Rounding Third Softball

NCAA announced the selections for the Division II Softball Championship on Monday. 16 four-team regional sites will host the 64 programs for the postseason.

The number one seeds in each region include:

Kutztown

Shippensburg

Rogers State

Central Oklahoma

Adelphia

Georgia Court

Southern Indiana

Indianapolis

Auburn Montgomery

Tampa

UT Tyler

Texas A&M Commerce

Anderson (SC)

Lenoir-Rhyne

Cal State San Marcos

Concordia Irvine

The complete regional pairings and sites can be found at Teams announced for 2022 NCAA Division II softball championship | NCAA.com

After 24 season Methodist University Head Coach Ron Simpson has announced his retirement. Simpson coached the Monarchs to a 526-424-1 record, five USA South Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and made six trips to the NCAA Division III Postseason.

University of Maryland Baltimore County clinched the America East Conference Regular Season Championship on Saturday in a DH sweep of Binghamton 2-0 and 4-2. The title was the second straight for the Retrievers. The championship is the fourth in AEC play for head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer in four seasons leading the program (two regular season and two tournament).

Creighton has announced that longtime head coach Brent Vigness would not be returning for a 30th season. In 29 years with the Bluejays he compiled a record of 819-637-3. In that time he won seven Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles, six Missouri Valley Conference Tournament titles, and made seven NCAA Postseason appearances.

The NCAA has released the bracket for next month’s Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. 2022 will be the first year the WCWS extends by two days as the amount of games daily are cut to two daily, minus Day One on Thursday and possibly Monday’s “Final Four” that could include “If Necessary” Games. Tuesday will now serve as an off day before the Championship Series starts Wednesday. The complete postseason brackets can be found at 2022 NCAA softball bracket: WCWS schedule, bracket for Oklahoma City | NCAA.com

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has announced substantial changes to the championship format and allowable number of playing opportunities for Division I and II.

Beginning in 2024 the National Championship Tournaments will expand from 16 teams to 20, with 16 automatic district qualifiers and four at-large selections. The championship will expand by nine games and one full day.

The allowable contests during the spring championship segment will also change from 30 dates to 60 games. Teams will also be permitted an additional four competition dates in the fall for a total of 14 dates. The expansion of the championship and non-championship segments will take effect beginning with the 2022-23 academic year.

Tiala Tagaloa will not be returning as head coach at UT Permian Basin it was announced today. Tagaloa compiled a 79-199 overall record coaching the Falcons over six seasons. The 2022 season saw the most wins in program history at 21.

Southwestern Oklahoma State has announced head coach Kim Maher has stepped down. She spent six seasons leading the Bulldogs compiling a 77-179 record. Maher was the Great American Conference Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading SWOSU to its first postseason berth since 2013.

Cedarville University has announced that Kelsey Chapman will continue as head coach on a permanent basis. Chapman led the Yellow Jackets as interim head coach in 2022. She served as an assistant on staff for five years before stepping into the leadership role this season. CU finished the season 24-19.

USA Softball has announced the Top 10 Finalists for the 2022 Collegiate Player of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female softball players across the country.

The Top 10 Finalists are:

Jocelyn Alo-Oklahoma

Jordy Bahl-Oklahoma

Georgina Corrick-South Florida

Danielle Gibson-Arkansas

Baylee Klingler-Washington

Grace Lyons-Oklahoma

Kelly Maxwell-Oklahoma State

Sydney McKinney-Wichita State

Keely Rochard-Virginia Tech

Danielle Williams-Northwestern

The Top 3 Finalists will be revealed on May 18. The 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will then be announced prior to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.