What to know about the final eight DII softball teams

And then there were eight. The field of 64 has been trimmed down and each of the eight regional champions are heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the 2026 DII softball finals. First pitch from Frost Stadium at Warner Park is set for May 28.

🏆🥎 Bracket, schedule, scores 🥎🏆

It is quite a different field from last year, as only North Georgia returns to the finals. There are three former national champions still in the mix with the Nighthawks most recently winning one in 2023, West Texas A&M winning twice and Missouri Southern back in contention after winning it all in 1992. There weren't many surprises, as the lowest seed to advance from any region was No. 4 Glenville State. Half the remaining field is respective No. 1 seeds and a pair of two seeds, as No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas and Glenville State round out the field. STAC and the Pioneers, along with Midwest No. 2-seed McKendree, are making their DII softball finals debut. 

So, North Georgia or West Texas A&M can dominate this field as they have done in the past, or we may see a brand new national champion in 2026? Here's a look at the field. 

Saint Leo is cooking. The Lions are 49-3-1 and swept through the South Region, allowing just five runs in their five wins. The advantage Saint Leo has in the circle gives the Lions an edge in the finals: They are No. 3 in DII in ERA, No. 1 in WHIP, No. 12 in strikeout-to-walk ratio and tenth in strikeouts per seven. Alex Wright (13-0, 1.41 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, .207 BAA) and Tierney Hocquard (22-1, 1.49 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) have been dominant in the tournament and nearly untouchable all season. Izzy LaRoche and Briana Neal lead the offense, but freshman sensation Abigail Hynes has been red hot with two hits in each of her last three tournament games. 

Missouri Southern is rolling in with a program-best 53-8 record. The last time the Lions made it this far, no one on the team, minus head coach Hallie Blackney, was even alive. That said, the last time the Lions were in the finals, they won it all. This is another strong pitching staff, ranked tenth in ERA, fifth in WHIP, tenth in strikeout-to-walk ratio and ninth in strikeouts per seven. Kiki Pickens (26-3, 1.73 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 191 strikeouts) and Emily Davis (19-5, 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 158 strikeouts) lead the way and should see the bulk of the pitching in Chattanooga. Katie Gray is the big bat with 16 home runs, but Bailey Dillon is the disruptor, hitting .422 with 48 stolen bases and causing havoc in the field with a team-high 63 runs scored. 

North Georgia has reached the finals six times since the canceled COVID season in 2020 (when they were 23-4 when the season abruptly ended). Sitting at 51-9, there isn't much left to be said for the DII softball power. The Nighthawks have big hitters: Sydnee Reaves, Morgan Martin, Marycille Brumby and Carleigh Knowles each have double-digit home runs, at least 45 RBIs and are all hitting north of .350. They have depth in the circle that will keep them in ball games as well. The Nighthawks are in a tough portion of the bracket but have experience like no other team in the field. 

Cal State San Marcos made its DII softball finals debut three years ago and are quickly back in Chattanooga. The Cougars are as steady a force in the West Region as it comes, making four of the last five super regionals. Infielder Jillian Albayati is having a career year and one of the best all-around seasons in DII, hitting .525 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs. There is plenty of hitting to go around with six players hitting north of .350 and Zoe Karam bringing some extra pop with 19 home runs. The Cougars also have a pair of the best arms in DII with Daleah Cardenas (20-4, 1.64 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) and Jordan Hill (18-4, 1.74 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 104 strikeouts) leading the way. Cal State San Marcos is stacked and should be a very formidable force this coming week. 

If you are sitting near the outfield when West Texas A&M plays, be sure to have your glove. This isn't simply one of the best lineups in DII, but all college softball. There are only five Division I teams (and no DIII teams) with more home runs than the Buffs, and only six teams score more runs per game (9.0) across all three levels. When the Buffs hit that magic nine-run number, they are 31-0 this year. They have five players with at least 11 home runs and 50 RBIs and five everyday players hitting north of .400...in May. In the circle, recently named DII freshman of the year Brooke Janning leads the way with a 2.59 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 131 strikeouts. 

McKendree Athletics

The next three teams are all in uncharted territory. McKendree arrives after a mild upset of UIndy in the Midwest Region. Be sure to have your eyes on Lauren Harris, who hasn't simply been one of the best players in McKendree history, but one of the best in DII for four straight years. The 2024 NFCA national player of the year finally gets her chance to play for a national championship. Harris is among the DII leaders, hitting .469 with a 1.397 OPS, 77 runs scored, 21 home runs, 70 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Every one of those numbers is at least a top-15 mark in DII, with most sitting in the top five. In the circle, Sami Huck is third in DII with an astounding 285 strikeouts, more than St. Thomas Aquinas, Glenville State, West Texas A&M and Cal State San Marcos each have as a team. This is a very tricky No. 6-seed.

The Pioneers are having a season of historic proportions. Now with a program-best 51 wins, Glenville State had to defeat Atlantic Region heavyweights Shippensburg (last year's Atlantic Region champs), Charleston (WV) (the 2024 Atlantic Region champs), and Kutztown (which has appeared in four of the last five Atlantic super regionals) to get to Chattanooga. If you were wondering if the Pioneers have been tested, there is your answer. Delaney Warnick is your hitter to watch, leading the team with a .398 average, 1.260 OPS, 19 home runs and 70 RBIs. They have a three-headed monster in the circle, whose depth should serve them well. Drawing a very good, but equally inexperienced, Missouri Southern in its opener will make things very interesting.

And that leaves the beasts of the East. The Spartans roll in with DII's longest current winning streak, having 23 victories in a row. That includes the thrilling super regional sweep, where STAC needed a five-run eighth inning to advance to its first-ever DII softball finals. The Spartans' 38 wins are also a program record, and they got there with arguably the most potent offense in the East Region. Sofia Marella leads the way with a .424 batting average, 17 home runs and 61 RBIS, all three of which are team highs, while her home runs and RBIs led the ECC. The pitching will be put to the test, as it statistically ranks in the bottom of the eight teams remaining.