NEWS RELEASE
Thursday, May 7, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kingsport Named as Host City for 2026 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round
Kingsport, Tenn. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has chosen Kingsport as one of 10 locations around the country for the 2026 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. 46 teams were selected to play in 10 cities, with one winner from each advancing to the NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. In previous years, four teams have advanced from Kingsport and won the NAIA World Series.
Visit Kingsport will host five teams in a double elimination tournament from May 11-14 at Hunter Wright Stadium.
“We’re so excited to welcome the NAIA back to Kingsport,” said Bradley Hoover, Director of Sports for Visit Kingsport. “This is our 15th consecutive year serving as a host city for the National Championship Opening Round, and we can’t wait to see which team will advance to the NAIA Baseball World Series.”
Kingsport was chosen as a host city by the NAIA Baseball National Championship Selection Committee, a group made of head coaches and administrators from around the nation. Selections take into account geography, facilities and host qualifications.
Teams playing in this tournament are:
- Webber International University (FL)
- Tennessee Wesleyan (TN)
- LSU Alexandria (LA)
- Indiana Wesleyan (IN)
- William Woods (MO)
Single-day tickets are $10 per adult and $5 for students. Tournament passes are also available for $25 per adult or $12 for students. If unable to attend in person, all games will be streamed live online. To watch, click here.
Tournament Schedule
Monday, May 11:
Game #1 – 11:00 a.m.
- #4 Indiana Wesleyan vs. #5 William Woods
Game #2 – 2:30 p.m.
- #3 LSU Alexandria vs. #2 TN Wesleyan
Game #3 – 6 p.m.
- #1 Webber Int’l vs. Game #1 Winner
Tuesday, May 12:
Game #4 – 11 a.m.
- Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2
Game #5 – 2:30 p.m.
- Winner Game #2 vs. Winner Game #3
Game #6 – 6 p.m.
- Loser Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4
Wednesday, May 13:
Game #7 – 11 a.m.
- Game #5 Loser vs. Game #6 Winner
Game #8 – 2:30 p.m.
- Game #5 Winner vs. Game #7 Winner
Thursday, May 14 (if necessary):
Game #9 – 2 p.m. or earlier
- Game #8 Winner vs. Game #8 Loser
