LEWISTON, Idaho -- A week after winning a regional title in comeback fashion, the Fresno Pacific baseball team begins play Friday in the NAIA World Series.
The Sunbirds face host school Lewis-Clark State at 7:30 p.m. PDT at Harris Field.
Fresno Pacific, 38-19 and ranked No. 13 in the NAIA, is making its first trip to the World Series. The Sunbirds are seeded No. 10 in the 10-team tournament. Lewis-Clark State is No. 7.
This is the 10th straight season the NAIA World Series has been played in Lewiston. Lewis-Clark State has won six of the nine previous tournaments.
Friday's winner advances to the second round against No. 2-seeded Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Fresno Pacific was led by
Tyler Pryor in winning the regional last week in Sioux City, Iowa. Pryor had four hits and drove in
five runs in the regional championship game, a 10-1 victory over Bellevue. Case Rigby and Dwight Nixon had three hits each and pinch runner Matt Souza scored four runs.
Daniel Mora (9-3) was winning pitcher, allowing just one run and eight hits in more than seven innings.
That win capped a comeback after the Sunbirds lost the regional opener 12-11 to Madonna. It faced elimination in every other game, beating Nebraska Wesleyan 9-7, Jamestown 14-5 and the rematch against Madonna 6-2.
That set up a showdown with Bellevue, and Fresno Pacific won both games, 8-5 and 10-1 to earn the trip to Lewiston.
Earlier this season the Sunbirds were 2-2 against Lewis-Clark in Lewiston.
Sunbirds fans can follow their team in the national tournament through the NAIA World Series website.