KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [Opening Round Schedule | Selection Show] The NAIA has announced the 46-team field and pairings for the 2022 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. The 13th annual event takes place May 16-19 at 10 host sites. Six of the sites will feature five-team, double-elimination tournament; the final four brackets will sport only four squads.
The winners of all 10 opening round sites will head to Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) for the 65th annual Avista NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 27 – June 3. For more information on the World Series, click here.
The field consists of 31 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular-season champions, tournament champions or tournament runners-up – and 15 at-large teams. Conferences with 10-or-more members receive two automatic qualifiers, while leagues with less than 10 get one.
At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, a member of the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association Executive Committee and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
For more information on NAIA Baseball, click here.
| Institution | Qualifying Method | Record | Appearances | Last Time | OR Titles | OR Record |
| Antelope Valley (Calif.) | Cal Pac Regular Season Champion | 37-11 | 5 | 2019 | 1 | 5-5 |
| Bellevue (Neb.) | NSAA Tournament Champion | 45-10 | 12 | 2021 | 2 | 21-19 |
| British Columbia | CCC Tournament Runner-Up | 29-23 | 8 | 2019 | 0 | 11-16 |
| Bryan (Tenn.) | AAC Tournament Champion | 27-26 | 7 | 2021 | 0 | 8-12 |
| Central Methodist (Mo.) | Heart Tournament Champion | 42-13 | 5 | 2021 | 1 | 5-6 |
| Columbia (Mo.) | At-Large | 38-12 | 3 | 2021 | 0 | 3-4 |
| Concordia (Neb.) | GPAC Tournament Champion | 36-15-1 | 4 | 2021 | 1 | 6-5 |
| Cumberlands (Ky.) | MSC Tournament Champion | 43-14 | 5 | 2021 | 0 | 4-8 |
| Doane (Neb.) | GPAC Regular Season Champion | 37-12 | 5 | 2021 | 0 | 4-8 |
| Faulkner (Ala.) | At-Large | 34-15 | 12 | 2021 | 8 | 28-8 |
| Fisher (Mass.) | CAC Tournament Runner-Up | 29-28 | 2 | 2021 | 0 | 0-2 |
| Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | MSC Tournament Runner-Up | 37-15 | 7 | 2021 | 2 | 12-9 |
| Georgia Gwinnett | CAC Tournament Champion | 41-14 | 8 | 2021 | 4 | 21-8 |
| Hope International (Calif.) | GSAC Tournament Champion | 41-13 | 4 | 2021 | 1 | 9-4 |
| IU Southeast (Ind.) | RSC Tournament Champion | 39-13 | 8 | 2021 | 1 | 11-12 |
| Judson (Ill.) | CCAC Tournament Runner-Up | 21-28 | 8 | 2018 | 0 | 5-12 |
| Kansas Wesleyan | KCAC Tournament Champion | 34-27 | 5 | 2011 | 0 | 6-6 |
| Keiser (Fla.) | At-Large | 35-20 | 3 | 2021 | 1 | 3-2 |
| Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | World Series Host Berth | 51-4 | N/A | N/A | NA | NA |
| Loyola (La.) | At-Large | 33-22 | 2 | 2021 | 0 | 0-2 |
| LSU Alexandria (La.) | RRAC Tournament Champion | 33-14 | 6 | 2018 | 0 | 2-8 |
| LSU Shreveport (La.) | RRAC Regular Season Champion | 47-5 | 13 | 2021 | 3 | 20-19 |
| Lyon (Ark.) | AMC Tournament Champion | 36-20 | 7 | 2019 | 0 | 7-10 |
| Madonna (Mich.) | WHAC Tournament Runner-Up | 27-13 | 8 | 2018 | 0 | 4-12 |
| McPherson (Kan.) | At-Large | 39-12 | 2 | 2021 | 0 | 2-2 |
| MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | Heart Tournament Runner Up | 36-16 | 5 | 2021 | 0 | 3-6 |
| Middle Georgia State | At-Large | 30-19-1 | 6 | 2021 | 0 | 6-8 |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) | Crossroads League Regular Season Champion | 37-17 | 8 | 2021 | 0 | 5-12 |
| Northwestern Ohio | WHAC Regular Season/Tournament Champion | 37-12 | 5 | 2021 | 1 | 8-4 |
| Oklahoma City | Sooner Tournament Champion | 47-4 | 12 | 2021 | 6 | 24-10 |
| Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | CCAC Regular Season/Tournament Champion | 38-15 | 4 | 2021 | 0 | 1-4 |
| Ottawa (Kan.) | KCAC Regular Season Champion | 42-8 | 2 | 2021 | 0 | 0-0 |
| Point Park (Pa.) | At-Large | 37-14 | 6 | 2021 | 1 | 5-6 |
| Reinhardt (Ga.) | At-Large | 35-21 | 3 | 2021 | 1 | 3-1 |
| Saint Katherine (Calif.) | Cal Pac Tournament Runner-Up | 31-21 | 2 | 2021 | 0 | 0-0 |
| Science & Arts (Okla.) | At-Large | 35-13 | 7 | 2021 | 2 | 11-4 |
| Southeastern (Fla.) | The Sun Tournament Champion | 51-3 | 7 | 2021 | 3 | 10-6 |
| St. Thomas (Fla.) | At-Large | 38-17 | 10 | 2021 | 3 | 18-11 |
| Tabor (Kan.) | At-Large | 37-17-1 | 8 | 2017 | 2 | 18-9 |
| Taylor (Ind.) | Crossroads League Tournament Champion | 39-16 | 8 | 2018 | 0 | 5-12 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan | AAC Tournament Champion | 51-5 | 13 | 2021 | 5 | 29-16 |
| Vanguard (Calif.) | At-Large | 43-13 | 6 | 2021 | 1 | 13-8 |
| Warner (Fla.) | At-Large | 40-16 | 3 | 2021 | 0 | 0-2 |
| Webber International (Fla.) | At-Large | 38-19 | 5 | 2019 | 0 | 5-6 |
| Westmont (Calif.) | At-Large | 42-11 | 7 | 2021 | 0 | 7-10 |
| William Carey (Miss.) | SSAC Tournament Champion | 37-15 | 8 | 2021 | 1 | 15-11 |
Opening Round Notes
- Overall, there are 36 repeat qualifiers from the 2021 opening round, including eight teams that won opening round titles last season.
- This season marks the first in the Opening Round format in which LCSC will play in the first phase.
- Three teams achieved the 50 win threshold – Southeastern (Fla.), Tennessee Wesleyan, and Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
- Twenty-two have combined to win 51 Opening Round crowns.
- The Sun paces all conference with five entrants, followed by the SSAC and KCAC with four each, while the GSAC and AAC put forth three teams.
- All-Time Opening Round Record by Seed
- No. 1-Seed: 212-79 (.728)
- No. 2 seed: 140-140 (.500)
- No. 3 seed: 139-142 (.494)
- No. 4 seed: 106-152 (.410)
- No. 5 seed: 91-159 (.364)
- All-Time Opening Round Host Records
- 2011 Hosts: 17-7 (.708)
- 2012 Hosts: 23-7 (.766)
- 2013 Hosts: 20-5 (.800)
- 2014 Hosts: 18-8 (.692)
- 2015 Hosts: 20-9 (.689)
- 2016 Hosts: 20-14 (.588)
- 2017 Hosts: 21-10 (.677)
- 2018 Hosts: 17-9 (.653)
- 2019 Hosts: 21-8 (.76)4
- 2021 Hosts: 15-11 (.576)
- TOTAL: 192-88 (.685)
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