The Mid-American Conference Council of Presidents has voted to reinstate the conference’s postseason tournaments starting in the 2021-22 academic year. Eliminated this year due to the pandemic and as a cost cutting measure, it was expected the MAC Postseason Tournaments might not return for up to four years. Although the softball championship will now play again in 2022, it will be cut from the original eight team participation to four.
Garza Will Not Return to Fresno State
RTS has learned from sources close to the situation that head coach Linda Garza will not be returning to the program at Fresno State. Garza has been on “voluntary personal leave” for unspecified reasons since early April. The Fresno Native was in her fifth season coaching the Bulldogs. The squad is currently 31-9 on the season.
Hartford Will Make Move From DI To DIII
The University of Hartford Board of Regents has voted to transition the university’s athletic program from Division I to Division III. The move is expected to save the financially strapped institute $9 million annually cutting athlete athletic aid, coaches’ salaries and athletic department operating costs. The institute, a member of the American East Conference, is expected to petition the NCAA on the move in 2022 with the official reclassification coming in 2025. Hartford Softball is one of of the 15 intercollegiate sports that will be affected by the move.
UCR Athletics Survives
University of California Riverside announced today in a statement from Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox that the institute would continue as a Division I athletic program. Last fall reports surfaced that the 17-sport program competing in the Big West Conference was in danger of ceasing their athletics program due to budget shortfalls at the institute. One of those programs, UCR Softball, now lives to fight another day. The Highlanders are currently 7-23 overall and 6-15 in Big West play on the 2021 season.
RTS Heads For The Peach State for ASUN Quarterfinals
RTS will be returning to the Peach State tomorrow for the ASUN Quarterfinals Best-of-Three Series between North Alabama (19-17, 5-7) and Kennesaw State (22-23, 10-5). First pitch in Game 1 of the series at Bailey Park between the Lions and Owls is set for 2 pm EST. Game 2 will follow at 4:30 pm. Follow RTS on Twitter @Rounding3rdSB for real-time in-game updates.
Stonehill Coach LeGrice Passes
RTS is saddened to report the passing of Stonehill College head coach Ken LeGrice. The veteran coach had been courageously battling cancer. LeGrice spent 17 years with the Skyhawks program, the last 12 as its head coach. He guided the Skyhawks to a program-record 197 wins and six Northeast-10 Conference Tournament appearances. In addition to his coaching endeavors, LeGrice spent 34 years as a member of the Brockton Police Department.
Texas Lutheran No. 1 After Punching NCAA Ticket
After winning the SCAC tournament championship, Texas Lutheran (28-4) stayed put in the top spot in this week’s NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll. The NCAA Regional bound Bulldogs made it unanimous picking up all eight first-place votes.
| Rank | Team | 2021 Record | Points | Previous |
| 1 | Texas Lutheran (8) | 28-4 | 200 | 1 |
| 2 | Virginia Wesleyan | 33-5-1 | 192 | 2 |
| 3 | DePauw | 31-2 | 184 | 5 |
| 4 | Moravian | 26-0 | 176 | 9 |
| 5 | Birmingham-Southern | 29-5 | 168 | T3 |
| 6 | Eastern Connecticut State | 24-2 | 160 | T3 |
| 7 | Belhaven | 30-8 | 152 | 6 |
| 8 | East Texas Baptist | 26-5 | 144 | 7 |
| 9 | Emory & Henry | 25-5 | 136 | 10 |
| 10 | Berry | 25-8 | 123 | 11 |
| 11 | Linfield | 33-7 | 120 | 8 |
| T12 | Christopher Newport | 26-10 | 106 | 14 |
| Salisbury | 21-7 | 106 | 13 | |
| 14 | St. John Fisher | 25-3 | 103 | 12 |
| 15 | Wartburg | 25-6 | 90 | 15 |
| 16 | The College of New Jersey | 17-3 | 70 | 18 |
| 17 | Randolph-Macon | 14-7-1 | 62 | 16 |
| 18 | Mount Union | 30-6 | 61 | 19 |
| 19 | St. Olaf | 21-3 | 48 | 22 |
| 20 | Concordia (Wis.) | 28-6 | 43 | 20 |
| 21 | Rowan | 25-5 | 38 | 21 |
| 22 | Rochester | 26-7 | 34 | 25 |
| 23 | St. Scholastica | 32-6 | 30 | 17 |
| 24 | Williams | 12-0 | 20 | 23 |
| 25 | George Fox | 27-9 | 10 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Alvernia 6, Misericordia 4, Mount St. Joseph 4, Milwaukee School of Engineering 3, Hope 3, Bethel (Minn.) 2, Aurora 1, Ithaca 1.
Dropped out: Coe, Saint Benedict and Trine.
USA Softball Announces 10 Finalists for POY
USA Softball announced today the 10 Finalists for their Collegiate Player of the Year. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes the top player in all of Division I. The Top 3 Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, May 19. The 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed June 1 prior to the 2021 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The Top 10 finalist list includes:
Jocelyn Alo, Sr., UTL, Oklahoma
Sis Bates, Grad., INF, Washington
Braxton Burnside, Grad., INF, Arkansas
Valerie Cagle, Fr., P, Clemson
Carrie Eberle, Sr., P, Oklahoma State
Rachel Garcia, RSSR., P/INF, UCLA
Mary Haff, RSJR., P, Arkansas
Tiare Jennings, Fr., INF, Oklahoma
Kayla Kowalik, Jr., C, Kentucky
Gabbie Plain, Sr., P, Washington
NCAA Cuts WCWS Ticket/Session Holders by 50%
The NCAA sent a communication to all-session ticket holders for the WCWS today, and needless to say they won’t be thrilled (nor should they be). The plan that NCAA has had a year to structure seems to give four options. The top two of which if fans want to attend being a reduction of seats already paid for, or reduction in overall sessions. NCAA recently set a 50% capacity for all postseason championships.
Augustana Unanimous No. 1 For Second Time This Season
Augustana (36-4) is the unanimous No. 1 in this week’s NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. This is the Vikings fifth week on top and the second time unanimously as they picked up all 16 first-place votes.
| Rank | School | Points | 2021 Record | Last Poll |
| 1 | Augustana (16) | 400 | 36-4 | 1 |
| 2 | UT Tyler | 382 | 33-5 | 3 |
| 3 | North Georgia | 370 | 35-5 | 4 |
| 4 | Auburn Montgomery | 341 | 35-5 | 11 |
| 5 | Lincoln Memorial | 319 | 36-6 | 7 |
| 6 | Oklahoma Christian | 305 | 34-6 | 6 |
| 7 | Indianapolis | 301 | 37-5 | 5 |
| 8 | Valdosta State | 288 | 32-6 | 2 |
| 9 | West Texas A&M | 275 | 32-10 | 10 |
| 10 | Young Harris | 264 | 30-9 | 8 |
| 11 | Concordia Irvine | 246 | 26-11 | 12 |
| 12 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 213 | 25-14 | 9 |
| 13 | Grand Valley State | 203 | 35-7 | 14 |
| 14 | UAH | 191 | 30-10 | 18 |
| 15 | Central Oklahoma | 177 | 32-10 | 13 |
| 16 | Colorado Mesa | 173 | 34-2 | 16 |
| 17 | Minnesota State | 136 | 30-7 | 17 |
| 18 | Saint Anselm | 124 | 24-4 | 19 |
| 19 | West Florida | 106 | 30-12 | 22 |
| 20 | Winona State | 91 | 31-8 | 20 |
| 21 | Angelo State | 71 | 31-11 | 23 |
| 22 | Southern Arkansas | 68 | 23-7 | 21 |
| 23 | Rollins | 64 | 16-2 | 15 |
| 24 | Georgian Court | 29 | 32-4 | RV |
| 25 | Biola | 26 | 19-13 | 24 |
New to Poll: No. 24 Georgian Court
Dropped Out: t-No. 25 Northwest Nazarene, t-No. 25 Texas A&M-Kingsville
Receiving Votes: Northwest Nazarene (14), Kutztown (11), Texas A&M University-Kingsville (7), Central Missouri (4), Shepherd (1).