BELLEVUE, Neb. – The No. 24 ranked William Woods University baseball team is set to begin its journey in the school's third-ever NAIA Baseball National Championships, as the No. 3 seeded Owls will face No. 2 seeded Bellevue University in the Opening Round of the tournament on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
 
WWU found out the location of their Opening Round games last Friday, as the NAIA announced that the Owls would be the third seed in the Bellevue Bracket, as No. 5 ranked Tabor College earned the top seed, while host-school  Bellevue University captured the No. 2 seed, after receiving an out large bid Madonna (Mich.) was named the No. 4 seed and Mayville State rounds up the Bellevue Bracket being the No. 5 seed.
 
What has been an impressive season for the Owls (38-12; 19-7 AMC), that saw the team collect the second most wins in school history (38), finished second in American Midwest Conference (AMC) regular season play, made a run in the AMC tournament before falling to Missouri Baptist in heartbreak fashion in the semi-final..
 
The Owls offense has been a vital impact to its success throughout the season, hitting a .306 as a team, which is fourth best in the AMC, while eight players have a season average of .300 or above.
 
WWU centerfielder Cody Stewart has led the Owls offensively, batting .381 on the season, recording four triples, a team-high 50 RBI and a .512 slugging percentage. The senior had a notable end to the season, leading the team in the AMC tournament with a .454 batting average (10-for-22), scoring six runs and totaling eight RBI in five games.
 
Another senior that is having a stellar last season for William Woods is Nick Spagnola, posting a .377 average from the plate, while totaling a team-high 72 hits and 20 stolen bases.
 
The Owls were able to have just as much success on the mound as its offense, while having one of the best bullpen performances in school history, holding a staff ERA of 2.54, which is best in school history along with second best in the nation. The pitching staff also ranks third in the nation by holding its opponents to just a .215 batting average, while amassing 402 total strikeouts on the season.
 
Junior John Cavness proved to become one of the best starters for the Owls, as the lefty recorded seven wins in his 13 games started on the season, earning an ERA of 3.06 in 70.2 innings of work.
 
Closer, James Ball had another remarkable season, as the senior led the staff with a 2.20 ERA in 69.2 innings pitched. The Hillsboro, Missouri native, totaled a staff-high 75 strikeouts and nine saves, while recording a 8-3 overall record on the season.
 
Like WWU,  No. 14 ranked Bellevue University is having another astonishing year, as the Bruins have collected 44 wins and captured the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title in route to the 2015 NAIA Baseball National Tournament.
 
BU is led offensively by Osvaldo Gonzalez with a .430 batting average, 29 doubles, 15 home runs, 62 RBIs and a .800 slugging percentage. His 29 doubles ranks first nationally, as he ranks in the top 10 nationally in nine categories. Gonzalez was named the 2015 MCAC Player of the Year, while also earning a spot on the MCAC Gold Glove team.
 
On the mound, just like the Owls, the Bruins pitching staff play a key role in its accomplishments this year. As a team, BU ranks No. 1 in the nation with a ERA of 2.41, while Stephen Meyer holds a staff best 1.52 ERA in 83.0 innings of work, recording 10 wins in his 12 appearances on the season.
 
With a WWU win, the team would play at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, while a loss would put them in an elimination game at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday with the loser of the No. 4 seed Madonna (Mich.) and No. 5 seed Mayville State match-up
 
Fans wanting to see the entire bracket can click here
 
Check back on wwuwouls.com for a full recap and score of the Opening Round action from Bellevue, Nebraska tomorrow evening,