Posted: Apr 27, 2014
�BracketsKANSAS CITY�- Central Methodist, the defending champion in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) Baseball Championship Series and six-seed this season, battles three-seed Peru State (Neb.) on Thursday to open play in the double-elimination tournament. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT at Wendell Redden Stadium in Joplin, Mo.
A change to the format will add an additional two teams to the tournament, May 1-6, at Wendell Redden Stadium in Joplin, Mo. Tournament Bracket�
The conference tournament has been a six-team event in recent years, but the league's coaches chose to expand the event to eight teams. They also chose a new site after staging the event at Phil Welch Stadium in St. Joseph, Mo.
The eight-team, double-elimination tournament will determine the conference's second automatic berth into the 2014 NAIA World Series Opening Round. MidAmerica Nazarene claimed the first spot by virtue of winning the regular season conference title.
The Pioneers will hold the #1 seed in the tournament after earning the best conference record as Western Division champions. Evangel claimed the #2 seed as the winner of the Eastern Division. Each division was guaranteed three places in the tournament, while the final two spots went to the remaining teams with the best records, regardless of division.
All eight teams will open the tournament on Thursday, May 1 with the Pioneers taking on No. 8-seeded Benedictine in the opener at 10:00 a.m. The next game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., as fourth-seeded Culver-Stockton facing No. 5-seeded Baker.
The bottom half of the bracket is scheduled to begin play at 4:00 p.m., as No. 3-seeded Peru State squares off against sixth-seeded Central Methodist. The final game of the day will be under the lights as Evangel meets No. 7-seeded Missouri Valley at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for the tournament as well as programs can be purchased at the entrace to Redden Stadium. The first potential championship game is slated for Monday, May 5 at 4:00 p.m. If both teams finish that game with one loss, they will play a final elimination game on Tuesday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m.
