LEBANON, Tenn.--The Road to Lewiston begins in Kingsport, Tennessee, where five teams will battle it out at Hunter Wright Stadium for a spot in the 68th Annual NAIA Avista NAIA World Series. The Kingsport Opening Round Bracket features a strong group of teams featuring top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan, along with Mid-South Conference Tournament champion Cumberland (Tenn.), AMC powerhouse Columbia (Mo.), the WHAC Tournament champion Indiana Tech, and the RRAC Tournament runner-up Louisiana Christian. The double-elimination format promises high-stakes drama starting Monday, May 12.

Tournament Schedule - All Games Central Time
May 12
Game 1 - No. 4 Indiana Tech vs. No. 5 Louisiana Christian- 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 - No. 3 Columbia vs. No. 2 Cumberland- 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 - Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan- 5:00 p.m.

May 13
Game 4 - Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser- 10:00 a.m.
Game 5 - Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner- 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner- 5:00 p.m.

May 14
Game 7 - Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner- 10:00 a.m.
Game 8 - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner- 1:30 p.m.

May 15
Game 9 - Game 8 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser (If Necessary)- TBD

#1 Tennessee Wesleyan
Top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan (42-11) enters the bracket as one of the best programs in the NAIA landscape. The Bulldogs are making their 16th-consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Tournament winning the 2012 and 2019 NAIA National Championship. The Bulldogs have won seven Opening Round brackets to make seven trips to Lewiston since 2010.  The Bulldogs finished as the National Runner-Up last season falling to Hope International in the championship. 

The Bulldogs boast a well-rounded lineup that's produced a .380 team batting average, with power blasting a nation-best 138 home runs and speed throughout. The Bulldogs lineup features a slew of guys hitting over .400 with six guys with 10 or more home runs. Appalachian Athletic Conference Player of the Year Daniel Stewart leads the way. Stewart is hitting .449 this season with 19 homers and a team-high 79 RBIs. Kolton Reynolds was named the AAC Newcomer of the Year and is hitting .407 with 23 long balls. First Baseman Corbin Shaw has belted 26 home runs hitting .398. Josh Shelly and Chris Catalano add additional depth to the lineup, hitting .400 and .413, respectively.

On the mound, Christian Delashmit has been the standout pitcher out of the bullpen, recording a 2.95 ERA and a 5-0 record over 36.2 innings, holding opponents to a .201 batting average. Blake Peyton (3.03 ERA, 71 strikeouts) and Daniel Batcher (4.52 ERA, 53 strikeouts) have also provided strong contributions, making Tennessee Wesleyan a formidable force on both sides of the ball. 

#2 Cumberland 
Cumberland (37-16-1) earned the No. 2 seed in the Kingsport bracket. The Phoenix have been playing great baseball as of late winning 8-of-their-last-10 en route to the Mid-South Conference Tournament Title. The Phoenix are making their eighth appearance in the NAIA Opening Round. Cumberland has won two Opening Round brackets and has made it to the NAIA World Series 12 times winning the National Championship in 2004, 2010, and 2014 with Runner-Up finishes in 1995 and 2006.

The team put 10 players on the Mid-South Conference All-Conference list this season. Cumberland has had a powerful offense that is hitting .334 as a team. Leading the charge at the plate is Preston Welchel, who boasts a .360 average with 67 hits, 56 RBIs, and 10 home runs. Drew Dalton-Akiwumi has also been outstanding, hitting .353 with 61 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. Wilser Then has been the big bopper for Cumberland this season hitting .344, with a team high 13 home runs, and 59 RBIs. Hunter Moser has been a sparkplug in the lineup hitting .356, with 15 stolen bases, and has scored 48 runs. Other offensive standouts include Toshiki Kuriya (.321, 8 home runs, 49 RBIs), Dylan LaRue (.302, 11 home runs, 49 RBIs), Gaines Haussin (.371, 22 runs) and Trenton Duchscherer (.315, 6 HR, 33 RBI).

On the mound, the team has a staff ERA of 5.06, held down by a trio of starting pitchers: Carter Rost, Quinlan Wiley, and Justin Goldstein. Rost (2.60 ERA, 9-0 record) has been big all season long, throwing 72.2 innings with 77 strikeouts. Quinlan Wiley (2.89 ERA, 7-2 record) and Justin Goldstein (3.82 ERA, 7-4 record) have produced one of the top rotations in the nation. Additionally, Grayson Cole (4.21 ERA, 2-1 record), Kyle Nyblod (4.96 ERA, 5 saves) and Jake Green (3.79 ERA, 6-1 record) have provided strong support out of the bullpen.

#3 Columbia
Columbia (41-9) entered the Opening Round as the No. 3 seed in the bracket. The Cougars are making their sixth appearance at the NAIA National Tournament and are at Kingsport for the second-year in a row. Columbia suffered a heat-breaking loss to end their season last year in Kingsport as Tennessee Wesleyan rallied to score five runs in the final two innings to walk off the Cougars and advance to Lewiston. This is their sixth-consecutive trip to  NAIA Opening Round

Columbia is third in the NAIA with a .369 team batting average and ranks among the top 10 nationally in slugging percentage (.657), doubles (135), and home runs (89). The Cougars put 10 players on the American Midwest Conference All-Conference list including AMC Player of the Year Braden McGinnis and the AMC Freshman of the Year Hunter Hees. 

Five Cougars hit above .400 on the season, led by Player of the Year Brayden McGinnis. McGinnis has an outstanding season hitting .479 with 22 doubles, 19 HR, and 79 RBIs. Tyler Renn (.442, 15 HR, 56 RBI). Bailey Quint (.424, 9 HR), Jack Matousek (.397, 11 HR), Jaden James (.386, 11 HR, 51 RBI), and Zac Fruend (.394, 10 HR) round out a powerful core of First Team selections in the field. As a team, Columbia has outscored opponents 500-215 and boasts a team OPS of 1.116.

On the mound, Columbia's pitching staff holds a 4.11 team ERA, led by First Team All-Conference selection Owen Clark (8-0, 2.08 ERA, 74 strikeouts in 56.1 IP) and Second Team All-Conference honoree Pierce Hartmann (8-2, 3.02 ERA). Closer Hunter Hees has tallied three saves with a 1.82 ERA across 13 appearances.

#4 Indiana Tech
Indiana Tech (37-19) enters the Opening Round after posting a strong overall record, including a 20-8 mark in WHAC play. The Warriors are making their 11th appearance in the NAIA National Tournament and their second-consecutive. 

The Warriors went on a run to win the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference for the second-consecutive year to earn an automatic bid. Indiana Tech is making their 11th appearance at the NAIA Opening Round and have made it to the NAIA World Series seven times, last in 2019. The Warriors had a six-year stretch from 1998-2003 making it to the World Series finishing as Runner-Ups in 1998 and a third place finish in 2000.

The Warriors feature a potent offensive lineup, hitting .312 as a team with 49 home runs, 370 RBIs, and 71 stolen bases. Ben Morrison leads the way at the plate, batting .388 with 17 doubles, 8 home runs, 50 RBIs, and a stellar .519 on-base percentage. Jordan Malott adds power in the middle of the order, hitting .350 with 11 home runs and 61 RBIs. Both Malott and Morrison earned First Team WHAC honors. Brycen Hannah (.354, 45 RBIs) and Jack Ferguson (.331, 10 HR) also provide key production.

On the mound, Indiana Tech carries a 5.15 team ERA. Grant Besser was a First Team All-Conference selection and has been the ace of the staff, going 6-1 with a 2.59 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 59.0 innings pitched. Colton Leatherman (2.08 ERA) has been effective out of the bullpen earning Second Team All-Conference honors. Noah Redmon (5-2, 3.32 ERA) also earned Second Team honors. Danny May (3.18 ERA) and Adam Besser (3.58 ERA) round out a solid top end of the pitching staff.

Defensively, the Warriors field at a .956 clip and have turned 39 double plays. Behind the plate, catchers have allowed 21 passed balls and opponents have stolen 102 bases out of 117 attempts. 

#5 Louisiana Christian
Louisiana Christian (29-24) earned the 5-seed and an automatic bid as the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-Up. The Wildcats are making their third appearance at the NAIA National Tournament and their second-consecutive as well. 

The Wildcats are hitting .298 as a team with 110 doubles, 29 home runs, and 322 runs scored. Braden McLin leads the charge, batting .350 with 8 stolen bases. Brady Huffman (.342, 9 stolen bases) was the only position player to earn All-RRAC Second Team honors and Harrison Waxley (.329, 38 RBIs) provide consistent production in the middle of the lineup.

On the mound, the Wildcats feature a 4.75 team ERA. Jacob Bareswill has been the ace, earning All-RRAC Second Team honors, posting a 3.21 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 70.0 innings. Seth Whitney has been effective in a relief role with a 2.70 ERA over 20.0 innings. Cy Fontenot has posted a 4-5 record with a 4.20 ERA in 14 starts and the closer Cowan Alfonso has a 4.63 ERA and 5 saves this season. 

Defensively, Louisiana Christian boasts a .959 fielding percentage.The Wildcats have a solid base-stealing game with 57 stolen bases on 72 attempts, led by McKenna (18 stolen bases) and Messina (32 stolen bases). Opponents have stolen 62 bases out of 87 attempts.

Cumberland History vs Opponents
Cumberland has never faced Columbia or Louisiana Christian in their all-time history. However, the Phoenix and Tennessee Wesleyan are no strangers. The two sides have played 74 times in their all-time history starting in 1984. The Phoenix lead the overall series 43-31 and 1-3 against the Bulldogs in the postseason since 2009. The Phoenix and Indiana Tech have also played a number of times at 45. The Phoenix lead the all-time series 33-11-1. 44 of those meetings happened at home with the lone meeting away from Ernest L. Stockton Field happened in 1998 at the NAIA World Series. 

This bracket is shaping up to be one of the more offensive-heavy groups in the tournament, with three of the four teams hitting over .310 and boasting big home run numbers. Expect plenty of fireworks at the plate, and whichever team can get just enough out of their pitching staff may be the one punching its ticket to Idaho.

Media 
All games will be broadcast for free by the Southeast Sports Network on YouTube. Randy Sallis and Chris Slaughter will be live on the air with Cumberland Sports Network. Live stats are available online.

OPENING ROUND HISTORY
15-11 since NAIA went to this format in 2009
2023 - Upland - lost Taylor 3-2
2023 - Upland - def. Fisher 17-9
2023 - Upland - lost Tennessee Wesleyan 30-18 (12 Inn.)
2018 - Upland - lost Freed-Hardeman 13-8
2018 - Upland - def. Northwestern Ohio 8-7
2018 - Upland - def. Taylor 5-2
2018 - Upland - lost Oklahoma Wesleyan 3-2
2014 - Kingsport - def. Brewton Parker 8-3 
2014 - Kingsport - lost Missouri Baptist 5-2
2014 - Kingsport - def. Bryan 8-1
2014 - Kingsport - def. Missouri Baptist 6-4
2014 - Kingsport - def. Missouri Baptist 6-3
2013 - Joliet - lost Judson 7-4
2013 - Joliet - def. Trinity Christian 18-2
2013 - Joliet - def. Mayville State 6-5
2013 - Joliet - lost Judson 4-3 (10 Inn.)
2011 - Paducah - lost Tennessee Wesleyan 5-3
2011 - Paducah - def. William Jewell 14-7
2011 - Paducah - def. Tennessee Wesleyan 19-10
2011 - Paducah - lost Tennessee Wesleyan 9-2
2010 - Joliet - def. Robert Morris 8-0
2010 - Joliet - def.  Campbellsville 6-4
2010 - Joliet - def. Campbellsville 3-0
2009 - Hattiesburg - def. Brescia 11-1
2009 - Hattiesburg - lost Southern Poly 6-2
2009 - Hattiesburg - lost William Carey 6-4