The 2024 NAIA baseball tournament was the 67th edition of the NAIA baseball championship. The 46-team tournament began on May 13 with Opening Round games across ten different sites and concluded with the 2024 NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho that began on May 24 and ended on May 31.
After losing their first game of the World Series, Hope International (CA) rattled off five straight victories capped off by defeating Tennessee Wesleyan 14–6 in the championship game for their first title in program history.
The 46 participating teams were selected from 191 eligible NAIA teams. The World Series host and 29 teams were awarded automatic bids as either champions and/or runners-up of their conferences, and 16 teams were selected at-large by the National Selection Committee. Teams were then placed into one of ten pre-determined Opening Round sites, with six sites consisting of five teams and four sites consisting of four teams, each of which is conducted via a double-elimination tournament. The winners of each of the Opening Round sites participated in the NAIA World Series.
Tournament procedure A total of 46 teams entered the tournament, with Lewis–Clark State receiving an automatic bid into the Opening Round as World Series host. 29 automatic bids were determined by either winning their conference's regular season championship, conference tournament, and/or conference tournament runner-up. The other 16 bids were at-large, with selections determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee.
Opening round hosts On May 1, the NAIA announced the ten opening round host sites, which were played from May 13–16.
Venue Location Host Estes Baseball Field Fayette, MO Central Methodist University Doyle Buhl Stadium Williamsburg, KY University of the Cumberlands Sherman Field Lincoln, NE Doane University Grizzly Baseball Complex Lawrenceville, GA Georgia Gwinnett College Harris Field Lewiston, ID Lewis-Clark State College Pilot FieldBPCC Baseball Field Shreveport, LABossier City, LA Louisiana State University Shreveport Ken White Baseball Field Waleska, GA Reinhardt University Winterholter Field Upland, IN Taylor University Hunter Wright Stadium Kingsport, TN Visit Kingsport Milton Wheeler Field Hattiesburg, MS William Carey University
Bids Source: Automatic School Conference Record Berth Last NAIA Appearance Bellevue (NE) North Star 39–12 Tournament champion 2023 NAIA World Series Blue Mountain Christian (MS) Southern States 31–21 Tournament runner-up First Appearance Bushnell (OR) Cascade 29–24 Tournament champion First Appearance Concordia (NE) Great Plains 41–13 Regular season champion 2023 (Lawrenceville Bracket) Cumberlands (KY) Mid-South 48–6 Tournament champion 2023 NAIA World Series Doane (NE) Great Plains 38–13 Tournament runner-up 2023 (Bellevue Bracket) Embry–Riddle (AZ) Cal Pac 29–18 Tournament champion First Appearance Georgia Gwinnett Continental 47–6 Tournament champion 2023 NAIA World Series Indiana Tech Wolverine-Hoosier 32–22 Tournament champion 2021 (Marion Bracket) IU–Southeast River States 32–18 Tournament runner-up 2022 (Santa Barbara Bracket) Jessup (CA) Golden State 39–9 Tournament champion 2019 (Miami Gardens Bracket) Kansas Wesleyan Kansas 45–10 Regular season champion 2023 (Fayette Bracket) Lewis-Clark State (ID) Cascade 37–11 World Series host 2023 NAIA World Series Louisiana Christian Red River 32–19 Tournament champion 1987 (Area II Tournament) LSU–Shreveport Red River 42–9 Regular season champion 2023 (Shreveport Bracket) Mid-America Christian (OK) Sooner 40–11 Tournament champion First Appearance Missouri Baptist American Midwest 39–10-1 Tournament champion 2023 (Kingsport Bracket) Mount Mercy (IA) Heart 32–20 Tournament champion First Appearance Northwestern Ohio Wolverine-Hoosier 36–15 Regular season champion 2022 (Upland Bracket) Oklahoma Wesleyan Kansas 35–18 Tournament champion 2021 NAIA World Series Park (MO) Heart 35–17 Tournament runner-up First appearance Point Park (PA) River States 41–13 Tournament champion 2023 (Upland Bracket) Reinhardt (GA) Appalachian 38–16 Tournament runner-up 2023 (Williamsburg Bracket) Saint Francis (IN) Crossroads 37–17 Tournament runner-up First Appearance Southeastern (FL) The Sun 48–6 Tournament champion 2023 NAIA World Series St. Francis (IL) Chicagoland 29–19 Tournament champion 2023 (Fayette Bracket) Talladega (AL) Gulf Coast 36–15 Tournament champion 2019 (Miami Gardens Bracket) Taylor (IN) Crossroads 41–14 Regular season champion 2023 NAIA World Series Tennessee Wesleyan Appalachian 37–16 Tournament champion 2023 (Upland Bracket) William Carey (MS) Southern States 34–14 Tournament champion 2023 NAIA World Series
At–Large School Conference Record Last NAIA Appearance Arizona Christian Golden State 33–19 2019 (Miami Gardens Bracket) British Columbia Cascade 31–19 2023 (Santa Barbara Bracket) Central Methodist (MO) Heart 43–9 2023 (Fayette Bracket) Columbia (MO) American Midwest 37–14 2023 (Williamsburg Bracket) Faulkner (AL) Southern States 35–15 2022 NAIA World Series Freed–Hardeman (TN) Mid-South 38–13 2023 (Lawrenceville Bracket) Hope International (CA) Golden State 37–14 2023 (Lewiston Bracket) Keiser (FL) The Sun 32–21 2022 (Montgomery Bracket) Loyola (LA) Southern States 36–17 2022 (Shreveport Bracket) MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) Heart 34–18 2023 NAIA World Series Milligan (TN) Appalachian 33–20 First Appearance Oklahoma City Sooner 35–16 2023 (Bellevue Bracket) Ottawa (AZ) (OUAZ) Golden State 34–17 First Appearance Science & Arts (OK) Sooner 34–16 2023 (Lewiston Bracket) Tabor (KS) Kansas 35–14 2022 (Bellevue Bracket) Webber International (FL) The Sun 42–12 2023 (Kingsport Bracket)
Opening Round Source:
Fayette Bracket Hosted by Central Methodist (MO) at Estes Baseball Field
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Results
Hattiesburg Bracket Hosted by William Carey (MS) at Milton Wheeler Field
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Results
Kingsport Bracket Hosted by Visit Kingsport at Hunter Wright Stadium
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Results
Lawrenceville Bracket Hosted by Georgia Gwinnett at Grizzly Baseball Complex
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Results
Lewiston Bracket Hosted by Lewis–Clark State (ID) at Harris Field
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Results
Lincoln Bracket Hosted by Doane (NE) at Sherman Field
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Results
Shreveport Bracket Hosted by LSU–Shreveport at Pilot Field (May 13 and 16) and BPCC Baseball Field (May 14 and 15)
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Results
Upland Bracket Hosted by Taylor (IN) at Winterholter Field
The first game of the Upland Bracket featured one of the largest comebacks in NAIA postseason history as IU-Southeast trailed Indiana Tech 11–2 heading into the bottom of the 9th. After the first two batters got out, IU-Southeast proceeded to score 12 runs in the bottom of the 9th capped off by a Trevor Goodwin three-run walk-off home run to win 14–11. All 12 runs IU-Southeast scored in the inning were unearned.
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Results
Waleska Bracket Hosted by Reinhardt (GA) at Ken White Baseball Field
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Results
Williamsburg Bracket Hosted by Cumberlands (KY) at Doyle Buhl Stadium
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Results
NAIA World Series The NAIA World Series was held at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho from May 24 to 31. This is the first time since 1998 that the NAIA World Series did not feature Lewis–Clark State.
Participants SchoolConferenceRecordHead CoachBracketPrevious NAIAWS AppearancesBest NAIAWS FinishNAIA WSRecord Arizona Christian Golden State 36–19 Joe McDonald Lewiston none none 0–0 Cumberlands (KY) Mid-South 51–6 Brad Shelton Williamsburg 1 T-9th 0–2 Georgia Gwinnett Continental 51–7 Jeremy Sheetinger Lawrenceville 6 1st 11–10 Hope International (CA) Golden State 40–15 Larry Mahoney Fayette 1 T-9th 0–2 IU–Southeast River States 36–18 Brett Neffendorf Upland 1 T-5th 2–2 Kansas Wesleyan Kansas 48–10 Bill Neale Shreveport none none 0–0 Reinhardt (GA) Appalachian 41–16 Jonathan Burton Waleska 1 T-9th 0–2 Southeastern (FL) The Sun 51–6 Adrian Dinkel Lincoln 5 1st 16–7 Tennessee Wesleyan Appalachian 40–16 Billy Berry Kingsport 6 1st 13–10 William Carey (MS) Southern States 37–14 Bobby Halford Hattiesburg 5 1st 9–7
Bracket Source:
Preliminary Bracket
Championship Bracket
Game Results All game times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time (UTC−07:00).
Preliminary Bracket
Championship Bracket
Championship Game
See also 2024 NAIA softball tournament 2024 NCAA Division I baseball tournament 2024 NCAA Division II baseball tournament 2024 NCAA Division III baseball tournament
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References