LEWISTON, Idaho (May 27, 2011) ñ The Avista NAIA World Series has the appearance of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament, as a record three SAC teams make their way to Lewiston, and two of those teams open play Friday, as No.6-seed Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals faces No.3-seed Oklahoma Baptist University at 5 p.m. (CST) from Harris Field. WATCH ONLINE / ONLINE AUDIO LINK / LIVE SCORING / WORLD SERIES SCORES / WEATHER / TOURNEY STATS PAGE / TOURNAMENT SITE / BRACKET
LCU, nationally ranked No.9, heads to Idaho with a 46-12 overall record and they advance by claiming the Lubbock Bracket of the NAIAís Opening Round tournament. The Chaps lead the NAIA with a .377 batting average and also lead in home runs per game (1.7), RBI per game (9.6), runs scored (605), RBI (558) and slugging (.650). They also rank second in hits per game (11.7) and doubles with 143. Individually, Richard Bohlken and Ryan Burnaman co-lead the NAIA in total bases with 173 each. Burnaman leads the NAIA with 99 hits on the season, and he also ranks second in triples (10) and third in doubles (27) and runs scored (76). Bohlken is second in the NAIA in home runs with 22. Ryan Meade is second in the NAIA with 79 RBI and a .858 slugging percentage.
The Chaps are making their tenth NAIA World Series appearance. It is their fourth appearance, and third consecutive trip, under the coaching tenure of head coach Nathan Blackwood. LCU is 19-16 all-time in World Series play and 9-5 under Blackwood. The Chaps are also 1-0 against SAC teams in World Series play.
Oklahoma Baptist won the Joliet Bracket of the Opening Round to make their third trip to the NAIA World Series, and their first since 1996. The No.4 Bison are 45-12 overall on the season. They lead the NAIA with a pitching staff racking up 465 strikeouts on the year. OBU brings a solid offense as well that ranks fourth in the NAIA in runs per game (8.4), sixth in slugging (.538), eighth in homers per game (1.2) and tenth in batting (.336). Richie Mirowski is sixth in the NAIA with 11 wins on the season and is tenth in strikeouts with 102 this season. Offensively, Anthony Lopez is ninth in RBI (72) and total bases (150).
OBU is 2-4 all-time in World Series play and have dropped their last four games played. It is OBUís first appearance in Lewiston since a fourth place finish in 1989. Their appearance in 1996 was hosted by Sioux City, Iowa. Ironically for OBU, their last game played in the World Series was against a Texas based programÖ San Antonio based St. Maryís.
The season series between the two teams is split at 2-2 this season, with all four prior games played in Lubbock. LCU took two of three in the regular season series, but OBU defeated LCU 6-5 in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. The winner of the contest will not play again until 7 p.m. Monday night and it could possibly be a second straight game against a SAC team, as Oklahoma City University could be scheduled for that game if they defeat the Lewis-Clark State vs. Tennessee Wesleyan winner. The losing team of the LCU ñ OBU contest will play Saturday at noon in an elimination game against the losing team of the LCS ñ TWU contest.
Fridayís contest will be broadcasted online through www.lcuchaps.com and carried locally in Lubbock on Sports Radio 1340 AM ìThe Fan.î The game can also be viewed online through www.watchnaia.org, which is a service provided by the NAIA.
