Kansas City, MO – For the fourth consecutive year, the University of the Cumberlands has been chosen to host the 2026 NAIA Baseball and Softball Championship Opening Rounds, NAIA officials announced on Friday.

Both Opening Rounds are scheduled for May 11-14 where the winner will advance to the NAIA Baseball and NAIA Softball World Series. The Patriots baseball and softball teams will look to make another trip to their respective World Series this season.

The Cumberlands baseball team is 42-8 on the season and went 16-2 in Mid-South Conference play during the regular season, while ranking fifth in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll. UC claimed its fourth consecutive MSC Regular Season Championship this year and has been dominant on both sides of the ball, hitting .350 as a team with 107 home runs while posting a 4.48 ERA on the mound. UC recorded ten All-Conference selections, including eight on the First Team.

The seventeenth-ranked Patriots softball team has compiled a 35-16 record on the year, including a 12-6 mark in Mid-South Conference play. Cumberlands enters the MSC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after a strong regular season and is set to continue postseason play this week. The Patriots also earned significant postseason recognition, placing four players on the MSC First Team, two on the Second Team, and three on the Gold Glove Team.

UC is one of a select group of schools to host both the baseball and softball opening rounds once again, continuing its tradition as a premier postseason site. Lindsey Wilson is the only other team from the Mid-South with an Opening Round Site as they earned a selection for softball.

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