NAIA OPENING ROUND HOSTS
 
ASHLAND – For the fourth consecutive postseason, the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round is returning to Southern Oregon.

The Raiders learned Monday that the national office again selected them to be one of 10 hosts for the Opening Round – a four-team, double-elimination affair that will take place May 16-18 and send the winner to Columbus, Ga., for the NAIA World Series.

SOU will again partner with the City of Medford to hold the tournament at Lithia & Driveway Fields. The NAIA selects hosts based on geography, facilities and national rankings, but does not consider sites without field lights, which rules out the Raiders' own University Field.

SOU has won Opening Round titles in each of its three previous hosting stints.

The complete 40-team national tournament field will be revealed May 10, following the conclusion of conference tournaments across the country. The Raiders – ranked No. 10 and sporting a 46-10 record – have already qualified automatically by earning hosting rights.

Before entering national postseason play, they'll travel to Klamath Falls for the six-team, double-elimination Cascade Conference Tournament, hosted by regular-season champion Oregon Tech. As the No. 2 seed, their run begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday against the winner of an early game between No. 3 seed Eastern Oregon and No. 6 seed Corban.

The complete tournament schedule is below:

FRIDAY, MAY 6
Game 1 @ 9 a.m. – (4) College of Idaho vs. (5) British Columbia
Game 2 @ 11:30 a.m. – (3) Eastern Oregon vs. (6) Corban
Game 3 @ 2 p.m. – (1) Oregon Tech vs. Winner of Game 1
Game 4 @ 4:30 p.m. – (2) Southern Oregon vs. Winner of Game 2

SATURDAY, MAY 7
Game 5 @ 9 a.m. – Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 3 (loser eliminated)
Game 6 @ 11:30 a.m. – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 4 (loser eliminated)
Game 7 @ 2 p.m. – Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
Game 8 @ 4:30 p.m. – Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 (loser eliminated)

SUNDAY, MAY 8
Game 9 @ 11 a.m. – Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 (loser eliminated)
Game 10 @ 1:30 p.m. – Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 (championship)
Game 11 – Thirty minutes after completion of Game 10 (if necessary)