2007 NAIA World Series

LCSC will take on Lee of Tennessee in Series opener — the same opponent host school encountered in ’05 tournament
Lewis-Clark State will encounter a familiar foe when the NAIA World Series gets under way, drawing a first-round date with Lee, Tenn.
That will be the last of four games Friday, when the national tournament’s 51st edition kicks off at Harris Field. The Warriors (53-5) and Flames (50-13) will face off following opening ceremonies, at approximately 7:30 p.m.
This is a rematch of a first-round game in the 2005 Series, a contest in which L-C scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning to prevail 5-4. That was the Flames’ first Series appearance, and they lost in their next game and were eliminated.
Lee, an at-large qualifier in ’05, earned its second berth by way of winning the Atlantic South Super Regional over St. Thomas, Fla. That was worth a three-spot jump to sixth in the final seeding process, which was conducted Sunday by the national rankings committee.
St. Thomas (46-14-1), an at-large recipient, was assigned the seventh seed.
L-C was awarded the third seed, its highest possible placement (and the one it has claimed every year since the current format was adopted in 2000) as the host team.
The Warriors, however, didn’t take the host berth, even though it was guaranteed. They qualified in the traditional fashion, outslugging Azusa Pacific, Calif., 15-11 in the finale of an offensively explosive West Coast Super Regional. This will be first time in the 16 Series held at Lewiston that L-C didn’t automatically advance, although it would have had it lost in the regional or super regional round.
That change of status made three at-large berths available, and the first went to Azusa Pacific (50-8). The Cougars also received the top Series seed, the first at-large qualifier to do so since this process began in 2003.
They and second-seeded Spring Arbor, Mich., also nicknamed the Cougars, will receive first-round byes. They’ll make their Series debuts Saturday.
This will be a relatively fresh-faced Series, with only three teams returning from last spring. Fifth-seeded Bellevue, Neb., (45-13) is making its 11th appearance in 13 years while No .4 Cumberland, Tenn. (48-18-1) is back for the fourth consecutive season. The Bulldogs won the national title in 2004 and finished second last year, losing 5-4 in 11 innings as L-C claimed its 14th championship.
This is the second straight season the Series will feature only three ballclubs that participated in the previous edition.
The bottom three seeds — No. 8 Lindenwood, Mo. (45-18), No. 9 Houston Baptist, Texas (40-19) and No. 10 Walsh, Ohio (28-28) — are all first-time qualifiers.
Curiously, the first-round pairing of Lindenwood and Houston Baptist is a rematch of the Mid-South Super Regional, which Lindenwood won in three games.
The Series, a double-elimination affair, will run through at least May 31, with games every day but Sunday.