The 2012 NAIA baseball tournament was the 56th edition of the NAIA baseball championship. The 46-team tournament began on May 10 with Opening Round games across nine different sites and concluded with the 2012 NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho that began on May 25 and ended on June 1. Tennessee Wesleyan defeated Rogers State (OK) 10–6 in the championship game for their 1st title in program history.
The 46 participating teams were selected from all eligible NAIA teams with the World Series host receiving an automatic bid to the NAIA World Series. The remaining 45 teams participated in the Opening Round with 29 teams being awarded automatic bids as either champions and/or runners-up of their conferences, and 16 teams were selected at-large, which were determined by the final NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Teams were then placed into one of nine pre-determined Opening Round sites of five teams a piece, each of which is conducted via a double-elimination tournament. The winners of each of the Opening Round sites plus the World Series host team participated in the NAIA World Series.
Tournament procedure A total of 46 teams entered the tournament. As World Series host, Lewis–Clark State received an automatic bid into the NAIA World Series. 29 automatic bids were determined by either winning their conference's regular season championship, conference tournament, and/or conference tournament runner-up. The other 16 bids were at-large, with selections determined by the final NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
Opening round hosts On April 15, the NAIA announced the nine opening round host sites, which were played from May 10–14.
Venue(s) Location(s) Host(s) Hunter Wright Stadium Kingsport, TN Appalachian Athletic Conference Cougar Baseball Complex Azusa, CA Azusa Pacific University Sliwa Stadium Daytona Beach, FL Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (FL) Olympic Field Cleveland, TN Lee University IWU Wildcat Field Marion, IN Mid-Central College Conference Jim Wade Stadium Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City University J. Polk Brooks Stadium Paducah, KY Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau Hobart-Detter Field Hutchinson, KS Tabor College Richard Gray Baseball Complex Hardeeville, SC University of South Carolina Beaufort
Bids Source:
Automatic School Conference Record Berth Last NAIA Appearance Arizona Christian A.I.I. 33–21 Tournament champion First appearance Asbury (KY) NAIA East Group 18–37 Tournament champion First appearance Avila (MO) Heart 39–14 Regular season champion 2010 (Group 4 Bracket) Bacone (OK) Red River 28–23 Tournament runner-up 2004 (Region VI Tournament) Concordia (CA) Golden State 37–16 Tournament champion 2011 NAIA World Series Dakota State (SD) A.I.I. 28–26 Tournament runner-up 2007 (Region III Tournament) Doane (NE) Great Plains 33–19 Regular season champion 2011 (Oklahoma City Bracket) Embry–Riddle (FL) The Sun 40–16 Regular season champion 2011 NAIA World Series Faulkner (AL) Southern States 49–11 Tournament runner-up 2011 NAIA World Series Georgetown (KY) Mid-South 45–9 Tournament champion 2007 (Region XI Tournament) Grand View (IA) Midwest 27–27 Tournament champion 2010 (Group 5 Bracket) Judson (IL) Chicagoland 46–12 Regular season champion 2008 (Region VII Tournament) Lee (TN) Southern States 50–8–1 Tournament champion 2011 NAIA World Series Lewis-Clark State (ID) NAIA West Group 41–12 World Series host 2011 NAIA World Series LSU–Shreveport Red River 48–4 Tournament champion 2011 NAIA World Series Lubbock Christian (TX) Sooner 33–20 Tournament runner-up 2011 NAIA World Series Menlo (CA) NAIA West Group 27–25 Tournament champion First appearance Missouri Baptist American Midwest 37–14 Tournament champion 2011 (Cleveland Bracket) Mount Marty (SD) Great Plains 26–26 Tournament champion 2010 (Group 4 Bracket) Mount Vernon Nazarene (OH) Mid-Central 33–18 Tournament champion 2011 (Kingsport Bracket) Oklahoma Baptist Sooner 46–12 Tournament champion 2011 NAIA World Series Peru State (NE) Heart 35–16 Tournament champion 2002 (Region IV Tournament) Siena Heights (MI) Wolverine-Hoosier 31–21 Tournament champion 1994 NAIA World Series St. Francis (IL) Chicagoland 37–15 Tournament champion 2011 (Joliet Bracket) St. Thomas (FL) The Sun 43–12 Tournament champion 2011 (Riverside Bracket) Sterling (KS) Kansas 43–12 Tournament champion 2004 (Region IV Tournament) Taylor (IN) Mid-Central 37–18 Regular season champion 2010 (Group 3 Bracket) Tennessee Wesleyan Appalachian 45–11 Tournament champion 2011 NAIA World Series Union (TN) TranSouth 37–17 Tournament champion 2011 (Montgomery Bracket) York (NE) Midlands 39–17 Tournament champion 2010 (Group 4 Bracket)
At–Large School Conference Record Last NAIA Appearance Auburn–Montgomery Southern States 36–22 2011 (Montgomery Bracket) Azusa Pacific (CA) Golden State 44–10 2009 (Group 6 Bracket) Bellevue (NE) Midlands 39–19 2011 (Paducah Bracket) Biola (CA) Golden State 26–27 2011 (Joliet Bracket) Campbellsville (KY) Mid-South 36–16 2011 (Daytona Beach Bracket) College of Idaho NAIA West Group 38–18 2010 (Group 2 Bracket) Freed–Hardeman (TN) TranSouth 36–21 1997 (Mid South Regional) Indiana Tech Wolverine-Hoosier 39–20 2011 (Cleveland Bracket) Lindsey Wilson (KY) Mid-South 41–14 2007 (Region XI Tournament) Oklahoma City Sooner 43–9 2011 NAIA World Series Point Park (PA) NAIA East Group 48–9 2003 (Region IX Tournament) Rogers State (OK) Sooner 42–14 2011 (Lubbock Bracket) Shorter (GA) Southern States 37–17 2003 (Region XIII Tournament) The Sun 35–16 2010 (Group 3 Bracket) Southern Poly (GA) Southern States 35–23 2011 (Paducah Bracket) Tabor (KS) Kansas 41–13 1994 (District 10 Tournament)
Opening Round Source:
Azusa Bracket Hosted by Azusa Pacific (CA) at Cougar Baseball Complex
Cleveland Bracket Hosted by Lee (TN) at Olympic Field
Daytona Beach Bracket Hosted by Embry–Riddle (FL) at Sliwa Stadium
Hardeeville Bracket Hosted by USC–Beaufort at Richard Gray Baseball Complex
Hutchinson Bracket Hosted by the Tabor (KS) at Hobart-Detter Field
Kingsport Bracket Hosted by the Appalachian Athletic Conference at Hunter Wright Stadium
Marion Bracket Hosted by the Mid-Central College Conference at IWU Wildcat Field
Oklahoma City Bracket Hosted by Oklahoma City at Jim Wade Stadium
Paducah Bracket Hosted by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau at J. Polk Brooks Stadium
NAIA World Series The NAIA World Series was held at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.
Participants SchoolConferenceRecordHead CoachBracketPrevious NAIAWS AppearancesBest NAIAWS FinishNAIA WSRecord College of Idaho NAIA West Group 41–19 Shawn Humberger Azusa 4 1st 13–7 Embry–Riddle (FL) The Sun 43–16 Randy Stegall Daytona Beach 10 2nd 17–20 Lee (TN) Southern States 54–9–1 Mark Brew Cleveland 6 2nd 15–12 Lewis–Clark State (ID) Frontier 41–12 Gary Picone n/a 30 1st 119–37 LSU–Shreveport Red River 51–4 Rocke Musgraves Paducah 2 T-3rd 5–4 Oklahoma City Sooner 47–10 Denney Crabaugh Oklahoma City 13 1st 32–25 Point Park (PA) NAIA East Group 51–9 Loren Torres Marion 10 3rd 10–20 Rogers State (OK) Sooner 45–14 Ron Bradley Claremore none none 0–0 The Sun 40–17 Bryan Lewallyn Hardeeville none none 0–0 Tennessee Wesleyan Appalachian 48–11 Billy Berry Kingsport 2 T-9th 0–4
Bracket Source:
Preliminary Bracket
Championship Bracket
Game Results All game times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time (UTC−07:00).
Preliminary Bracket
Championship Bracket
Championship Game
See also 2012 NAIA softball tournament 2012 NCAA Division I baseball tournament 2012 NCAA Division II baseball tournament 2012 NCAA Division III baseball tournament
References