OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University plays host to the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket with a World Series bid in the balance starting Monday at Jim Wade Stadium.
Third-ranked Oklahoma City, No. 20 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), LSU Alexandria and Kansas Wesleyan comprise the field as the Opening Round comes to Jim Wade Stadium for the first time since 2018. The championship is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday with an if-necessary game on tap noon Thursday, May 19.
The Stars (47-4) swept the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships. OCU takes the field for a 6 p.m. first pitch Monday against the winner of the LSU Alexandria-Kansas Wesleyan contest.
Denney Crabaugh scooped up career win No. 1,599 in OCU's 13-5 victory over 10th-ranked Science & Arts in the SAC Tournament title game Monday at Jim Wade Stadium. Crabaugh's career mark stands at 1,599-491-2 in his 34th year as Oklahoma City head coach. The Stars strive for their 17th appearance in the NAIA World Series.
Cross Factor, the SAC player of the year, has hit 26 home runs to rank second in the NAIA this year and third on the OCU single-season list. Factor, a senior from Yukon, Okla., tops the NAIA with a .522 batting average. OCU leads the NAIA in doubles (172) and slugging percentage (.674).
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) made the tournament field as the Mid-South Conference Tournament runner-up, while MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) reached the championship game of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament. LSU Alexandria became the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament champion, and Kansas Wesleyan took the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title.
| NAIA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING ROUND OKLAHOMA CITY BRACKET |
| At Oklahoma City | Jim Wade Stadium | All Times CDT |
| MONDAY, MAY 16 |
| Game 1 |
No. 4 LSU Alexandria (33-14) vs. No. 5 Kansas Wesleyan (34-27) |
11 a.m. |
| Game 2 |
No. 2 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (37-15) vs. No. 3 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (36-16) |
2:30 p.m. |
| Game 3 |
Winner Game 1 at No. 1 Oklahoma City (47-4) |
6 p.m. |
| TUESDAY, MAY 17 |
| 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, MAY 18 |
| Game 7 |
Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5 |
11 a.m. |
| Championship |
| Game 8 |
Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7 |
2:30 p.m. |
| THURSDAY, MAY 19 |
| Game 9 |
If necessary |
Noon |
