LEWISTON, Idaho – After a 1-1 start and being handed its first loss on Saturday evening, Missouri Baptist will face No. 10 Rogers State on Monday, May 27, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. CST in the Avista-NAIA World Series.

Missouri Baptist is now 1-1 in World Series play after a first round victory over No. 8 Sterling College (Kan.) and a loss to No. 1 Faulkner University (Ala.).

The Spartans were scoreless against Faulkner until the Eagles posted two runs in the bottom of the seventh on Saturday. Those two runs were enough to give the No. 1 team in the nation its first World Series win in team history.

Rogers State, on the other hand, dropped its first game to World Series host, Lewis-Clark State 6-1 before rallying on Saturday with an upset over York (Neb.). The Hillcats tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth before posting two runs in the bottom of the sixth. One more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth helped the team from Claremore, Okla., grab its first win of the Series.

ABOUT ROGERS STATE

WHO: Rogers State University (Okla.)

NICKNAME: Hillcats

COLORS: Navy and Red

CONFERENCE: Sooner Athletic Conference

OVERALL RECORD: 36-23

CONFERENCE RECORD: 15-12

NATIONAL RANKING: Not Ranked

WORLD SERIES SEED: 10

The Rogers State Hillcats have had an up and down season, but turned it on at just the right time. The epitome of the hot, dangerous team heading into post-season, Rogers State entered the NAIA National Championship Opening Round as the No. 4-seed in their own bracket and were not ranked in the final Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The facts notwithstanding, the Hillcats blew through the Claremore, Okla., bracket and went on to defeat No. 1-seed Lubbock Christian 7-5, and then again 8-4 in the championship game to advance to its second World Series in team history.

Just one year ago, the Hillcats advanced to the World Series championship game against Tennessee Wesleyan, but came up short in a 10-6 loss to the Bulldogs.

This season, RSU is led by Colton Campbell. The left fielder led the conference with a .415 batting mark and was a first-team All-Conference selection. Though he is hitting .290 thus far in the series, Campbell is a proven threat and will be a key to the team's success.

Hillcat leadoff man Eric Baker will be one to watch as well. The outfielder had a .325 batting average heading into the World Series and has recorded eight doubles. Baker was named to the All-Conference second team.

The starter on Monday will be Kyle Duncan. The right-handed pitcher is a transfer from Oklahoma State University and has a 7-3 record with a 4.83 ERA. In his last outing, Duncan went the distance against Lubbock Christian on the Opening Round Championship game and allowed the Chaparrals four runs on nine hits to pick-up the win.

 

ABOUT MISSOURI BAPTIST

WHO: Missouri Baptist University

NICKNAME: Spartans

SCHOOL COLORS: Navy and White

CONFERENCE: American Midwest Conference (AMC)

RECORD: 36-13

CONFERENCE RECORD: 24-4

NAIA NATIONAL RANKING: 20

WORLD SERIES SEED: 9

Missouri Baptist University entered the 2013 Avista-NAIA World Series as the No. 20-ranked team in the NAIA and the winner of the AMC regular season title. MBU was defeated in the AMC Tournament by eventual winner, Benedictine University-Springfield.

The Spartans have bounced around the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 after beginning the season ranked No. 14 overall. The team was ranked as high as No. 15 during the regular season in the poll released on April 2.

Missouri Baptist put together an 18-game win streak beginning on March 12 against Judson and ending on April 5 in a 5-3 loss to then-ranked No. 24 Lyon College.

The Spartans will send Mike Avila to the mound on Monday. The big lefty holds a 6-3 record with a 3.81 ERA in 2013. In his last outing, the senior picked-up the first of two wins against defending NAIA World Series Champion, Tennessee Wesleyan. In the game, Avila went eight and a third innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Opponents are hitting just .254 against him this season.

The winner of Monday's contest will move-on to face the loser of the game between Lee and Embry-Riddle on Monday. The loser will be knocked-out of the World Series.