INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Marymount softball team was part of the 64-team field for the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament, as announced by the NCAA Division III Softball Committee Monday afternoon.

This is the Saints' second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, with last year's trip to Texas ending after the first two games. 

Marymount (24-17) won the Atlantic East title after going undefeated in tournament play, posting a 6-4 win over #4 Saint Elizabeth and 7-1 win against #2 Neumann on the first day. Never leaving the winner's bracket, the Saints claimed the championship with a 2-1 win over Neumann on the second day. In the program's best season yet, conference play saw the Saints post an 11-1 record, largely in part due to consistent standout performances from pitcher Bailey Demusz. The senior posted a 3.55 ERA through 18 games, pitching 10 complete games. Her staggering 99 strikeouts left 27 batters looking. Kaylee Atkins, who plays first base, led the conference with a demanding .485 batting average, totaling 66 hits, 39 RBI's, 31 runs, 17 doubles and three home runs through 136 at bats.

Linfield (37-6), who received hosting rights, is making its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 22 years. The Wildcats went undefeated in the Northwest Conference (NWC) Championship tournament, twice defeating nationally ranked No. 21 Pacific Lutheran.

Rounding out the pod of four is Pacific Lutheran (34-10) and Transylvania (35-11), both of whom will face each other in opening round action. Both games will take place on Thursday, with the winner and loser advancing to their respective brackets in the double-elimination tournament. The Division III championship tournament is comprised of 16 four-team regionals using a double-elimination playoff format. Sixteen teams advance from the regional round to compete in eight two-team, best-of-three Super Regionals, May 21-22, at campus sites. The championship finals take place May 28-June 3 at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.

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