Bellevue University of Nebraska has become the first baseball team to officially be eliminated from competing in the upcoming NAIA World Series.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, the Bruin baseball team has been forced to forfeit all 42 of its games played this season after university officials discovered the team played with an ineligible transfer player.
Bellevue athletic director Ed Lehotak says the university recently received a call questioning the eligibility of Jon Reed. School officials were unable to track down Reed’s formal release from Division I Sam Houston State. Additionally, Lehotak says officials also found there was an error on Reed’s transfer papers regarding the timing of his enrollment at Bellevue.
The athletic department self-reported the infractions to the NAIA, and the governing body handed down its decision on Friday.
Reed had been leading the team with a .492 batting average, which was the fourth highest in the nation.
Bellevue had won 30 of its last 31 games and was set to host the conference tournament this week. The tournament, which was rained out Monday will resume Tuesday, and Bellevue has been replaced. (Omaha World-Herald)
