Eagle Softball Earns D-II Postseason Berth For First Time In 11 Years

For the 14^th time in program history and the first time since 2015, Ashland University's softball team will play in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
 
As revealed by the NCAA on Monday (May 11) morning, the Eagles – 32-17 overall and the runner-up at the 2026 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament – are back in the D-II postseason. The No. 5 seed will open the Midwest split regional at Indianapolis on Thursday (May 14) at 1:30 p.m. vs. No. 4 seed Saginaw Valley State (37-14).

"It felt really great," said Ashland head coach Jackie Price. "The biggest thing is the seniors and this group of players deserve to experience this. The amount of effort and work this group has put in...this is going to be a special time for them. And I am excited to be a part of it with them."
 
The top-seeded Greyhounds (56-5) will play No. 8 seed Tiffin (34-14) to open the split regional.
 
In the other Midwest split regional, No. 2 seed and host McKendree (43-14) will open with No. 7 seed Rockhurst (35-19), while No. 3 seed Findlay (39-12) will start vs. No. 6 seed Missouri S&T.
 
Ashland also has competed in the D-II postseason in 1996-99, 2002-03, and 2009-15.

The Eagles' 32 wins this season are their most since 2019 (33).
 
A 64-team tournament (eight teams in each of eight regions), the D-II postseason will begin on Thursday. The regionals are Thursday-Saturday (May 16) at on-campus sites, super regionals are May 21-22 at on-campus sites, and the 2026 NCAA Division II Championships will be in Chattanooga, Tenn., from May 28-June 3.
 
In the Midwest Region, automatic qualifiers come from the winners of the Great Midwest, Great Lakes Valley Conference and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The other five teams are chosen as at-large entries.