LINCOLN — No. 2-seeded Texas Wesleyan faces an elimination game Wednesday against No. 3 Madonna University after both teams dropped into the losers bracket at the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round.

The Rams fell 6-1 to Madonna on Monday in the Lincoln Bracket opener at Sherman Field, then stayed alive with a 17-11 victory over Oakland City on Tuesday. Madonna, meanwhile, dropped a 10-9 decision to host Doane on Tuesday.

Texas Wesleyan will look to even the season series with Madonna after being held in check offensively in the first meeting. The Rams' potent lineup will need to generate early runs and capitalize on timely hitting to keep its season going in the double-elimination format.

Madonna, the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament champion, enters having already defeated Texas Wesleyan once this week. The Crusaders will rely on strong pitching and their ability to manufacture runs as they seek to eliminate the Rams and advance further in the bracket.

Both teams face a quick turnaround and will need solid bullpen management in the high-stakes elimination contest. The winner advances in the losers bracket and remains alive in the tournament, while the loser is eliminated from the NAIA National Championship.

First pitch is scheduled for noon CDT at Sherman Field.