By Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released the list of 10 host sites for the 3rd annual NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round, the national office announced Wednesday. The event will be played May 11 – 13 and features 10 four-team double elimination tournaments. The 40 qualifiers and pairings for the National Championship Opening Round will be announced May 7. The opening round playing format can be found here.

The hosts include: Auburn University at Montgomery (Ala.), Central Methodist University (Mo.), Concordia University (Calif.), Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), Louisiana State University Alexandria, Oklahoma City University, Oregon Institute of Technology, St. Gregory's University (Okla.), University of South Carolina Beaufort and William Carey University (Miss.). Each of these host schools are guaranteed at least an at-large host berth in the National Championship Opening Round.

Six hosts this year served as host institutions for the 2014 event: Auburn Montgomery, Concordia, Lindsey Wilson, Oklahoma City, St. Gregory’s and William Carey. Of those six programs, Auburn Montgomery, Lindsey Wilson, Oklahoma City, St. Gregory’s and William Carey advanced through their respective 2014 Opening Rounds to advance to the national championship final site.

Last year, seven-of-10 opening round hosts won their respective opening round tournaments. Overall, the hosts have won 11-of-20 all-time Opening Rounds. Oklahoma City is the only program to host and win each of the past two Opening Round tournaments – the Stars are 6-1 overall. Auburn Montgomery and Reinhardt join Oklahoma City as two-time Opening Round champions – both institutions won it all as a visitor in 2013.

Auburn Montgomery is the only team to appear in multiple Opening Rounds and hold an undefeated record (5-0). Leading the pack with the most Opening Round wins, Belhaven (Miss.), Oklahoma City, Reinhardt and former member Spring Hill (Ala.) have all won six games each.

Overall, the No. 1 seeds have gone a combined 54-16 since the Opening Round format began in 2013. Last year, the top seeds went 24-9 and were champions of six-of-10 Opening Rounds. Two returning teams bring an undefeated Opening Round record into the event: Auburn Montgomery (5-0) and William Carey (3-0).

The Opening Round site selection process takes into account: geography, facilities, student-athlete experience and host qualification. The application deadline for bids was April 1.

The champions of each of the 10 Opening Round tournaments will advance to the 35th annual NAIA Softball World Series in Sioux City, Iowa from May 22 – 28. These programs will participate in a double-elimination national championship format on one championship field. Last year, Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) defeated William Carey (Miss.), 10-6, to record its first-ever softball championship.

For the complete opening round schedule, click here.
For more championship information, click here.

2015 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round Host Sites
(listed alphabetically)

^ Opening Round Championship host in 2013 & 2014
& Opening Round Championship host in 2014
$ Opening Round Championship host in 2013

NAIA Softball National Championship Facts
o This opening round championship format occurs for the third time in the history of the sport, which spans back to 1981. From 2005-12, the championship format included pool play with the champions advancing to double-elimination action.
o Opening Round All-Time Records (by seeds since 2013)
     o No. 1 seeds: 54-16
     o No. 2 seeds: 41-34
     o No. 3 seeds: 25-39
     o No. 4 seeds: 8-39
o In the previous two years, the top seed has been the Opening Round champion in 15-of-20 events. The No. 2 seed has won four Opening Rounds, while No. 3 College of Idaho is the only No. 3 seed to win the event (2014). There has not been a No. 4 seed to win the Opening Round.
o The 40-team field will be comprised of 31 automatic qualifiers and nine at-large berths. The 19 conferences, including the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.), will receive one berth per six teams and two berths per ten teams. In addition, two Unaffiliated groups will receive one berth each.
o The 10 Opening Round champions will meet up at the NAIA Softball World Series in Sioux City, Iowa for a seven day, double-elimination event starting on May 22. There are four games during each of the first three days (Sunday is an off day); three games on May 26; two games on May 27; World Series championship final on May 28 (if necessary game to follow).
o The 10-team World Series bracket will be officially announced May 13 after the Opening Rounds have been completed (late in the day).
o Currently, 197 NAIA schools sponsor a varsity softball program among a membership of nearly 260 colleges, universities and conferences.