Three more regional championships were decided Friday, and one of the winners, Azusa Pacific, Calif., is all but guaranteed a spot in the NAIA World Series.
Azusa Pacific captured the Region II title by beating Concordia, Calif., 8-5 on its own field. The Cougars, 48-5, now advance to the West Coast Super Regional, where they will face the Region I champ in a best-of-three set next week. Lewis-Clark State, which is one win away from securing the Region I title, would stage that event at Harris Field.
APU, ranked fourth in this week’s NAIA Top 25, would secure no worse than an at-large Series berth should either top-ranked Lubbock Christian, Texas, or No. 3 Lee, Tenn., suffer one more defeat in their respective regional tournaments. Both are already in the loser’s brackets.
The Series’ two at-large berths - the number rises to three if L-C wins its super regional - go to the highest-ranked teams that fall in the super-regional round.
Saint Xavier, Ill., claimed the Region VII crown, beating St. Ambrose, Iowa, 15-3 in the title game. And Fisher, Mass., prevailed in Region X by trouncing Vermont Tech 19-1 in that tournament’s finale.
They and APU join Region XIV titlist Embry-Riddle, Fla., as teams that have already advanced to the super-regional round, which will begin Wednesday. The remainder of the regional tournaments are scheduled to be completed today.
In perhaps the most closely watched regional, fifth-ranked Oklahoma City took control of the Region VI tourney by handing Lubbock Christian just its third loss of the year, 5-0 Friday morning. LCU fought its way back into contention by beating Texas Wesleyan 8-2 on Friday night. But the Chaps would need to defeat Oklahoma City twice today to win the regional title.
Friday, May 9
REGION I
At Vancouver, British Columbia
British Columbia 8, Concordia 6
Lewis-Clark State 11, College of Idaho 0
College of Idaho 6, British Columbia 2
REGION II
At Azusa, Calif.
Azusa Pacific 8, Concordia 5
Azusa Pacific wins regional title
REGION III
At Mayville, N.D.
Mayville State 12, Dickinson State 6
Northwestern 6, Briar Cliff 3
Jamestown 16, Mayville State 3
REGION IV
At Hutchinson, Kan.
Park 7, Kansas Wesleyan 2
Bellevue 13, Kansas Wesleyan 1
Park 9, Bethany 4
Bellevue 11, Bethany 5
REGION V
At St. Charles, Mo.
William Jewell 9, Culver-Stockton 6
Missouri Baptist 19, McKendree 5
Lindenwood 7, Avila 1
REGION VI
At Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oklahoma City 5, Lubbock Christian 0
Texas Wesleyan 10, Oklahoma Baptist 6
Lubbock Christian 8, Texas Wesleyan 2
REGION VII
At Joliet, Ill.
St. Ambrose 8, Iowa Wesleyan 5
Saint Xavier 15, St. Ambrose 3
Saint Xavier wins regional title
REGION VIII
At Huntington, Ind.
Madonna 9, Indiana Tech 3
Spring Arbor 5, Huntington 3
Huntington 7, Madonna 1
REGION IX
At Malone, Ohio
Urbana 13, Mt. Vernon Nazarene 9
Mt. Vernon Nazarene 9, Ohio Dominican 5
REGION X
At Boston
Fisher 19, Vermont Tech 1
Fisher wins regional title
REGION XI
At Lebanon, Tenn.
Campbellsville 9, Trevecca Nazarene 8
Campbellsville 7, Martin Methodist 6
REGION XII
At Kingsport, Tenn.
Indiana-Southeast 15, Brescia 1
Tennessee Wesleyan 11, Virginia-Wise 6
Union 18, Indiana-Southeast 2
Union 16, Virginia-Wise 6
REGION XIII
At Cleveland, Tenn.
Auburn-Montgomery 11, Southern Poly 10
Lee 6, LSU-Shreveport 2
LSU-Shreveport 9, Auburn-Montgomery 7
