JWU To Face No. 6 Linfield In Regional Play

May 13, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS – 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Champion Johnson & Wales will represent the GNAC in the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship as it heads to no. 6 nationally-ranked Linfield for the opening day of regional action. The game is scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at 5:30 pm.

The Wildcats were one of 64 teams selected into this year’s championship field, which was announced on Monday (May 12) afternoon during the NCAA.com Selection Show. The tournament begins May 15 with the regional round and concludes June 4 at Inspiration Field in Bloomington, Illinois. In 2025, the tournament will feature 64 teams competing across 16 regional brackets, each consisting of four teams in a double-elimination format.

JWU compiled a 29-15 overall mark, including a 15-3 GNAC (12-2 South Division) record that gave them the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championship Tournament. In Pod Play, the Wildcats went undefeated in pod play, defeating Regis and Emmanuel. Despite dropping the first game in the Championship Series to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), JWU won two straight to claim the 2025 GNAC Softball title.

There are 15 additional regional sites besides Linfield hosting action on Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17. Four teams are competing in each of the sites and will use a double-elimination format.

The sixteen regional winners will advance to the eight Super Regional sites on Thursday-Friday, May 22-23 to play best-of-three series. The eight Super Regional winners will then qualify for the pool play double-elimination championship at Inspirational Field in Bloomington, Illinois from Thursday, May 29 to Wednesday, June 4.

2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Schedule

Regional Day 1 – Thursday, May 15
(Hosted by Linfield – McMinnville, Ore.)

Game 1 - Linfield v. Johnson & Wales, 2:30 pm
Game 2 - Chapman v. Lewis & Clark, 5:00 pm

Regional Day 2 – Friday, May 16
(Hosted by Linfield - McMinnville, Ore.)

Game 3 - Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 12 pm
Game 4 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 2:30 pm
Game 5 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, 5:00 pm

Regional Day 3 – Saturday, May 17
(Hosted by Linfield - McMinnville Ore.)

Game 6 - Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12 pm
Game 7 (if necessary) - Game 6 v. Game 6. Loser, 2:30 pm

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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