Road to Lewiston Runs Through Shreveport Once Again
SHREVEPORT, La. -- The field is officially set for the 2026 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round in Shreveport as LSU Shreveport welcomes four nationally competitive programs to Pilot Field for the four-day tournament scheduled for May 11–14.
The Shreveport Bracket will feature No. 1 LSU Shreveport (Red River Athletic Conference), No. 2 Mid-America Christian University (Sooner Athletic Conference), No. 3 Loyola University New Orleans (Southern States Athletic Conference), No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference), and No. 5 Huston-Tillotson University (HBCU Athletic Conference).
Tournament action begins Monday, May 11, with No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan taking on No. 5 Huston-Tillotson at 11 a.m. Oklahoma Wesleyan enters the postseason with a 36-17 overall record and one of the most explosive offenses in the NAIA, batting .317 as a team with 107 home runs and 522 runs scored. The Eagles are led by one of the nation's premier power hitters in Wally Diaz, who blasted 24 home runs with 85 RBI, while JT Maloney (.399, 14 HR) and Daurys Manzanillo (.380, 16 HR) headline a dangerous lineup.
Huston-Tillotson enters the tournament with a 33-18 record after capturing the HBCUAC Tournament championship. The Rams hit .281 as a team and are led offensively by Trey Garza (.370) and Alec Worden (.378), while Weston Bailey anchors the pitching staff with an 8-2 record and 2.43 ERA.
The second game of the day is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and features No. 2 MACU against No. 3 Loyola New Orleans in a matchup between two battle-tested programs. MACU enters with a 39-13 overall record and boasts one of the most balanced offenses in the country, batting .331 with 70 home runs. The Evangels are powered by Nick Hill, who hit .350 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI, while Jalen King (.397) and Sammy Hallada (.360) provide elite production at the top of the lineup. On the mound, Ibrahim Gonzalez leads the staff with a 10-2 record and 1.83 ERA.
Loyola New Orleans enters postseason play with a 36-17 record and one of the most aggressive offenses in the field, totaling 181 stolen bases while hitting .301 as a team. The Wolf Pack are led by Jaxon Buratt (.382) and Nathan McDonald (.353, 12 HR, 50 RBI), while closer Jake Cohen has anchored the bullpen with 13 saves and a 2.16 ERA.
The nightcap will feature the tournament host and top overall seed as No. 1 LSU Shreveport faces the winner of Oklahoma Wesleyan and Huston-Tillotson at 6 p.m. The Pilots enter the Opening Round with a 41-12 overall record after capturing the 2026 RRAC Baseball Tournament Championship with a dominant 17-6 victory over Texas A&M-Texarkana.
LSUS has once again established itself as one of the nation's top programs, batting .348 as a team with 537 runs, 60 home runs, and 209 stolen bases. Carlos Sanchez leads the Pilots with a .400 batting average, 84 hits, and 81 RBI, while Makana Olaso has added 15 home runs and 59 RBI. Quaterrion Walton, Spencer Sullivan, and Carlos Vega have each provided consistent offensive production throughout the season.
On the mound, LSUS has posted a 3.35 team ERA with 439 strikeouts, led by Brock Lucas, who enters postseason play with a 10-2 record, 1.83 ERA, and 111 strikeouts in 88.1 innings pitched. The Pilots enter the tournament riding a seven-game winning streak and carrying the momentum of another championship season into the Opening Round.
The Shreveport Bracket is part of the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, with the winner advancing to the 2026 Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
Additional tournament information, including ticket details and updated brackets, can be found at lsusathletics.com.
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