Complete 2024 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament Bracket (.pdf)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Champion Baldwin Wallace University softball team will be making just its second appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
BW (25-14), who was the OAC automatic qualifier after winning the rain soaked OAC Tournament, will travel to Greencastle, Indiana for the double elimination tournament hosted by DePauw University, the North Coast Athletic Conference Champion. The Yellow Jackets will open the tournament against Coe (Iowa) College, the American Rivers Conference Champion, on Thursday, May 16. DePauw will take on St. Mary's (Minn.) University, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Champion in game two on Thursday. The two winners will face off on Friday, May 17 with the losers of the first games to face off in an elimination. The winner of game four will face the loser of game three in an elimination game 30 minutes following the conclusion of game four. The regional championship series will be played on Saturday, May 18.
Sophomore All-OAC Tournament Team designated player/pitcher Maddie Lester (Boardman) led the team in batting with a .372 average (45-of-121). Lester led the team and was fourth in the OAC in doubles with 13. She led the squad and was tied for fifth in the conference in walks with 16 and homeruns with seven. Lester led the team and was seventh in the league in runs batted-in (RBIs) with 37. She also added two triples. Lester also was second the team in wins with nine. Lester recorded 60 strikeouts in 84.2 innings pitched. She had a 3.39 earned run average (ERA).
Sophomore All-OAC Tournament Team shortstop Lucia Wolford (McDonald) was second on the team in hitting with a .370 batting average (40-of-108). Wolford led the team with 73 assists in the field and was second in RBIs with 28 and doubles with 10.
Junior All-OAC Tournament Team right handed pitcher Marisa Hall (Paris/East Canton) led the team and was tied for second in the OAC with a career-high tying 13 wins. Hall was third in the league with 109 strikes with just 35 walks in a career-high 138.2 innings pitched. She was seventh in the conference with a 2.83 ERA.
The Yellow Jackets are joined by fellow OAC members in OAC Regular Season Champion the University of Mount Union and Muskingum University as both earned at-large bids.
