The top-seeded and No. 3 nationally ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team will begin play in the NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket on Monday, May 11, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

At 7 p.m., the Grizzlies (46-6) are scheduled to face the winner of the first tournament game of the day, between No. 4 seed University of Northwestern Ohio and No. 5 seed Talladega College (Alabama).

The five-team double-elimination tournament is scheduled to continue through Thursday, May 14. The champion will be one of 10 Opening Round winners advancing to the 2026 Avista NAIA World Series, starting May 22 in Lewiston, Idaho.

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

The NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket tournament schedule is:

Monday, May 11
Game 1: No. 4 seed University of Northwestern Ohio vs. No. 5 seed Talladega College (Alabama), 11 a.m.
Game 2: No. 2 seed Louisiana Christian University vs. No. 3 seed Marian University (Indiana), 3 p.m.
Game 3: No. 1 seed Georgia Gwinnett College vs. Winner of Game 1, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 12
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 13
Game 7: Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 14
Game 9: If necessary game between same two teams as Game 8, 11 a.m.

GGC is hosting an Opening Round for the fifth straight season and 10th time in program history. The program has advanced to the World Series for seven consecutive seasons and eight times overall, winning the national championship in 2021.

This year's team swept through three games in the Continental Athletic Conference Championship, defeating Westcliff University (California) 12-1 on May 1 in Lawrenceville.

The Grizzlies rank third nationally with a .356 batting average and are third with a 3.77 earned run average and 210 stolen bases, fourth with a .465 on-base percentage and 612 hits, and sixth with 480 RBI.

Junior shortstop Peyton Watts leads the team with a .418 batting average behind 17 doubles, six triples and five home runs.

Junior second baseman Payton Fort was named the CAC Player of the Year after posting a .400 average and scoring 63 runs. He also has connected on seven home runs and driven in 60 runs.

Junior outfielder Trey Smith earned the CAC Baseball Championship's Most Outstanding Player honor. He is tops on the team with 10 homers and 66 runs batted in.

Freshman outfielder Vick Gann, the CAC Freshman of the Year, is hitting at a .402 clip. He has scored 43 runs and is 16-of-17 in stolen base attempts.

Senior catcher Grant Pohlman has had 14 doubles and five homers while starting 51 games. Junior third baseman JJ Garcia has a .370 batting average and a team-best 19 doubles.

On the mound, senior Shane Anderson was the CAC Pitcher of the Year after compiling a 7-0 record and three saves in 16 appearances. He has 69 strikeouts and a 3.29 earned run average.

Junior Peyton Castellow stands 7-0 with a 2.45 earned run average and a team-high 84 strikeouts.

Senior Gavin LeBlanc has posted a 2.02 ERA during nine starts. Classmate Carson Judd is 6-0 with a 2.88 ERA across 14 appearances.

Anderson, Castellow and LeBlanc won games as GGC captured the CAC Championship by outscoring three opponents by a combined 34-9 score.

Northwestern Ohio (36-16) won the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference regular season title. Cesar Grau leads the Racers with eight home runs and 70 RBI while batting .411. Zach Grigalis is hitting at a .405 clip and has connected on seven homers. Eliomar Otero has had 18 doubles and eight home runs in 52 games. Pitcher Daniel Healy stands 10-1 with a 2.83 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 13 starts. Jordan Davis has recorded four saves and posted 30 strikeouts in 20 appearances.

Talladega (32-17) captured the HBCU Athletic Conference tournament championship and is playing in the Lawrenceville Opening Round for the second straight season. Eli Payne paces the Tornadoes with a .366 batting average. Victor Rivera has collected 61 RBI, and Armando Jackson has hit 12 home runs and driven in 64 runs. Pitcher Diego Duque is 7-3 with a 3.67 ERA across 15 appearances. Luis Perdomo stands 6-1 with 64 strikeouts in 12 starts.

Future GGC opponents in the tournament could be Louisiana Christian (35-13), which received an at-large bid to the field from the Red River Athletic Conference. Matthew Cody leads the Wildcats with a .404 batting average. Chris Kelley has connected on 12 homers and driven in 40 runs. Braden Trull has scored 50 runs and had 13 doubles. Pitcher Kade Linn is 10-1 with 97 strikeouts in 75 innings across 15 appearances. Colton Williams has recorded six saves and held opposing hitters to a .194 batting average in 19 appearances.

Meanwhile, Marian (35-16) is making its first Opening Round appearance since 2019 by receiving an at-large bid from the Crossroads League. Brayden Coffey leads the Knights with a .369 batting average and 14 doubles. River Pecina has hit 17 home runs and collected 69 RBI. Landon Sarkey has scored 55 runs with a .363 average. Pitcher Seth Hogg stands 7-3 with 58 strikeouts in 62.2 innings across 11 starts. Eli Loichinger is 8-3 with a 3.97 ERA and 70 strikeouts.