MVNU (30-16) is the No. 3 seed in the four-team event after posting a 17-9 mark in the American Mideast Conference. The Cougars have a balanced team that features a .342 team batting average that ranks second in the AMC, a 4.27 team ERA that ranks third in the AMC, and a .955 team fielding percentage and 56 double plays turned which both lead the AMC.

Individually, senior third baseman Richey Burgos leads the AMC in most offensive categories as he enters the tournament with a .471 batting average, 14 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 37 runs scored, and 61 RBI. Senior shortstop Ross Yoder (.408, nine homers, 32 RBI, 54 runs scored), junior second baseman Josh Estep (.360, six homers, 39 RBI, 29 runs scored), and senior outfielders Garret Shivley (.331, 26 RBI, 40 runs scored) and Marc Hadley (.331, five homers, 34 RBI, 33 runs scored) all contribute to the MVNU’s success at the plate.

On the mound, senior lefty Levi Curry has posted a 7-3 record with a 4.59 ERA while logging a team-high 68.2 innings. Junior right-hander Jason Decker (6-5, 3.48 ERA), freshman right-hander Caleb Wright (5-1, 5.27 ERA), senior right-hander Dave Yost (3-0, 3.33 ERA), and freshman lefty Josh Mann (3-1, 3.45 ERA) have all provided quality starts for the Cougars during the season, while Estep (3-1, 4.65 ERA, 2 saves) has proven effective as both a starter and a closer.

MVNU will square off with No. 2 seed Ohio Dominican University in the first round on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. The Panthers (34-13) swept a pair of games from the Cougars at Cougar Field by the scores of 7-6 and 7-5 on April 12 in the only meeting this year. Ohio Dominican leads the AMC with a 3.86 team ERA as the Panthers feature starting pitchers David Colopy (9-1, 1.73 ERA), Jonathan Kountis (4-2, 3.54 ERA), Chris Smith (5-2, 4.13 ERA), and Ryan Robowski (6-3, 4.50 ERA). Offensively, Joe Janusik (.417, 38 RBI), Eian Banks (.356, 32 RBI, 47 runs scored), Wilbert Morales (.340, nine homers, 44 RBI), and Vince Doster (.340, 39 stolen bases, 34 runs scored) lead the way.

The other first round game at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday will feature host and No. 1 seed Malone College (36-11) versus No. 4 seed Urbana University (27-19). During the regular season, the teams split a doubleheader at Malone with the Pioneers winning 4-3 in 10 innings in the first game and the Blue Knights posting a 5-3 victory in the nightcap.

The third game slated for Wednesday will be a loser’s bracket elimination game between the loser of each of the first two games on Wednesday. On Thursday, the first round winners will meet at 10:00 a.m. with another loser’s bracket game to follow at 1:00 p.m. The tournament is slated to wrap up on Friday with the winner earning the right to host the NAIA East Coast Super Regional - a best-of-three series with the NAIA Region X champion.