NAIA Opening Round Qualifiers and Parings Announced
Softball | Tue, May 10, 2022 at 5:55 PM
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Campbellsville (Ky.), Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) qualified for the NAIA Softball Championship Opening Round, the national office announced Tuesday.
The opening round of the national tournament begins on Monday, May 16 at 10 host sites across the NAIA and the four-team, double-elimination brackets are slated to be finished on Wednesday, May 18.
Freed-Hardeman is the No. 1 seed in the Henderson bracket and earned one of the Mid-South Conference’s automatic bids. The Lions will open play against fourth-seeded Friends (Kan.). Madonna (Mich.) is the two seed in the bracket and will face No. 3 seed Columbia (Mo.)
Campbellsville earned an at-large bid and is the No. 2 seed in the Bowling Green bracket. The Tigers will face No. 3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan. Central Methodist (Mo.) is the No. 1 seed and will face fourth-seeded St. Mary of the Woods (Ind.).
Lindsey Wilson earned the conference second automatic bids and is the No. 2 seed in the Marion bracket. The Blue Raiders open play against No. 3 seed Midland (Neb.). Indiana Wesleyan is the No. 1 seed in the bracket and will face fourth-seeded Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
The 40-team field consists of 33 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular-season champions, tournament champions or tournament runners-up – and seven at-large teams. Conferences with 10-or-more members receive two automatic qualifiers, while leagues with less than 10 get one.
The 10 opening round champions will battle for the red banner at the 41st annual NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Ga., May 26 – June 1.
Opening round action begins at the 10 host sites on May 16.
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