DELAND, Fla. (May 21, 2009) - Two days of rain has forced a format change in the 2009 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championships. Unable to complete a six-team, double-elimination championship, the championship will begin with two single-elimination games, leading into a four-team, double-elimination championship.

The new championship will commence with the fourth-seeded Belmont Bruins facing the fifth-seeded Mercer Bears at 3:00 p.m. The Bears concluded their regular season by sweeping a three-game series with the Bruins in Nashville, Tenn., last weekend. The winner will face Jacksonville, the Championship's top seed at 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

Third-seeded Stetson will take on ETSU, the sixth seed, at 6:30 p.m. in the second of the single-elimination games. The Hatters took three from the Buccaneers at home earlier in the month, outscoring the Bucs, 36-11. Lipscomb, the defending champion, waits as the reward for the winning club at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.

Friday's play concludes with the two losing teams from the day's first two contests playing an elimination game at 4:30 p.m. The day's two winners will play at 8:00 p.m. with the victor earning a spot in the title game.

Please follow AtlanticSun.org for updates throughout the Championship.

Revised Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Game 1: No. 4 Belmont vs No. 5 Mercer, 3:00 pm
                          Elimination Game
Game 2: No. 3 Stetson vs No. 6 ETSU, 6:30 pm
                           Elimination Game

Friday, May 22, 2009
Start of Double Elimination Bracket
Game 3: No. 1 Jacksonville vs Winner Game 1, 9:30 am
Game 4: No. 2 Lipscomb vs Winner Game 2, 1:00 pm
Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4, 4:30 pm
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4, 8:00 pm

Saturday, May 23, 2009
Game 7: 11:00 am
Game 8: 2:30 pm

Sunday, May 24, 2009
Game 9: 1:00 pm - If Necessary