BISMARCK, N.D. (NSAA) – The brackets for the 2021 North Star Athletic Association Postseason Baseball Tournament are set. Valley City State will be this year’s conference tournament host site for the fifth straight season, with the opening round starting on Friday, May 7. The tournament runs through Monday, May 10 with the championship game scheduled for 11 a.m.
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 in Valley City.
Bellevue won the North Star Athletic Association regular-season title for the second straight season (last time 2019; 2020 season was canceled due to coronavirus pandemic). The Bruins finished their conference season with a 15-5 record (.750 winning percentage) and currently holds a 34-14 overall record.
Bellevue, who won the last two conference postseason tournaments, kicks off the tournament’s opening on Friday morning at 11 a.m. versus Dakota State (20-23 overall record, 13-15 NSAA conference record).
Mayville State (31-14 overall record, 20-8 NSAA record) owns the No. 2 seed and is slated to play No. 5 seed Dickinson State (13-23 overall record, 11-12 NSAA record) at 2 p.m. The last opening round features the host-team No. 3 seed Valley City State (21-24 overall record, 14-9 NSAA record) taking on No. 4 seed Waldorf (20-28 overall record, 13-14 NSAA record) at 5:30 p.m.
The tournament continues 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 Friday’s second and third game winners at 5:30 p.m.
The tournament pairings could be adjusted depending on the outcome on Saturday’s 2 p.m. game, depending on if there are five teams remaining in the tournament. The action continues Sunday at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 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 17-20 on-campus sites announced by the NAIA national office. The national tournament’s opening round winners move on to the Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho on May 28-June 4.
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.
Viterbo (17-25 overall record, 12-16 NSAA record) and Presentation (9-42 overall record, 4-23 NSAA record) did not advance to the North Star Baseball Postseason Conference Tournament.
