The Linfield Wildcats are one of eight Division III softball programs competing this week for a national crown in Marshall, Texas, site of the 2024 NCAA Softball Championship.
 
Action begins Thursday, May 30, and runs through Wednesday, June 5, in Marshall, a city of about 24,000 located 34 miles from the Texas-Louisiana border. The double-elimination tournament is hosted by East Texas Baptist University.
 
Linfield (48-2) is the tournament's No. 1 seed and will play eighth-seeded Tufts (38-8) Thursday at 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT).
 
Thursday's Game 1 winner faces the winner of the Wisconsin-Oshkosh (44-5) and Virginia Wesleyan (40-8) Friday at 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT).
 
The other half of the championship bracket includes host East Texas Baptist (43-2), Case Western (40-7), Belhaven (42-7) and Rowan (39-8).
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Linfield is contending for its third national championship since 2007. The Wildcats must navigate the double-elimination format that features two pods of four teams each. The winner from each pod square off in a best-of-three series to determine the national champion starting Tuesday.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
The NCAA and Tupuleo-Honey are teaming up to provide live video webcasts of all championship tournament games. Live statistics are also available through ETBU. Tournament results can be tracked on the NCAA Division III softball home page.
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Wildcats, champions of the Northwest Conference, enter the NCAA Championship after winning the McMinnville Regional over Redlands and ousting Central (Iowa) in teh McMinnville Super Regional to advance.
 
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
The Linfield softball program is making its eighth appearance at the NCAA Championship and has produced 80-38 all-time in the NCAA Division III softball playoffs. Linfield captured NCAA softball titles in 2007 and 2011 and reached the chanmpionship game two more times, in 2010, where the 'Cats were edged 5-4 by East Texas Baptist, and 2012, falling 3-0 to Pacific Lutheran.
 
Linfield's all-time record versus Tufts is 4-2, including 1-1 at the NCAA Championship site. The most recent meeting came in 2019, a 4-2 Wildcats victory at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clermont, Florida.
  THURSDAY, MAY 30
Game 1: Linfield vs. Tufts (9 a.m. PDT)
Game 2: UW-Oshkosh vs. Virginia Wesleyan, 1:30 p.m. CDT (11:30 a.m. PDT) 
Game 3: East Texas Baptist vs. Rowan, 4 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. PDT)
Game 4: Case Western Reserve vs. Belhaven, 6:30 p.m. CDT (4:30 PDT)

FRIDAY, MAY 31
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT)
Game 6: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (elimination game), 1:30 p.m. CDT (11:30 a.m. PDT)
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. PDT)
Game 8: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (elimination game), 6:30 p.m. CDT (4:30 p.m. PDT)
 
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
Game 9: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7 (elimination game), 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT)
Game 10: Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 5 (elimination game), 1:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. PDT)
 
SUNDAY, JUNE 2
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 9, 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT)
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 10, 1:30 p.m. CDT (11:30 a.m. PDT)
Game 13: If necessary, 4 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. PDT)
Game 14: If necessary, 6:30 p.m. CDT (4:30 p.m. PDT)
 
MONDAY, JUNE 3
Rest Day
 
TUESDAY, JUNE 4
Championship Series Game 1, 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT)
 
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Championship Series Game 2, 11 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT)
Championship Series Game 3, 1:30 p.m. CDT (11:30 a.m. PDT), if necessary LINFIELD WILDCATS (48-2)
Linfield advanced to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship after defeating Central (Iowa) in three games at the McMinnville Super Regional. The 'Cats are one of two teams returning to the final site from the 2023 field. Linfield leads Division III in wins with 48.
Head coach Jackson Vaughan earned NWC Coach of the Year for the 13th time in his 23-year career and holds an 847-197-2 record.
 
Tayah Kelley was named NWC Pitcher of the Year for the third time and leads the nation with 30 wins in the circle. She holds a 1.26 ERA with 188.1 innings pitched and leads Division III in total strikeouts with 271.
 
NWC Player of the Year Brynn Nelson leads Linfield with a .496 batting average. Kaili Saathoff and Cydney Hess are among the national leaders in doubles and RBIs. Saathoff's 23 doubles are tied for second nationally while Hess' 70 RBIs also rank second. Claire Seats is among the top 10 in Division III in home runs with 13. Jacey Leyvas, Seats, Saathoff, Nelson and Hess sport a batting average of .380 or better and all post an OPS of 1.151 or better.
 
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST (43-2)
East Texas Baptist advanced to the Division III Finals after defeating Williams in two games at the Marshall Super Regional. Head coach Janae Shirley is in her 17th season at ETBU and holds a 548-156 career record.
 
Hannah Benavides leads the Tigers pitching staff with a 1.33 ERA, 16 wins and 13 complete games. Avery Holland also holds a perfect record at 13-0 and has totaled 54 strikeouts. Holland and Benavides both have pitched 89 ⅓ innings.
 
Tristen Maddox is top five nationally in home runs with 15. Haylie Stum leads the Tigers in batting average at .481 and is tied for the team lead in hits with Maddox at 63. Maddox (55) and Tauryn Cummings (48) are first and second on the team in RBIs. Five Tigers hold a .400 batting average or better.
 
CASE WESTERN RESERVE (40-7)
Case Western Reverse advanced to the final site after a pair of wins over Coe in the Super Regional. Head coach Josie Henry is in her 14th season as the leader of the Spartans and holds an all time record of 371-177.
 
Karen Potts leads the Spartans with a .435 batting average and 67 hits. KaiLi Gross leads the team in RBIs with 62 and home runs with nine. Potts, Gross and Stevie Rieger all have at least 24 stolen bases.
 
Lexi Miskey is 26-4 in the circle and leads the Case Western pitching staff with 181 ⅔ innings pitched. Miskey has 235 strikeouts and holds a 2.00 ERA. Kylie Hosey holds a 2.88 ERA in 23 appearances and has totaled 51 strikeouts.
 
WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH (44-5)
Wisconsin-Oshkosh is making its third appearance at the NCAA Softball Championship after knocking out defending champion Trine in three games. Scott Beyer is in his 11th season as the head coach of the Titans and holds a 301-118 career record.
 
Hannah Ritter leads the Titan offense with a .436 batting average and is second on the team in doubles with 15. Morgan Rau has 16 doubles while Sophie Wery leads Wisconsin-Oshkosh with 11 home runs.
 
Three Titans pitchers have made 19 or more appearances. Sydney Nemetz has the most starts with 24 and has pitched 140⅔ innings. Nemetz holds a 1.39 ERA with 157 strikeouts while Abby Freismuth holds a 1.28 ERA and Brianna Bougie boasts a 0.71 ERA.
 
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (40-8)
Virginia Wesleyan cruised through its Super Regional with a pair of 6-1 victories over Muskingum. Head coach Brandon Elliott is in his 17th season as the leader of the Marlins and owns a career record of 582-142-1.
 
The Marlins are second nationally in stolen bases with 207. Mackenzie Myers is the leader in batting average at .398 and is tied for the team lead with 11 doubles. Karley Beltran leads Virginia Wesleyan with 50 hits. Julia Piotrowski has 37 stolen bases while Beltran (36) and Laci Campbell (35) are close behind.
 
Emma Adams holds a 24-2 record in the circle with 97 strikeouts over 138 ⅔ innings pitched and 29 appearances. Savannah Laird and Lauren Bible have both pitched 61 innings or more.
 
BELHAVEN (42-7)
Belhaven outlasted Berry in the Super Regional behind a walk-off victory in game three to advance to the final site for the first time in school history. Kevin Griffin is in his 13th season as the head coach of the Blazers. Griffin has amassed 369 career victories. 
 
Anna Caime leads the Blazers in batting average at .415. Allie Gordon ranks among the national leaders in home runs with 14. Gordon also leads Belhaven in RBIs with 59 and hits with 60.
 
Kennedy Carruth has totaled 201⅓ innings, leading the Blazers with a 26-4 record in the circle. Carruth holds a 1.18 ERA with 238 strikeouts and limits opposing batters to a .163 batting average.
 
ROWAN (39-8)
Rowan defeated Christopher Newport in three games to advance to the Softball Championship for the second time in as many seasons. Kim Wilson is in her 28th season as the head coach of the Profs and holds a 917-301-2 career record at Rowan. Wilson is one of seven active coaches with 800 or more career wins.
 
Payton MacNair (.404) and Liz McCaffery (.403) stand first and second, respectively, in batting average. MacNair leads Rowan in hits with 63, RBIs with 45 and triples with eight. McKenzie Melvin leads the Professors with 18 stolen bases.
 
Emily McCutcheon is 20-1 in the circle and ranks among the national leaders in ERA at 0.91. Rylee Lutz is close behind with a 1.39 ERA and leads the team in strikeouts with 127 strikeouts. McCutcheon and Lutz have pitched 154 and 151⅓ innings, respectively. 
 
TUFTS (38-8)
Tufts became the first team since 2011 to beat Salisbury on its home field in the NCAA tournament. The Jumbos surprised the Seagulls in two games to advance to Marshall. Head coach Lauren Ebstein took over the program in 2019 and has amassed a record of 167-43.
 
Kaitlyn Perucci (.442) and Josie Steinberg (.432) set the pace for the Jumbos in batting average. Perucci and Steinberg also lead Tufts in hits with 70 and 65, respectively, and doubles with 16 and 15. Lauryn Horita has 10 home runs and is one of three players, including Perucci and Steinberg, to have an OPS over 1.000.
 
Sophia DiCocco is 17-4 in the circle while seeing action in 137 innings and ranks among the national leaders in ERA at 0.92. Sky Johnson is 15-3 in 22 appearances and hold a 1.26 ERA with 108 strikeouts.