NAIA World Series facts for kids
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| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1957, 68 years ago |
| Country | United States |
| Venue(s) | Harris Field Lewiston, Idaho |
| Most recent champion(s) |
LSU–Shreveport |
| Most titles | Lewis–Clark State (19) |
| Official website | naiaworldseries.com |
The NAIA World Series is a super exciting baseball tournament for college teams in the United States. It's organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Think of it like a championship game for college baseball players!
This tournament has been happening every year since 1957. Teams play in a special "double-elimination" style. This means a team isn't out of the tournament until they've lost two games. It gives them a second chance! Since the year 2000, the tournament has mostly been held at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.
Contents
History of the Tournament
The NAIA World Series has been played in many different cities over the years. The very first tournament was held in Alpine, Texas, back in 1957. The first champions were the Sul Ross State team.
The city of Lewiston, Idaho, has hosted the tournament many times. It was a host city from 1984 to 1991, and then again from 2000 until now. The college team from Lewiston, Lewis–Clark State College, is super good! They have won the championship 19 times, which is more than any other team.
Many different colleges have played in this tournament. As of 2015, 188 different schools had competed to try and win the title.
Who Are the Champions?
Winning the NAIA World Series is a huge deal for college baseball teams. Here are some of the teams that have won the championship.
Current Teams with Titles
These are teams that are still part of the NAIA and have won the World Series:
| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis–Clark State | 19 | 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| Cumberland (TN) | 3 | 2004, 2010, 2014 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan | 2 | 2012, 2019 |
| Southeastern (FL) | 2 | 2018, 2022 |
| LSU-Shreveport | 1 | 2025 |
| Hope International | 1 | 2024 |
| Georgia Gwinnett | 1 | 2021 |
| Faulkner | 1 | 2013 |
| Oklahoma City | 1 | 2005 |
| College of Idaho | 1 | 1998 |
| Brewton–Parker | 1 | 1997 |
| Bellevue (NE) | 1 | 1995 |
| St. Francis (IL) | 1 | 1993 |
| William Carey | 1 | 1969 |
Past Teams with Titles
These teams used to be part of the NAIA or have changed their sports programs, but they also won the World Series:
| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | 4 | 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986 |
| Lewis (IL) | 3 | 1974, 1975, 1976 |
| Lubbock Christian | 2 | 1983, 2009 |
| Lipscomb | 2 | 1977, 1979 |
| Linfield | 2 | 1966, 1971 |
| Westmont | 1 | 2023 |
| Concordia Irvine | 1 | 2011 |
| Birmingham–Southern | 1 | 2001 |
| Kennesaw State | 1 | 1994 |
| Emporia State | 1 | 1978 |
| US International | 1 | 1973 |
| La Verne | 1 | 1972 |
| Eastern Michigan | 1 | 1970 |
| William Jewell | 1 | 1968 |
| New Mexico Highlands | 1 | 1967 |
| Carson–Newman | 1 | 1965 |
| West Liberty | 1 | 1964 |
| Sam Houston | 1 | 1963 |
| Georgia Southern | 1 | 1962 |
| East Carolina | 1 | 1961 |
| Whitworth | 1 | 1960 |
| Southern–Baton Rouge | 1 | 1959 |
| San Diego State | 1 | 1958 |
| Sul Ross State | 1 | 1957 |
More Baseball Tournaments
If you're interested in other college baseball tournaments, you can check out these:
- NCAA Division I baseball tournament
- NCAA Division II baseball tournament
- NCAA Division III baseball tournament
- NAIA Softball World Series
