAIA with a .607 team slugging percentage, 161 doubles and 3.04 doubles per game.
Denney Crabaugh garnered SAC coach of the year. Crabaugh's record stands at 1,397-434-2 in his 29th year as Oklahoma City coach. Crabaugh has directed the Stars to 12 NAIA World Series appearances and the 2005 national championship. OCU entered 2017 with the most wins in college baseball since 1992 with 1,245. The 2017 NAIA World Series will be May 26-June 2 in Lewiston, Idaho.
Mayville State (46-10) reached the NAIA Championship Opening Round for the first time by winning the North Star Athletic Association Tournament title. Brady Nygaard of Mayville State leads the NSAA and ranks sixth nationally with 76 RBIs.
Campbellsville (33-19) won the Mid-South Conference regular-season championship and took an at-large bid into the NAIA Championship Opening Round. Matthew Valdez collected first-team all-MSC and league gold glove honors while hitting .314 with three home runs, 29 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
Friends (31-20) was an at-large selection for the Opening Round. Left-handed hurler Ryan Baca shared Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference pitcher of the year acclaim with his 9-3 record and 3.14 earned run average.
College of Idaho (24-28) secured its Opening Round berth by taking the NAIA West Group Tournament title, its first league title since 2002. Zach Draper, a repeat all-conference pitcher, leads the NAIA West in strikeouts (90), innings (87.1), starts (13), complete games (four) and shutouts (two).

NAIA Championship Opening Round
Oklahoma City Bracket
At Oklahoma City
Jim Wade Stadium
All Times CDT
Monday's Games
Game 1: College of Idaho vs. Friends (Kan.), 11 a.m.
Game 2: Campbellsville (Ky.) vs. Mayville State (N.D.), 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Oklahoma City, 6 p.m.
Tuesday's Games
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 6 p.m.
Wednesday's Games
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 2:30 p.m., championship
Thursday, May 18
Game 9: If necessary, noon

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#21 Jared Baker: OF; 6' 1"; Senior; L/R

#24 Cory Linn: OF; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#32 Matt Young: RHP; 6' 4"; Junior; R/R

#6 Branden Grieger: INF; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Jared Baker
: 6' 1"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#24 Cory Linn
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#32 Matt Young
: 6' 4"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#6 Branden Grieger
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: INF