KANSAS CITY, Mo - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 48-team field for the 45th annual NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round on Wednesday evening. The field for 2026 includes 29 automatic qualifiers, who either punched their ticket by winning their conference regular season or conference tournament, or by being a conference tournament runner-up in their respective conference. Four teams punched their ticket to the opening round, earning a host-at-large berth. At the same time, the remaining 15 spots in the field were filled by the softball national selection committee, comprised of head coaches and administrators from around the country.

Teams looking to punch one of ten tickets to Columbus for the NAIA Softball World Series have a battle in front of them as the combined overall winning percentage of the field sits at .722 percent, or a combined overall record of 1,744-671. There are 14 teams with 40 or more wins on the season; only eight of those teams have dropped nine or fewer games this season.

The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) Cougars earned the No. 3 seed and will face the No. 2 seed Texas A&M University-Texarkana in Game Two of the Opening Round in Ashland, Oregon.

Selection Show | 2026 NAIA Softball Opening Round Schedule

GAME NOTES

• Saint Francis enters the NAIA National Tournament with a 36-11 overall record, including a 29-7 mark in Crossroads League play. The Cougars claimed the Crossroads League Tournament title and were receiving votes in the final NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll of the season. This marks the first NAIA National Tournament appearance in program history for Saint Francis.
• Texas A&M-Texarkana enters the NAIA Opening Round with a 37-14 overall record and a 21-5 mark in Red River Athletic Conference play. The Eagles finished as the RRAC Tournament runner-up and were ranked No. 19 in the final NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
• As a team, Saint Francis is batting .321 with a .402 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage. The Cougars have scored 335 runs and hit 54 home runs this season.
• Abby Robakowski was named Crossroads League Player of the Year after leading the conference in batting average (.494), slugging percentage (1.103), RBIs (65), and home runs (25). Her 25 home runs and 1.103 slugging percentage both lead the NAIA, while her batting average ranks seventh nationally. The junior infielder enters the postseason on an eight-game hitting streak and is the program's all-time home run leader.
• Sam Baker leads the league with a program-record 50 stolen bases, ranking sixth nationally.
• In the circle, Ellie Sauder has posted a 3.02 ERA with 71 strikeouts across 113.2 innings pitched, while Olivia Fuentes has a 2.60 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 102.1 innings.
• Texas A&M-Texarkana enters postseason play batting .340 as a team with a .426 on-base percentage and a .488 slugging percentage. The Eagles have scored 327 runs and hit 26 home runs this season.
• Mackenzie Williams leads the Eagles with a .465 batting average, a .569 on-base percentage, and 18 stolen bases. Madison Ruiz has hit a team-best six home runs, while Grace Cantu leads Texas A&M-Texarkana with 48 RBIs.
• In the circle, Rylee Glenn has recorded a 2.06 ERA with 112 strikeouts across 125.2 innings pitched. Alexis Snyder owns a 3.28 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 96.0 innings.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Business and Leadership: Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.