NAIA OPENING ROUND HOSTS

ASHLAND – The NAIA Softball Championships Opening Round is officially returning to Southern Oregon, and for the first time ever will be played on the Raiders' home field.

The national office announced Monday the 10 teams selected as Opening Round hosts, with SOU among them for the fifth consecutive postseason thanks to the team's No. 4 ranking. The four-team, double-elimination tournament will take place May 15-17 at University Field.

Medford's Lithia & Driveway Fields has been the site of the four previous Opening Rounds hosted by the Raiders due to the requirement of field lights for primary tournament sites, but this year the NAIA is allowing SOU to use that location as a backup in case of inclement weather.

With the bid comes and automatic spot in the 40-team national tournament for the Raiders, who finished the regular season Sunday with a 40-9 record. They'll be the No. 2 seed at this week's Cascade Conference Tournament hosted by top-ranked Oregon Tech, which will also be home for the Opening Round.

SOU will learn which teams are coming to Ashland when the complete field is announced at 2 p.m. on May 9. The Opening Round champions will travel to Columbus, Ga., for the NAIA World Series from May 25-31.