Three AAC Teams Earn NAIA Opening Round Assignments
(Story provided by NAIA Sports Communications)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [Opening Round Schedule] The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the teams and pairings for the 2024 NAIA Baseball National Championship. The 46-team field begins with the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, at 10 sites around the nation from May 13-16.
The 10 winning teams will advance to the 2024 Avista NAIA Softball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho hosted by Lewis-Clark State (Idaho). The 67th annual event will run from May 24-31 at famous Harris Field.
This year's championship field includes 30 automatic qualifiers, 15 at-large selections, and one host berth allocation. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, or regular-season championship or finished runner-up at the conference tournament or regular season as determined by each conference qualification plan. The at-large bids were determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee. This committee consists of one representative from each Area Rating Committee (ARC), a representative from the National Administrative Council, an officer of the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association, and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
All championship opening-round games will be video-streamed by the host.
Hudl TV will be the official home of NAIA Baseball World Series streaming. It will broadcast all games from Lewiston, Idaho through Game 16 on Wednesday. Single-day and all-championship passes can be purchased HERE. Games on Tuesday and Wednesday will be streamed exclusively on ESPN3 and are not included in packages on Hudl TV.
Qualifier Highlights
- Eight teams in the 2024 field have won a Red Banner, led by 19 from Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and three each from Southeastern (Fla.) and Tennessee Wesleyan
- Ten teams are making their first appearance in the NAIA Baseball Opening Round this year: Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.), Bushnell (Ore.), Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), Louisiana Christian, Mid-America Christian (Okla.), Milligan (Tenn.), Mount Mercy (Iowa), OUAZ (Ariz.), Park (Mo.), and Saint Francis (Ind.)
- Six of the first-time qualifiers will play each other in their first game of the Opening Round: Saint Francis (Ind.) vs. Park (Mo.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.) vs. Milligan (Tenn.), and Bushnell (Ore.) vs. Louisiana Christian
- Arizona Christian, Jessup (Calif.), and Talledega (Ala.) are all into the field for the first time since 2019
- 19 teams enter the next phase of the postseason with a winning streak, led by Talladega with 15, Georgia Gwinnett with 13, and Indiana Tech at 11
- The Golden State, Heart of America, and Southern States Conference are all tied for the lead with four teams in the field
- Five teams are the Eagles, four are the Warriors, and there are two each of Bulldogs, Cougars, and Pioneers
- For a full look at all of the Opening Round tournaments and matchups, click HERE
| Institution | Qualification Method | Season Record | Last Qualified | Appearances | Titles |
| Arizona Christian | At-Large | 33-19 | 2019 | 3 | - |
| Bellevue (Neb.) | NSAA Tournament Champion | 39-12 | 2023 | 14 | 1 |
| Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) | SSAC Tournament Champion | 31-21 | - | 1 | - |
| British Columbia | At-Large | 31-19 | 2023 | 14 | - |
| Bushnell (Ore.) | CCC Tournament Champion | 29-24 | - | 1 | - |
| Central Methodist (Mo.) | At-Large | 43-9 | 2023 | 5 | - |
| Columbia (Mo.) | At-Large | 37-14 | 2023 | 5 | - |
| Concordia (Neb.) | GPAC Regular Season & Tournament Champion | 41-13 | 2023 | 6 | - |
| Cumberlands (Ky.) | MSC Tournament Champion | 48-6 | 2023 | 7 | - |
| Doane (Neb.) | GPAC Tournament Runner-up | 38-13 | 2023 | 7 | - |
| Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | Cal Pac Tournament Champion | 29-18 | - | 1 | - |
| Faulkner (Ala.) | At-Large | 35-15 | 2022 | 13 | 1 |
| Freed Hardeman (Tenn.) | At-Large | 30-18-1 | 2023 | 9 | - |
| Georgia Gwinnett | CAC Tournament Champion | 47-6 | 2023 | 10 | 1 |
| Hope International (Calif.) | At-Large | 37-14 | 2023 | 6 | - |
| Indiana Southeast | RSC Tournament Runner-Up | 32-18 | 2022 | 8 | - |
| Indiana Tech | WHAC Tournament Champion | 32-22 | 2021 | 10 | - |
| Jessup (Calif.) | GSAC Tournament Champion | 39-9 | 2019 | 3 | - |
| Kansas Wesleyan | KCAC Regular Season Champion | 45-10 | 2023 | 6 | - |
| Keiser (Fla.) | At-Large | 32-21 | 2022 | 4 | - |
| Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | World Series Host Berth | 37-11 | 2023 | 3 | 19 |
| Louisiana Christian | RRAC Tournament Champion | 32-19 | - | 1 | - |
| Loyola (La.) | At-Large | 36-17 | 2022 | 3 | - |
| LSU-Shreveport (La.) | RRAC Regular Season Champion | 42-9 | 2023 | 15 | - |
| Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | Sooner Tournament Champion | 40-11 | - | 1 | - |
| MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | At-Large | 34-18 | 2023 | 7 | - |
| Milligan (Tenn.) | At-Large | 33-20 | - | 1 | - |
| Missouri Baptist | AMC Tournament Champion | 39-10-1 | 2023 | 10 | - |
| Mount Mercy (Iowa) | Heart Tournament Champion | 32-20 | - | 1 | - |
| Northwestern Ohio | WHAC Regular Season | 36-15 | 2022 | 6 | - |
| Oklahoma City | At-Large | 35-16 | 2023 | 14 | 1 |
| Oklahoma Wesleyan | KCAC Tournament Champion | 35-18 | 2021 | 7 | - |
| OUAZ (Ariz.) | At-Large | 34-17 | - | 1 | - |
| Park (Mo.) | Heart Tournament Runner-Up | 35-17 | - | 1 | - |
| Point Park (Pa.) | RSC Tournament Champion | 41-13 | 2023 | 8 | - |
| Reinhardt (Ga.) | AAC Tournament Runner-Up | 38-16 | 2023 | 5 | - |
| Saint Francis (Ind.) | Crossroads League Tournament Runner-up | 37-17 | - | 1 | - |
| Science & Arts (Okla.) | At-Large | 34-16 | 2023 | 9 | - |
| Southeastern (Fla.) | The Sun Tournament Champion | 48-6 | 2023 | 9 | 3 |
| St. Francis (Ill.) | CCAC Tournament Champion | 29-19 | 2023 | 6 | - |
| Tabor (Kan.) | At-Large | 35-14 | 2022 | 8 | - |
| Talladega (Ala.) | GCAC Tournament Champion | 36-15 | 2019 | 5 | - |
| Taylor (Ind.) | Crossroads League Regular Season Champion | 41-14 | 2023 | 9 | - |
| Tennessee Wesleyan | AAC Tournament Champion | 37-16 | 2023 | 15 | 2 |
| Webber International (Fla.) | At-Large | 42-12 | 2023 | 6 | - |
| William Carey (Miss.) | SSAC Regular Season Champion | 34-14 | 2023 | 10 | 1 |