GAME NOTES
UPDATED RECORD BOOK
The Hope International baseball team begins its quest for a second NAIA national title on Monday in an NAIA Opening Round game against Texas A&M-Victoria. The Royals are the No. 3 seed in the Lewiston Regional.
• Upcoming Game
Game No. 51
Monday, March 11, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. (PST)
Hope International Royals (37-13) vs. Texas A&M-Victoria Jaguars (36-15)
at Harris Field – Lewiston, Idaho
Online Video: Urban Edge Network, NAIA Network
Live Stats: LCWarriors.com
The Hope International Record
The Hope International baseball team enters the NAIA Opening Round, presented by Avista, with a 37-13 overall record. HIU won 10 of its final 11 games, including a 3-0 mark in the GSAC Championship. The Royals earned their third straight and sixth overall GSAC regular season title with a 22-6 mark, and notched their fourth GSAC Tournament crown.
If HIU Wins...
A win for HIU against Texas A&M-Victoria would represent the program's 400th in school history. The Royals are 399-219 all-time entering the NAIA Opening Round.
Winning In Dramatic Fashion
HIU defeated Benedictine Mesa 11-10 in the GSAC Tournament championship game on a Royce Clayton walkoff home run, his team-leading eighth of the season. Clayton is the son of former MLB player Royce Clayton Sr., who played for 11 teams between 1991-2007 and was an All-Star in 1997 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Clayton Jr. hit .583 (7-for-12) with two home runs and six runs scored in the GSAC Tournament.
The Mahoney File
Larry Mahoney is in his fifth season as the head coach at Hope International and owns a career record of 206-65. His tteams have gone 106-25 in GSAC play. He has collected four GSAC Coach of the Year awards, including in each of the last three seasons.
NAIA Tournament History
The Royals are appearing in their eighth NAIA Tournament. HIU is 16-9 all-time in the NAIA Opening Round, advancing through in 2017, 2024 and 2025. In 2024, the Royals won the Fayette Bracket with a 3-1 record and reached the NAIA College World Series, which culminated in the program's first national title as HIU overcame an opening loss to Reinhardt and rebounded with five straight victories to win it all. HIU is 7-5 all-time in CWS games, and the program's all-time postseason record is 23-14.
This Looks Familiar
HIU returns to Lewiston, Idaho for the fourth straight year in postseason play. The Royals played there in the NAIA Opening Round in 2023 and 2025, and made back-to-back College World Series appearances at Harris Field in 2024 and 2025. HIU played host Lewis-Clark State twice, losing the opener 15-14 in 2023 and winning 12-1 in 2025.
Against The Opponents
HIU is meeting NAIA Opening Round opponent and No. 2 seed Texas A&M-Victoria for the first time. The Royals have played Keiser (Fla.) – the Lewiston Regional #4 seed – once. HIU was eliminated from the 2017 College World Series by Keiser. The Royals are 2-4 all-time against Lewis-Clark State.
Valdivia Sets Three Single-Game Records
In HIU's 16-3 win versus Bethesda on April 7, designated hitter Eric Valdivia set three single-game program records with four home runs, 11 RBI and 16 total bases.
Landry Hits The Century Mark
HIU southpaw Josh Landry – the 2026 GSAC Pitcher of the Year – became just the third pitcher in school history to accumulate 100 strikeouts in a season when he punched out Benedictine Mesa's Tyler Jackson in the eighth inning of the April 27 GSAC Tournament opener. He joined Trey Seeley (2024 & 2025) and Hector Garcia (2022) atop the prestigious list. Landry ranks No. 1 in four HIU career categories – wins (26), strikeouts (284), complete games (7) and shutouts (5).
Thrift Among Nation's ERA Leaders
Junior left-hander Jake Thrift ranks fourth nationally with a 1.84 ERA.
