JOLIET, Ill. -- Game 8 has been moved up to 9:30 a.m. CT Friday in an attempt to beat the rain. Rain delayed Game 8 of the NAIA Baseball Tournament Opening Round between  Campbellsville University and Cumberland University to Friday, after it was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. CT Thursday.

With rain in the forecast for Friday, the tournament officials with the University of St. Francis and the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference met with the Joliet Jackhammers' grounds crew at 7 a.m. Friday to make the decision to play earlier on Friday at Silver Cross Field.

As of 7:30 a.m. CT Friday, rain remains in the Joliet forecast from 11 a.m. Friday until 2 a.m., Saturday, May 22. However, the NAIA deadline for the completion of the tournament is Friday, May 21.

Should no game be played, Cumberland will advance to the 2010 Avista-NAIA World Series as the undefeated team in the Joliet tournament. If Campbellsville were to win Game 8 and force an if necessary Game 9, then Campbellsville would advance should Game 9 get rained out, according to the NAIA's weather plan for the championship.

Game 8 will be the fourth meeting this season between Campbellsville and Cumberland. The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs beat the Tigers, 7-1, at home in Lebanon, Tenn., on March 23, but CU won in Campbellsville with a 5-4 win on April 7. The two teams met in Game 4 of this tournament Wednesday, with Cumberland edging Campbellsville, 6-4, in 10 innings.

Michael Caleb was the pitcher of record in the loss for CU in March, while Rusty Devitt, a sophomore from Silverdale, Wash., got the start in the win over the Bulldogs, but received a no decision after holding Cumberland to two hits and no runs in five innings. He also pitched a hit-less inning in the March 23 loss. Ian Pick recorded the win in relief, with Jared Lunardi getting the save.

Offensively in the three games, Alex Ponich has hit the Bulldogs the best from the leadoff spot, collecting five hits and scoring twice. Michael Caleb is next with four hits, including two Wednesday. Brian Chase, Logan Smith, Richie Rowland, Luke Gadow and Colin Bryan have all collected three hits against Bulldog pitching, with Smith and Rowland hitting a home run each for a combined five RBIs.

For Cumberland, Max Kautz has been the hard out for the Tigers this year, collecting four hits and driving in two runs Wednesday. He has six hits against CU pitching this year. Greg Appleton and Matt Greener have five hits off Tiger pitcchers, while Sam Kikla, who was hit less Wednesday with two strikeouts, has four hits. Kris Miller has three hits and David Fanshawe had all three of his hits off CU pitching on Wednesday.

Both teams have most of its pitching remaining for Friday.

Campbellsville advanced to its first Avista-NAIA World Series in 2009 after Bryan Fuller threw 21 scoreless innings to bring the Tigers out of the loser's bracket. Cumberland, the 2004 NAIA champion, is looking to return to the World Series for the first time in three years. The 2010 Avista-NAIA World Series will be played May 28-June 2.

Friday's games, if played will be broadcast live via Cumberland University radio, click here to listen.