UTB/TSC will make its first appearance in the NAIA National Baseball Championship Opening Round at Hays Field in Lubbock, home of the defending national champions, starting Tuesday, May 18.

The Scorpions are the fifth-seed in the five-team Opening Round site and will play Mount Marty College (S.D).  at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the first tournament game.

Other teams in the NAIA Opening Round Group 4 are top-seeded and defending NAIA champion Lubbock Christian University, which is 43-13; second-seeded York College (Neb.), which is 44-7, and third-seeded Avila University (Mo.), which is 36-12.

UTB/TSC is 30-22 for the season and qualified for the national tournament by placing second in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament May 6 in Fort Worth. Mount Marty is 35-15 and won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championship.

"The guys are real excited that we finally know where we're going and who we're going to play," Scorpion head coach Bryan Aughney said. "It was a little bit of a surprise to see the teams we'll see there. Our guys are not familiar with these teams but (Assistant) Coach (Wade) Pope and I have both worked in the GPAC. It'll be a different experience to see teams from other parts of the country in the postseason." 

The winner of the game between the Scorpions and Lancers advances to play Lubbock Christian at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

York and Avila meet at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the second game of the day.

UTB/TSC will visit Hays Field for the second time this season. The Scorpions and Chaparrals met in a four-game series Feb. 19-20, with UTB/TSC taking the opening game of the series, 5-4. The Scorpions scored all five runs in the top of the seventh inning for the come-from-behind win. LCU won the final three games by shutouts, 10-0, 7-0 and 4-0.

The double-elimination tournament continues until a champion is declared either Thursday or Friday. The tournament champion advances to the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho May 28-June 4. Tournament host Lewis-Clark State automatically advances to the site of the finals with the nine Opening Round winners.

UTB/TSC is one of 12 teams making their first National Tournament appearance. Oddly, the other three teams visiting Lubbock -- Avila, Mount Marty and York -- are also appearing in nationals for the first time as well. LCU is appearing in its ninth National Championship.

The tournament schedule at Lubbock is as follows:

Game 1: #4 Mount Marty, S.D. (35-15) vs. #5 UTB/TSC (30-22), 11 a.m.

Game 2: #2 York, Neb. (44-7) vs. Avila, Mo. (36-12), 2:30 p.m.

Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Lubbock Christian University (43-13), 6 p.m.

Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11 a.m.

Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 2:30 p.m.

Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser, 6 p.m.

Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 1 p.m.

Championship: Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 5 p.m.

Championship (if necessary): Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 1 p.m.