LEWISTON, Idaho - Just four teams are left playing baseball in the country. Two of them, separated by 188 miles, will play almost 2500 miles away from home in the semifinals of the Avista NAIA World Series. Faulkner, from Montgomery, Ala. and Georgia Gwinnett, from Gwinnett, Ga., play a long-awaited contest Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. at Harris Field.

THE STAKES
For Faulkner, it's an elimination game. The Eagles must win this game to stay alive in the World Series. A win would push Faulkner into the championship round for the first time since 2017. If Faulkner wins, there would be three teams remaining and the tournament committee will determine who plays when and where with two teams playing Thursday and the winner of that one playing Friday against the other of the three. At time of posting, we have not received official word as to the committee's criteria so this is pure reasoned speculation. However, it appears based on years past, if Lewis-Clark State wins tonight in the first game, they will get the bye to Friday since they have played every day of the event and would thus receive the bye. Beyond that, it is harder to extrapolate. If Central Methodist defeats the hosts, it appears Georgia Gwinnett could get the bye to Friday for being the last team remaining and having played the same number of days as Faulkner and Central Methodist. 

It is certain, however, that Georgia Gwinnett will be one of the teams left standing at the end of the day, win or loss. If Georgia Gwinnett wins, they will play for a chance to dogpile and hold the red banner Thursday and, if necessary, Friday as just two teams will remain. 

THE HISTORY
The two proximate foes have squared off 16 times since Georgia Gwinnett's baseball inception in 2013. Faulkner leads the all-time series against the Grizzlies 11-5, but GGC is on a three-game win streak, including two World Series meetings. This will mark the third straight World Series that the two teams have squared off. Georgia Gwinnett ran away with a 20-9 win in 2018 and scraped out a 6-3 victory in 2019 in Lewiston. Away from Lewiston, Faulkner is 11-3 against GGC, but are looking for their first postseason triumph over the Grizzlies. Before the three game skid, the Eagles had won eight consecutive games. Faulkner has outscored the Grizzlies 107-69 runs over the 16 games. They were supposed to battle on April 25, but it rained out. 

THE PATHS
Georgia Gwinnett is the lone undefeated team remaining after defeating Central Methodist Tuesday night, continuing their blazing streak through the tournament. The Grizzlies, the five-seed, have knocked off the four-seed Oklahoma Wesleyan, top-seed Southeastern and second-seed Central Methodist after winning the Santa Barbara Bracket against No. 14 Hope International. GGC plated 29 runs in the first three games and won by an average of 4.33 runs per game in Lewiston. They ran through the Association of Independent Institutions tournament, winning all three games by a combined score of 39-7.

Faulkner survived and advanced past the seven-seed IU Southeast Tuesday in a back-and-forth offensive showcase. The Eagles defeated host, and one of the four remaining schools, Lewis-Clark State Friday night before falling to another school still alive in Central Methodist Monday night.

PROBABLE PITCHERS
For Faulkner, expect Johnny Wholestaff to be available for Patrick McCarthy's squad. Late in tournaments, usually teams will have anyone with an arm available mentally preparing to pitch, and Faulkner appears to be no exception. Tyberius Correa could very likely get the ball after throwing 53 pitches Tuesday so the pitching staff will be ready to go if he needs relief. 

Georgia Gwinnett's pitching situation is a wild card. With the advantage of knowing they can afford a loss, does Jeremy Sheetinger hold his ace Hunter Dollander who has not pitched since the Oklahoma Wesleyan game Friday for a later date and go with a similar Johnny Wholestaff approach or does he roll the ace out now? 

Either way this shapes out, it should be an interesting game to see how the managers handle their pitching staffs.

COVERAGE
The games will be broadcast on the NAIA Network in a pay-per-view format -- $14.95 for a day pass and $34.95 for the tournament pass. Wednesday night's contest, and the rest from here out, will also be on ESPN3. 

Live stats will be available on Dakstats.