Hope International University is headed to the NAIA World Series for the second time, after beating Tabor College 9-3 in the Fayette Regional. The HIU Royals are in their second NAIA World Series in seven years, after having qualified in 2017.
Also from the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) in the NAIA World Series is Arizona Christian University, from Glendale.
Hope International enters the NAIA World Series ranked #10 nationally. While HIU won the regular-season conference crown by going 19 and 4 (37-14 overall), they lost to Jessup in the conference tournament. Both NIU and ACU earned at-large berths in the NAIA post-season. Arizona Christian won the Lewiston Regional to advance. Jessup lost on the second day in the Wakesha Bracket.
Both HIU and ACU will travel to Lewiston (ACU for a second time!) for the 10-team NAIA World Series which begins May 24. Lewis-Clark College will host the tournament, although they lost to Arizona Christian at the regional they hosted.