LIVONIA, Mich. -- After sweeping Concordia in the best-of-three WHAC Tournament Series, the Madonna University baseball program has earned an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Crusaders will travel to Fayette, Missouri and host school Central Methodist University. The five teams in the double-elimination bracket include NAIA top-ranked and one seed Southeastern University, number two seed Kansas Wesleyan, third-seeded Central Methodist, and fifth-seeded University of St. Francis (Ill.).

Madonna is making their second straight tournament appearance after finishing 35-15 overall and 24-6 in WHAC play under head coach Justin Karn. The team is led by First Team All-WHAC performers Anthony Sharkas, Jace Matkin, Brady Krzciok, Alex Garbacik, and Bobby Cavin. Matkin led the team with a single-season school record 20 home runs, while Sharkas finished with a school record 82 hits this season and was eighth in the country with a .461 batting average. On the mound, First Team All-WHAC honoree Nate Blain leads the pitching staff with a 9-1 record in 76.2 innings pitched and a 3.64 ERA.  

Top-ranked Southeastern enters the tournament with a 52-4 overall record and 19-2 mark in Sun Conference play. The Fire won both their regular season and conference tournament titles and are led by head coach Adrian Dinkel. Isaac Nunez leads the team in hitting with a .440 average, while Chayce Bryant and Stephan Cullen have 19 home runs each for the offense. Two pitchers have sub 3.00 ERAs, they are Danny Batcher with an 8-0 record and 2.81 ERA, and Darian Smith, who is 10-2 with a 2.97 ERA.

Kansas Wesleyan is 42-13 overall and won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season title after finishing 27-6 in conference play. The Coyotes earned the number two seed under head coach Bill Neale, who is in his ninth season leading the program. Jarrett Gable leads the offense with 22 home runs and 79 RBIs in 55 games, while the pitching staff is led by Nathan Righi with a 10-2 record and 3.78 ERA. Another Coyote player to watch is pitcher Jarrett Brannen, who is 14-0 with a 4.48 ERA. 

Host Central Methodist enters the NAIA Opening Round with a 34-17 overall record and 23-7 Heart of America Conference record. The Eagles enter the tournament having lost five of their last seven games, but will have the home-field advantage under 10th year head coach Nate Breland. Robbie Merced leads the team with a .384 batting average, while Tanner Sears provides the power with 11 home runs this season. Alan West leads the pitchers with a 9-2 record and 2.99 ERA, while Sebastian Escobar is 8-3 on the bump with a 2.82 ERA. 

The Crusaders will first take on fifth-seeded University of St. Francis (Ill.). Despite the 25-26 overall record, the Fighting Saints finished 19-8 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference to win the regular season title. Head Coach Brian Michalak leads USF and is in his 12th season with the program. Eric Maffie is the offensive threat with a .387 average, 20 home runs, and 62 RBIs, while Sam Pileggi leads the pitching staff with a 3-1 record and 3.58 ERA. USF played top-ranked Southeastern twice this year, falling 15-2 on March 7th and 18-8 on March 10th. 

Madonna will take on USF at 12:00 PM EST/11:00 AM CST on Monday, May 15th. The winner will face Southeastern later in the day at 7:00 PM EST/6:00 PM CST. 

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