All posts by Christian Smith

NORTH ATLANTIC TEAM PREVIEWS

The North Atlantic Region produced St. Bonaventure University and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) as National Qualifiers last year.  It was St. Bonaventure’s first-ever qualification to Nationals, and TCNJ’s first trip back to Columbus since 2011.  Both programs had great experiences but certainly disappointing finishes.   Will those finishes fuel these programs to right-the-ship and qualify once again or will another program emerge?

After realignment, the North Atlantic got much more competitive for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.  2024 World Series qualifiers, Maryland and the U.S. Naval Academy join the North Atlantic Region after leaving the Mid-Atlantic.  The Terrapins and Midshipmen will certainly be two teams to look out for in 25/26.

Who will be the 4 teams that qualify for the North Atlantic Region and ultimately, who will be crowned North Atlantic Champion?  Check out the North Atlantic Region Team Previews to find out.

NEW ENGLAND REGION TEAM PREVIEWS

The New England Region has rich history with a lot of talented teams, but has never produced a NCSA National Champion.  Sacred Heart has dominated the region the last few years, but has had disappointing finishes in Columbus during their time at Nationals.  Will 2026 be the year the Pioneers break through and challenge for a National Championship?  Vermont, Cornell and UConn are also strong programs that have qualified for the postseason in recent years.  They all have a chance to challenge Sacred Heart and dethrone their dominance and become New England Champs.  The New England Region is wide open and it will be exciting to see who is represented in Columbus in 2026.

Check out the New England Region Team Previews to find out who is going to Columbus in May.

MID-ATLANTIC TEAM PREVIEWS

The Mid-Atlantic is no stranger to National Championships.  In fact, Mid-Atlantic Member, Virginia Tech won B2B National Championships in 2022 and 2023. Last year, the Mid-Atlantic featured arguably the toughest conference in the country with Virginia Tech, James Madison, Navy, Maryland, Virginia and Longwood.  Both VT and James Madison were ousted by the Mid-Atlantic South Teams at Regionals but they’ll be looking to make a comeback to Nationals in 2026.  It may not be an easy road for JMU and VT however.  Virginia is always on the cusp of a postseason berth.  Will this be the year, they surprise everyone and make a Regional appearance?

The Mid-Atlantic South is no slouch either.  Rivals NC State and UNC have been dominating the conference the last few years, but Coastal Carolina is primed to make a push and be a postseason participant in 2026.  It will be very interesting to say the least.

Who will be the 2 teams making it to Nationals from the Mid-Atlantic in 2026?  Check out the Mid-Atlantic Region Team Previews to find out.

MID-AMERICA TEAM PREVIEWS

The Mid-America Region will be exciting to watch in 2025-2026.  The U.S. Air Force Academy has dominated the Region the last few years and even took home a National Championship in 2024.  With the departure of their longtime head Coach and a few key players, will Air Force continue it’s dominance or will it be another teams opportunity to win the Region?  Could Iowa be that team?  After a few straight appreances at the World Series, they missed out in 2025 but seem primed and hungry to make a push to get back to Columbus in 2026.  With Arkansas State no longer apart of the Region after realignment, you’ll see a newcomer to Regionals and maybe surprise some teams.

All in all, don’t take your eyes off of the Mid-America Region this year.  Who will be representing the Region at Nationals in 2026?  You be the judge.  Check out the Mid-America Team Previews.

GREAT AMERICAN/GREAT LAKES TEAM PREVIEWS

The Great Lakes is home to the reigning National Champions, the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Wolverines look primed to repeat brining back the majority of their team including 2025 NCSA DI WS MVP, Ava Chatlosh and 1st Team All-American Pitcher, Colleen Campbell.  But the Great Lakes is filled with talented teams and it won’t be an easy road to B2B National Championships.  UW-Whitewater is a two-time NCSA DII National Champion and they’ll be a team looking to make the NCSA DI Postseason and challenging for a spot at Nationals.  Look out for the Great Lakes Region in 2025-2026, they may be the most competitive Region in the country.

The Great American Region is also filled with top-end talent.  The University of Illinois is a mainstay at the World Series.  A program that has been to every World Series since the start of the NCSA.  That said, Arkansas State joins their conference.  Arkansas State is no stranger to the World Series, qualifying 9 times and winning the National Championship in 2017.  A lot of good teams in the Great American including Ohio University who made their first trip to Nationals last year.  They’ll be hungry to get back in 2026.

Who will be coming out of the Great Lakes and Great American Region in 2026?  Take a look at the Great American Team Previews and the Great Lakes Team Previews to find out.

25/26 NEW TEAM!

SUNY New Paltz has officially joined the NCSA for the 2025-2026 season! The NCSA is excited to welcome the Hawks who join Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Wake Forest, Lehigh, Virginia Commonwealth, South Florida and West Chester as the new teams for ’25-’26 season thus far.

If your team is interested in joining the NCSA for this upcoming season, contact Justyn Martinko today!

WATCH RECORDED VERSION OF NCSA LEAGUE MEETING

The NCSA held their Annual League Meeting on Facebook LIVE on Tuesday, August 5th.  Lot’s of great information was discussed and great questions were asked. If you were unable to join us LIVE for the meeting, not to worry!  Watch the Recorded Version HERE and download the NCSA Presentation Slides HERE.

NCSA LEAGUE MEETING SLIDES

Click HERE to download the NCSA Annual League Meeting Slides to follow along.  These are great to save, so you can reference later!

WELCOME ABOARD – JUSTYN MARTINKO

The NCSA is trilled to introduce the NCSA’s newest employee, Justyn Martinko.

Justyn has come on board to serve as the Director of Division II Softball Operations as well as Director of Team Development.  Justyn is a former club baseball player at the University of Montana where he played and eventually coached.  During his tenure with the UM Club Baseball Team, Justyn saw a team of just 10 players in his first year as a player turn into a conference championship team with a record number roster as his time as a coach. He will be a tremendous asset to the NCSA teams providing them with a wealth of knowledge allowing them to be successful on and off the field!

We are so excited to have Justyn on board with CollClubSports and the NCSA!