Bowling Green, Ky. - The Central Methodist softball team earned the No. 1 seed in the Bowling Green Bracket of the 2022 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round. 

The opening round is set to take place May 16-18 in Bowling Green, Ky. Each of the 10 opening round locations around the country features a four-team, double-elimination tournament. The 10 opening round champions will then battle for the red banner at the 41st annual NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Ga., May 26 – June 1. 

Joining Central in the Bowling Green bracket is; No. 2 Campbellsville (Ky.), No. 3 Tennessee Wesleyan, and No. 4 St. Mary of the Woods (Ind.).

CMU enters the dance with an overall record of 40-5, including a 27-1 mark in conference action. Central rode a 28-game winning streak through the majority of March and April, the longest winning streak in the last 15 years in program history. 

Campbellsville clinched the No. 2 seed after earning an at-large berth out of the Mid-South Conference. The Tigers currently boast an overall record of 37-16 including a 23-5 mark in conference play. 

Tennessee Wesleyan earned the No. 3 seed after winning the Appalachian Tournament with an overall record of 34-7. 

The fourth and final seed in the Bowling Green bracket is St. Mary of the Woods out of Indiana. The Pomeroys clinched an automatic berth after winning the River States Conference Tournament in their first year in the NAIA.

CMU will begin championship play against St. Mary of the Woods Monday, May 16 at 3:30 p.m. 

Tickets for the Opening Round are $12.00/day and must be purchased in advance. Fans can purchase tickets here. 

Fans can watch all games of the Bowling Green bracket here. The cost is $9.99/game. 

To view the full list of qualifiers for this year's field, please click here. Fans may also watch the selection show here. 

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