MADISON, S.D. (VCSU) – The brackets for the 2019 North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Postseason Baseball Tournament are set. Valley City State (N.D.) will be this year’s conference tournament host site for the fourth straight year, with the opening round starting on Friday, May 3.
Top six seeds advance to the NSAA Baseball Postseason Conference Tournament, using the NAIA’s six-team double-elimination format. The tournament is being held at Charlie Brown Stadium (203 12th Ave. NE) in northeast area of Valley City, N.D.
No. 25-ranked Bellevue (Neb.) carries their 19-game winning streak to the NSAA Baseball Conference Tournament, holding the top overall No. 1 seed in the league tournament. The Bruins are 39-14 overall record and 23-1 record in North Star conference play. BU won the conference tournament last year.
Bellevue kicks off the tournament’s opening round on Friday morning at 11 a.m. versus No. 6 seed Viterbo (Wis.) (11-29 overall record, 6-17 NSAA conference record).
No. 2 seed belongs to Waldorf (Iowa) (28-20 overall record, 18-6 NSAA) and is scheduled to face No. 5 seed Mayville State (N.D.) (17-23 overall record, 10-14 NSAA) at 2 p.m. The last opening round features host-team No. 3 seed Valley City State (N.D.) (18-21 overall record, 12-11 NSAA) taking on No. 4 seed Presentation (S.D.) (19-22 overall record, 11-12 NSAA).
The tournament continues on Saturday with the loser’s out game at 11 a.m., followed by another game at 2 p.m. Friday’s first game winner versus the third game loser. The day rounds out with a winner’s bracket game from the Thursday’s second and third game winners at 5 p.m.
The tournament pairings could be adjusted depending on the outcome on Saturday’s 2 p.m. game, depending if there are five teams remaining in the tournament. The action continues on Sunday at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The championship game is slated for Monday morning at 11 a.m., with an if necessary game at 2 p.m.
The tournament champion receives the NSAA’s automatic berth to the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, which will be played on May 13-16 at nine different campus announced by the NAIA.
All games are nine (9) innings with 10-run mercy rule after 7 innings. There will be no 10-run rule in the championship game.
Dakota State (S.D.) (4-34 overall record, 2-21 NSAA) did not advance to the North Star Baseball Postseason Conference Tournament
