ROCKLIN, Calif. – The wait to see where the Warriors will continue their season is over, as the champions of the GSAC Tournament heard their name called in Thursday's NAIA Selection Show. Jessup is headed east, as they will compete in the Waleska Bracket of the 2024 NAIA Opening Round.
Jessup is off to Georgia, where Reinhardt University will host four teams at Ken White Baseball Field. The Warriors earned an automatic bid after taking home the GSAC Tournament championship, and now, for the third time in program history, they are off to the Opening Round.
It will be Jessup's first Opening Round appearance since 2019, a year that also sent the Warriors across the country to Miami Gardens, Fla. Jessup hosted the Opening Round at McBean Park in 2018.
Head coach
Trevor Paine was an assistant coach on that '18 squad, and he then took over head coaching duties in '19 when Jake McKinley accepted a position with the Milwaukee Brewers. Paine has since piled up over 150 wins with the Warriors, making him the winningest coach in program history.
One thing the Warriors do not have to their record is an AVISTA-NAIA World Series appearance, as Jessup will look to leave Waleska as winners and continue their season in Lewiston, Idaho.
The Warriors are one of four teams from the GSAC that heard their name called on Thursday. Hope International, who won the regular season championship, is the top seed in the Fayette Bracket. OUAZ draws a three seed in the Lawrenceville Bracket, while Arizona Christian is off to Lewiston as the third seed as well.
Joining the Warriors in Waleska is the top seed of Reinhardt, the host school of the Waleska Bracket. Point Park and Keiser also make up the four-team field.
Point Park will be Jessup's first opponent, as the Pioneers clinched an automatic berth into the Opening Round by winning the River States Conference Tournament. The Pioneers went 41-13 this season and come into the postseason riding a four-game win streak.
That matchup with Point Park is scheduled for Monday, May 13, at 11 a.m. (PST).
Monday's second game will feature Reinhardt and Keiser, with first pitch starting at 3 p.m. (PST). Reinhardt went 38-16 this season and earned an automatic berth by way of hosting. The Eagles lost 5-4 in extra innings against Tennessee Wesleyan in the championship round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.
Kaiser hails from the SUN Conference, which features the nation's top-ranked program in Southeastern. The 2024 season saw Kaiser go 32-21, ending with a loss to Southeastern in the conference championship round.
The Warriors will bring to Georgia a nine-game win streak in which they have put up over 13 runs/game. Jessup has put up 120 runs during their streak and have scored double-digits in seven straight.
Links to live streams and stats will be made available through jessupathletics.com. Fans are also encouraged to follow @Jessup_BASE on Instagram and X or subscribe to @JessupAthletics on YouTube for in-depth coverage of the NAIA Opening Round.
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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).
