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Division III Softball World Series Preview: Meet the Final 8 Teams

Nicole Reitz|
The NCAA Division III softball championship begins Thursday, May 29 with competition continuing through the finals on Wednesday, June 4.
The NCAA Division III softball championship begins Thursday, May 29 with competition continuing through the finals on Wednesday, June 4. | Virginia Wesleyan Athletics

The NCAA Division III softball championship begins Thursday with competition continuing through the finals on Wednesday, June 4, at Inspiration Field in Bloomington, IL. 

Eight teams currently stand with Virginia Wesleyan, Randolph-Macon, Linfield, Saint Mary’s, Rowan, Texas Lutheran, Trine, and Redlands making appearances. Here’s what to know about each contender. 

Game 1: Virginia Wesleyan vs. Randolph Macon, 11 a.m. CT

As the No.1 seed, Virginia Wesleyan has posted a 46-3-1 overall record this season and are headed to their third NCAA DIII Championship in five years and are seeking their fourth National Championship in program history. The Marlins punched their ticket to the championship round after defeating Gettysburg 10-1 in game two of Super Regionals. The team is ranked sixth in the nation in batting average with .370, fifth in earned run average with 1.50, second in the country in runs scored and stolen bases, and third in runs batted in. 

Randolph-Macon heads into the championship round with a 39-12 overall record. The Yellow Jackets are seeking their first-ever championship in program history. 2025 marks just the second appearance in the World Series after defeating Moravian in Super Regionals. The team is ranked fourth in earned run average with 1.30. 

Game 2: Linfield vs. Saint Mary’s, 1:30 p.m. CT

Linfield returns to the finals for the third straight season and is seeking its first championship win since 2011. As regular-season champions for the Northwest Conference, they rolled through the postseason with an 8-0 record and defeated Illinois Wesleyan 11-0 in the Super Regionals to advance. Linfield tops the nation in a handful of categories like home runs at 96, slugging percentage, hits at 532, scoring, and second in on-base percentage and batting average. 

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is after its second national title. Appearing for the first time since winning in 2000, the Cardinals are coming off their second 40-plus win season in program history, secured their first back-to-back conference championship, hosted Regionals and Super Regionals for the first time, and their star pitcher Makayla Steffes was named the program’s first-ever Pitcher of the Year. 

Game 3: Rowan vs. Texas Lutheran, 4 p.m. CT 

Rowan is back for the third year in a row and is seeking its first-ever national title. The Profs punched their ticket after defeating Glassboro in two games during Super Regionals. Rowan leads the nation in quite a bit of categories including ERA at 1.02, fielding percentage at .984, and shutouts at 27. 

Texas Lutheran clinched its fourth World Series appearance after taking down the defending champions East Texas Baptist in Super Regionals. The Bulldogs have now reached the World Series in four of the last six seasons and are seeking their first national title since 2019. They are on pace to have the best record in program history at 44-3 and have outscored their three postseason opponents 21-6. 

Game 4: Trine vs. Redlands, 6:30 p.m. CT

Trine University is making its sixth trip to the World Series after sweeping the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in Super Regionals. The Thunder hold a 41-5 overall record and are headed to the finals for the third time in the last four years. They are seeking their first national title since 2023. Led by ace Alexis Michon in the circle, she has gone 21-1 with a 0.79 ERA and 184 strikeouts over 142.1 innings. 

The University of Redlands is seeking its first-ever World Series championship after sweeping Emory University in two run-rule victories during Super Regionals. The Bulldogs were crowned the 2025 SCIAC regular season champions and their 34 wins this year broke last season’s total for the third-most in program history. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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