WON'T PLAY UNTIL SATURDAY

LEWISTON, ID -- Cumberland (53-9) received the No. 2 seed and will face the winner of Tennessee Wesleyan and Embry-Riddle on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT in the 2010 Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. The Bulldogs are making their 11th trip to the Avista-NAIA World Series and first since 2007.
 
More information about the 2010 Avista-NAIA World Series may be found at
http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/2010Championship.html <http://naia.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/2010Championship.html> , including live video for all games of the tournament and the full 10-team bracket. 

JOLIET, Ill -- Aaron Wilkerson threw a three-hit shutout as Cumberland defeated Campbellsville 3-0 Friday morning to win the NAIA Regional -- sending the 'Dogs to their 11th NAIA World Series.

Wilkerson (12-1) struck out an amazing 17 batters and walked just two as CU improved to 53-9 overall headed back to Lewiston, ID.

"Aaron Wilkerson was a special pitcher today," Said CU head coach Woody Hunt, "there's no question he's a professional pitcher -- he just dominated a very good Campbellsville team."

Cumberland broke open a scoreless game with two runs in the seventh thanks to back-to-back doubles by Sam Kikla amd Matt Greener -- followed by an RBI single by Troy Frazier.

CU added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Kikla led off with a triple and was chased home on a deep sacrifice fly by Greener.

Amazingly, Cumberland won all three games in the regional tournament without hitting a single home run after leading the NAIA in homers all season long.

"We played some small ball, moved runners along and our pitchers kept us in every game," Hutn said. "This club wanted to win so badly. They were disappointed by the rainout last night. We were a little tight this morning, but Wilkerson kept us in it."

Wilkerson won his 12th consecutive decision this decision and the righthander had to match Campbellsville's Rusty Devitt, who tossed a perfect game for six-and-a-third innings before Kikla's double in the seventh.

Greener followed with another double, plating the first run of the game, and Frazier's singled off the glove of Tigers shortstop Michael Caleb allowed pinch-runner Adam Sprague to come across with the second run of the inning.
 
Wilkerson gave up just three hits, singles in the fourth, sixth and ninth, and walked two. He worked out of one jam when Luke Gadow drew a walk and Alex Ponich singled to star the sixth, but Gadow was gunned down trying to take third and Caleb bounced into an inning-ending doubleplay.
 
Devitt (4-3) was just as good, striking out 12 and giving up just three hits. He did not walk a batter before running into trouble in the seventh.
 
Caleb blooped a single just over second baseman T.J. Murphy's outstretched glove into rightcenter for the first hit of the game with one out in the fourth. Campbellsville's Richie Rowland drew a leadoff walk in the fifth but his pinch-runner was left stranded at second.
 
The Bulldogs finally got to Devitt in the seventh, with the righthander starting Greg Appleton 3-and-0 before coming back to strike him out. But Kikla laced a 2-0 fastball over the centerfielder's head for a double and Greener followed with another double off the leftfield wall on another 2-0 fastball.
 
With two outs Frazier singled through the middle, off the glove of Caleb and into short center. Sprague came around to score on the play for a 2-0 CU advantage.
 
Kikla tripled to leadoff the ninth and Greener lined out to right for a sacrifice fly, giving the Bulldogs an insurance run.
 
The bracket for the 2010 Avista-NAIA World Series will be announced by 10 p.m. tonight at www.naia.org . The Bulldogs will play either Friday or Saturday in the first round of the tournament.