SALEM, Va. – The No. 5 seeded University of Redlands softball program will begin their second NCAA Division III Women's College World Series (WCWS) on Thursday, May 28 against No. 4 seed Linfield University at 10:30 a.m. pacific time (PT).
Tournament Format
The WCWS features eight teams split into two four-team brackets. Each bracket will play out similarly to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament and NCAA Regional. It will be double elimination with the winners of the opening games playing and the non-advancing teams of the first games playing to avoid elimination.
The winner of the winner's game will advance and need only one more win, with two games to do so, to advance to the championship series, which is best of three. The non-advancing team of the winner's game plays the winner of the non-advancing game in the other bracket. That game will determine who advances to play the 2-0 team. They will have to win twice to advance.
No. 5 seed Redlands (43-6)
The Bulldogs have put together another historic season making their way back to the World Series for the second year in a row. They won the SCIAC Regular Season Championship Title then took home the SCIAC Tournament Title. They then traveled to Iowa for the Wartburg College Regional where they went 3-1. The following week they bounced back from an opening loss in game one at Texas Lutheran University to win the super regional, 2-1 over the Bulldogs.
Redlands had four National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region X selections with Adyson Kim (3B - First Team), Katlyn Gandara (UT/P - First Team), Jenay Scott (OF - Second Team), and Brooklyn Bard (OF - Second Team). Gandara was also named an NFCA Second Team All-American.
No. 1 seed Virginia Wesleyan University (50-0)
The Marlins are the lone undefeated team remaining in Division III and will look to become only the second team to finish undefeated along with the 2015 Tufts University National Championship team who went 51-0.
VWU went 5-0 during the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship Tournament. Only one game was decided by three runs or less, a 1-0 win over Bridgewater College who the Bulldogs played twice at home, winning both.
They swept their regional with a total of 23 runs scored and only two allowed in three games. Their closest game was a 3-2 win over Pfeiffer University to win the regional title.
After a competitive game to wrap up the regional, the Marlins swept Case Western Reserve University 2-0 with wins of 10-0 and 15-0.
They had seven NFCA Region VI selections: Hannah Heral (P - First Team), Emma Adams (P - First Team), Taylor McQueen (C - First Team), Morgan Tucker (OF - First Team), Laci Campbell (OF - Second Team), and Samantha Deitsch (DP or UT/Non-P - Second Team).
VWU also had six NFCA All-Americans: Hearly (P - First Team), Tucker (OF - First Team), Adams (At-large-P - First Team), McQueen (C - Second Team), Deitsch (At-large-DP or UT/Non-P - Second Team), and Campbell (OF - Third Team).
The Bulldogs and Marlins have never met before.
No. 2 seed Trine University (38-6)
Winners of two of the last three National Championships, the Thunder had to battle through the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament where they won their first two games before falling 9-1 in five innings to Calvin University. They then won the final game, 7-5, to secure the title.
As the host of their regional, Trine won their opener before losing 2-0 to Loras College. They then came back with a win over the University of Rochester and two over Loras.
They once again had to bounce back after an 8-2 loss to Muhlenberg College in game one of the super regional with a pair of wins last Friday.
Trine had seven NFCA All-Region VII selections: Clare Feehan (C - First Team), Tyra Marcum (1B - First Team), Emma Lee (OF - First Team), Debbie Hill (UT/P - First Team), Macy Rocha (3B - Third Team), Keelin Wheaton (OF - Third Team), and Karly Trine (OF - Third Team).
Lee (OF – First Team), Hill (Joan Joyce UT/P - First Team), and Marcum (At-Large-1B - First Team) were NFCA All-Americans.
In their lone meeting with the Bulldogs, the Thunder won 8-0 last season in the WCWS.
No. 3 seed Simpson College (39-6)
The Storm defeated Coe College and Loras in the American Rivers Conference Tournament, their first tournament title in program history.
During the regionals, they defeated Greenville University before taking two-of-three from College of Saint Benedict. They completed a sweep of Saint Mary's University (Minnesota) in the super regionals where they won 8-3 and 8-5.
Simpson had five NFCA All-Region IX selections: Marina Cronin (P - First Team), Ashlyn Steen (OF - First Team), Megan Heidelbauer (1B - Second Team), Caelynn Obleton (3B - Second Team), and Katie Shaner (OF - Second Team). Steen (OF - Second Team) was named to the NFCA All-American team.
No previous meetings between the Storm and Bulldogs.
No. 4 seed Linfield University (42-6)
The Wildcats make the WCWS after winning the Northwest Conference Tournament with a 5-2 win over Lewis & Clark College and a pair of wins over Pacific Lutheran University, who won the season series 3-1, 4-2 and 6-1.
During their regional they outscored their three opponents 42-1 with Transylvania University being the lone team to scratch across a run as Linfield won 12-1.
It was mostly the same for the Wildcats in the super regional as they won 10-2 and 9-5 over Moravian University.
Linfield had five NFCA All-Region X selections: Ashlyn Aven (C - First Team), Meara Sain (OF - First Team), Tyler McNeley (P - Second Team), Cydney Hess (3B - Second Team), and Breanna Bartek (OF - Third Team). Aven (C - First Team) and Sain (OF - First Team) were NFCA All-Americans.
The Wildcats and Bulldogs have played each of the last four seasons with games during both the regular season and postseason. Redlands is 3-13 against Linfield since 2023 with a 1-7 mark in the NCAA Division III National Championships. This will also be the second meeting in the WCWS along with last season's 9-1 loss in Illinois.
No. 6 seed University of Mount Union (35-7)
The Purple Raiders will be competing in their first WCWS. Their postseason run did not start well, getting upset by Capital University in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal.
In their regional they split their opening two games before winning three-straight with wins over Penn College and two over Christopher Newport University.
In the super regional they won 5-2 and 4-1 over University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Mount Union had four NFCA All-Region VII selections: Kendyll Cahill (P - First Team), Allison Jones (2B - Second Team), Sydney Mercer (1B - Third Team), and Addy Antonetz (OF - Third Team). Cahill (P - Second Team) was named an NFCA All-American.
The Bulldogs and Purple Raiders have never met.
No. 7 seed Belhaven University (42-10)
The Blazers won five consecutive games after dropping their Collegiate Conference of the South Championship opener to earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Championships.
Belhaven defeated Westminster College (Pennsylvania) and Emory University to begin 2-0 at their regional. After a 15-7 loss to Emory, they won the final game, 4-0.
They punched their ticket to their second WCWS with a quick 2-0 sweep of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 5-1 and 10-2.
The Blazers had two NFCA All-Region VI selections: Maryanna Guy (DP or UT/Non-P - First Team) and Melissa Lopera (SS - Third Team). Guy (DP or UT/Non-P) was named a Second-Team NFCA All-American.
The Blazers and Bulldogs met once and it was back in March 2025 in Georgia when Redlands outslugged Belhaven, 12-9, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
No. 8 seed Rowan University (42-9)
Participating in their fourth-straight WCWS the Profs made the NCAA Championships with the New Jersey Athletic Conference's automatic bid after going 3-1 in the tournament.
At the East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) Regional, they split their first two games before shutting down University of St. Thomas (Texas) 5-1 and ETBU twice, 2-1 and 2-0.
Their dominant pitching continued with wins of 1-0 and 3-0 over Colby College during their super regional at home. Overall, during their postseason, the Profs have allowed 18 runs across 11 games. If you take out their 7-0 loss to ETBU, that total drops to 11 in 10.
Rowan had seven NFCA All-Region IV selections: Emily McCutcheon (P - First Team), BethAnne Doderer (P - First Team), Kate Evick (C - First Team), Ava Fisher (1B - Second Team), Zara MacNair (2B -Second Team), and Mikayla Dansky (OF - Third Team). McCutcheon (P) is a Second-Team NFCA All-American.
Redlands and Rowan have never met.
WCWS Schedule (all times Eastern)
- THURSDAY, MAY 28 on FIELD 1
- Game 1 at 11:00 a.m. ET: No. 8 Rowan at No. 1 Virginia Wesleyan
- Game 2 at 1:30 p.m. ET: No. 5 Redlands at No. 4 Linfield
- Game 3 at 4:00 p.m. ET: No. 7 Belhaven at No. 2 Trine
- Game 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET: No. 6 Mount Union at No. 3 Simpson
- FRIDAY, MAY 29 on FIELD 1
- Game 5 at 11:00 a.m. ET: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (H/A TBD)
- Game 6 at 1:30 p.m. ET: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (H/A TBD) -- Elimination Game
- Game 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 (H/A TBD)
- Game 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (H/A TBD) -- Elimination Game
- SATURDAY, MAY 30 on FIELD 1
- Game 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7 -- (H/A TBD) Elimination Game
- Game 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 5 -- (H/A TBD) Elimination Game
- SUNDAY MAY 31 on FIELD 1
- Game 11 at 11:00 a.m. ET: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 9 -- (H/A TBD) Possible Elimination Game
- Game 12 at 1:30 p.m. ET: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 10 -- (H/A TBD) Possible Elimination Game
- Game 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET (if necessary): Winner Game 11 vs. Loser Game 11 -- (H/A TBD) Elimination Game
- Game 14 at 6:30 p.m. ET (if necessary): Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12 -- (H/A TBD) Elimination Game
- If only one of Games 13 or 14 is needed, then it will be played 50 minutes after Game 12
- MONDAY, JUNE 1
- Off day - practice for both teams
- TUESDAY, JUNE 2 on FIELD 1
- Game 15 (Game 1 of Final Series) at 11:00 a.m. ET: Winner Game 11/13 vs. Winner Game 12/14 (H/A TBD)
- WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 on FIELD 1
- Game 16 (Game 2 of Final Series) at 11:00 a.m. ET: Winner Game 15 vs. Loser Game 15 (H/A TBD)
- Game 17 (Game 3 of Final Series - If Necessary) at 1:30 p.m. ET: Winner Game 16 vs. Loser Game 16 (H/A TBD)
