Tabor College hosts NAIA opening round of World Series tournament For the first time in school history, Tabor College had the opportunity to host an opening round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) baseball tournament which was played at HobartDetter field in Hutchinson, Kan. May 10-14. Rusty Allen, vice-president of intercollegiate athletics, noted that it was a privilege to host the event. “We are honored that we were able to host an opening round of the 2012 NAIA baseball tournament,” Allen said. “This speaks well not only of Tabor College and the progress of our baseball program but of baseball in the KCAC as a whole.” The five-team tournament included, in seeding order, Oklahoma Baptist University out of the Sooner Athletic Conference; No. 2 seeded Judson University out of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference; No. 3 seeded Rogers State University also out of the Sooner Athletic conference; Tabor College and
Above: Arturo Corona, Atwater, Calif., was selected as KCAC Player of the Year and NAIA Second Team All American following his performances in the KCAC tournament and the opening round of the NAIA World Series. He is only the second Bluejay to earn Second Team All-American status. Right: Adam McCormick, Pittsburg, Kan., slugged his way through the 2012 season. He earned KCAC First Team honors and is the first in Bluejay history to be named NAIA baseball First Team All-American.
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Dakota State from the Association of Independent Institutions. It was a magical tournament for the Tabor College baseball team but a bittersweet conclusion to the season. The Bluejays were defeated by Rogers State University of Claremore, Okla. in the title game. The Bluejays came through the tournament eliminating the second seed and No. 17 nationally ranked Judson University, as well as the No. 1 seed and No. 7 nationally ranked Oklahoma Baptist University. They also defeated Dakota State in the opening game of the double-elimination tournament. Rogers State University would eventually make their way through the World Series Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho falling in the end to the national winner, Tennessee Wesleyan. Special thanks go to the sponsors that helped underwrite the NAIA regional event. A Gold-level sponsor was Pinnacle Sports Medicine. Silver sponsors were Baseball Savings of Wichita, Kan., Stuart-Nissan of Enid, Okla. and Vogts-Parga Construction, Newton, Kan. Tabor, which earned its first KCAC title since the 1995-96 season, made its first ever appearance at the opening round of the NAIA national baseball tournament and finished off the 2012 season with an overall record of 44-15, and 21-7 in conference play.