2018 NAIA baseball tournament


The 2018 NAIA baseball tournament was the 62nd edition of the NAIA baseball championship. The 46-team tournament began on May 14 with Opening Round games across nine different sites and concluded with the 2018 NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho that began on May 25 and ended on May 31. Southeastern (FL) defeated Freed–Hardeman (TN) 6–3 in the championship game for their first title in program history and becoming the most recent team to win the NAIA baseball championship in their first World Series appearance. This was also the most recent championship game in which both teams were making their very first NAIA World Series appearance.
The 46 participating teams were selected from all eligible NAIA teams with the World Series host receiving an automatic bid to the NAIA World Series. The remaining 45 teams participated in the Opening Round with 31 teams being awarded automatic bids as either champions and/or runners-up of their conferences, and 14 teams were selected at-large by the National Selection Committee. Teams were then placed into one of nine pre-determined Opening Round sites of five teams a piece, each of which is conducted via a double-elimination tournament. The winners of each of the Opening Round sites plus the World Series host team participated in the NAIA World Series.

Tournament procedure

A total of 46 teams entered the tournament. As World Series host, Lewis–Clark State received an automatic bid into the NAIA World Series. 31 automatic bids were determined by either winning their conference's regular season championship, conference tournament, and/or conference tournament runner-up. The other 14 bids were at-large, with selections determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee.

Opening round hosts

On May 1, the NAIA announced the nine opening round host sites, which were played from May 14–17.
VenueLocationHost
Bowling Green BallparkBowling Green, KYBowling Green CVB
Doyle Buhl StadiumWilliamsburg, KYUniversity of the Cumberlands
Harrison FieldMontgomery, ALFaulkner University
Grizzly Baseball ComplexLawrenceville, GAGeorgia Gwinnett College
Jim Wade StadiumOklahoma City, OKOklahoma City University
McBean StadiumLincoln, CAPlacer Valley Tourism
William Jessup University
Winterholter FieldUpland, INTaylor University
Hunter Wright StadiumKingsport, TNVisit Kingsport
Milton Wheeler FieldHattiesburg, MSWilliam Carey University

Opening Round

Source:

Bowling Green Bracket

Hosted by the Bowling Green CVB at Bowling Green Ballpark

Hattiesburg Bracket

Hosted by William Carey at Milton Wheeler Field

Kingsport Bracket

Hosted by Visit Kingsport at Hunter Wright Stadium

Lawrenceville Bracket

Hosted by Georgia Gwinnett at Grizzly Baseball Complex

Lincoln Bracket

Hosted by Placer Valley Tourism & William Jessup at McBean Stadium

Montgomery Bracket

Hosted by Faulkner at Harrison Field

Oklahoma City Bracket

Hosted by Oklahoma City at Jim Wade Stadium

Upland Bracket

Hosted by Taylor at Winterholter Field

Williamsburg Bracket

Hosted by Cumberlands at Doyle Buhl Stadium

NAIA World Series

The NAIA World Series was held at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.

Game Results

All game times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time.

Preliminary Bracket

----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----

Championship Bracket

----