By Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics  (NAIA) is excited to announce that the brackets in the Softball National Championship Opening Round and the Baseball National Championship Opening Round will be officially announced with a free video selection show. The pairings for the 40-team softball national championship opening round tournament will be announced at 7 p.m. CDT on May 6. The pairings for the 45-team baseball national championship opening round tournament will be announced at 7 p.m. on May 9.

The softball opening rounds will be contested from May 12-14 at 10 various sites with four teams playing in a double-elimination format at each location. For more information on those 10 sites, click here. The baseball opening rounds are scheduled from May 12-15 at nine various sites with five teams playing in a double-elimination format at each location. For more information on those nine sites, click here.

The softball national championship qualifiers will be announced on NAIA.org at 5 p.m. on May 6. The baseball national championship qualifiers will be announced on NAIA.org at 5 p.m. on May 9.

The video will appear on NAIA.org roughly five minutes prior to the start of the show.

About the NAIA
Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs and championships in proper balance with the overall educational experience. In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character-building aspects of sport. Through the Champions of Character program, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. The NAIA has evolved from a small college basketball tournament in 1937 to a national athletics association comprised of 260 member institutions representing 60,000 student-athlete participating in 23 national championships.

2014 Spring Championship Selection Shows
• Softball National Championship Opening Round: May 6, 7 p.m. CDT (free video show)
• Baseball National Championship Opening Round: May 9, 7 p.m. CDT (free video show)