COLUMBUS, Ga. – Jessup Softball is ready to call Columbus home for the next week, as the program is less than 48 hours away from its first-ever NAIA Softball World Series appearance. As one of the ten remaining teams, Jessup is set on ending its time in the NAIA as a national champion.
The 2024 NAIA Softball World Series begins Thursday at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, GA. Ten teams have punched their ticket to the final site. Jessup, one of those ten teams, is the seventh seed in the bracket.
Jessup punched their ticket to Georgia thanks to a 3-1 showing in the Hattiesburg Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round. The Warriors took down hosts William Carey, 4-3, in the "if-necessary" contest, matching the program record of 39 regular season victories.
It will be Jessup's second appearance in Columbus this year, as Jessup made their way to Georgia in February for the NFCA-NAIA Leadoff Classic. Jessup went 4-1 on that trip, with two of those games coming against teams who will be in the World Series this week.
Jessup posts a 5-1 record against teams who qualified for the World Series, as they have seen four of the other nine schools setting up shop in Columbus.
Oregon Tech (2-0), Southern Oregon (2-0), Cumberlands (1-0), and Georgia Gwinnett (0-1) were featured on the Warriors' schedule this season and will all be in the field this week in Columbus. The matchups with Cumberlands and Georgia Gwinnett occurred during Jessup's earlier visit to Georgia.
The remaining five teams in the field are Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Oklahoma City, Central Methodist (Mo.), Science & Arts (Okla.), and Madonna (Mich.).
First on the schedule for Jessup are the reigning national champions and No. 10 seed in the 2024 bracket, Southern Oregon. The Warriors saw SOU back on Opening Day (Feb. 3), as Jessup battled the Raiders twice up in Redding. Jessup won the opener 12-8 before returning that night to take down SOU 9-8.
Jessup and SOU are no strangers to one another, as the two schools have 35 all-time meetings dating back to 2010. SOU head coach Jessica Pistole, a Loomis native, was the head coach of the Warriors in that first meeting, as she helped start the softball program here at Jessup. SOU leads the all-time series 19-16, while the Warriors have claimed four of the last seven meetings.
The battle with SOU will be the first game of the 2024 World Series, and it is scheduled for Thursday at 7 a.m. (PST).
A Jessup victory against the Raiders would send the Warriors into the winner's bracket, where they would meet up with No. 2 seed Oklahoma City on Friday. The loser of game one will play the loser of the Central Methodist-Science & Arts matchup in an elimination contest on Friday at 10 a.m. (PST).
The bracket will see games played Thursday-Saturday, with all teams receiving a scheduled off day on Sunday. The field will be trimmed to six teams at the end of the weekend. The championship round will begin with game 18 of the World Series, scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, at 3 p.m. (PST). Should an "if-necessary" game be needed, that will immediately follow game 18.
All games for the 2024 NAIA Softball World Series will be streamed online HERE. Fans are also encouraged to subscribe to Jessup Athletics on YouTube and follow @Jessup_SFT on Instagram and X for a behind-the-scenes look at all of the action in Columbus.
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Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
