Bees to face Nelson in first game of Bellevue Bracket
St. Ambrose will play Nelson (Texas) in the first game of the Bellevue Bracket as the NAIA announced its Baseball National Championship Opening Round assignments Wednesday.
The Bees, watching the selection show at the Champions Club at Modern Woodmen Park, didn't have to wait long as the Bellevue Bracket was the first one announced.
SAU, the No. 5 seed, will face No. 4-seed Nelson at 11 a.m. Monday to begin play in the five-team bracket. The second seed Indiana Southeast will play No. 3 seed Huntington at 2:30 p.m. The winner of the St. Ambrose-Nelson game will square off against the top-seed Bellevue in the final game of the day Monday at 6 p.m.
The double-elimination bracket will continue through at least next Wednesday, with a possible 'if necessary' game scheduled for Thursday.
A total of 46 teams were assigned to one of 10 different Opening Round sites. The winners of each of the 10 brackets will advance to historic Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho, for the 2026 Avista NAIA World Series, beginning May 22.
St. Ambrose is making its first Opening Round appearance since 2017. The Bees will look to advance to the final site for the first time since 1996.
NAIA National Championship Opening Round
Bellevue Bracket | Renner Dennis Outdoor Athletic Complex
Monday, May 11:
Game 1: #4 Nelson vs. #5 Saint Ambrose, 11 a.m.
Game 2: #2 IU Southeast vs. #3 Huntington, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: #1 Bellevue vs. Winner of Game 1, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 12:
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13:
Game 7: Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, noon
Game 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 14:
Game 9: Same teams as Game 8, noon (If Necessary)