The Calvin softball team is scheduled to open NCAA III Tournament play on Thursday against Dominican University of Illinois at 2:30 p.m. (EST) on the campus of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio.

Calvin-Dominican Live Stream Video Link / Calvin-Dominican Live Stats Link

Calvin and Dominican are part of a four-team, double-elimination NCAA III Regional pod. Host Case Western Reserve and Penn State Behrend are the other two teams in the regional.

Calvin (32-10) enters the tournament ranked 25^th in the NFCA Division III Top 25 poll while Dominican (38-6) is ranked 23^rd. NFCA D3 Top 25 Poll – 5-14-24

Host Case Western Reserve (34-6) is ranked seventh nationally while Penn State-Behrend comes in with an overall record of 33-8. Calvin has not met Dominican, Case Western Reserve or Penn State-Behrend in NCAA III Tournament play. Dominican is a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and captured the NACC Tournament crown last weekend to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament. Case Western Reserve is a member of the University Athletic Association and won the UAA title to earn an automatic bid to the national tournament. Penn State Behrend is from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and won the AMCC Tournament title last weekend to claim an automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament. Calvin received an at-large bid to the NCAA III Tournament after finishing second at last weekend's MIAA Tournament at Trine University.

Tickets to the regional tournament are currently on sale at: 2024 NCAA Division III Softball Cleveland Regional - Physical Education & Athletics (case.edu). Tickets will be sold onsite but will be credit card only.

Fans planning to attend are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. For directions to the Case Western Reserve softball complex as well as live stats and live video links, fans should visit the Case Western Reserve website at: 2024 NCAA DIII Softball Championship - Regional Round - CWRU Athletics (case.edu)

Calvin is 24-27 all-time in NCAA III Tournament play with Calvin winning regional titles in 1984, 1989, 1990 and 1997. The Knights are making their 15^th appearance in the NCAA III Tournament including their fourth under current head coach Becky Hilgert. Calvin is 5-6 in NCAA III Tournament play under Hilgert, reaching the tournament in 2018, 2019, 2021 and now 2024.

At 32-10 overall, Calvin has hit the 30-win plateau for the third time in school history. The Knights finished second in the MIAA regular season standings this year at 13-3 behind defending national champion Trine which finished 14-2 in league play. Calvin swept a doubleheader at (then) top-ranked Trine in mid-April. The sweep of Trine ignited a 17-3 finish to the regular season for the Knights.

During the season, Hilgert hit the 200-win plateau. Her career record heading into NCAA III Tournament play is 205-82. The Knights are led at the plate by sophomore third baseman Carly Dole who is batting .400 with five home runs, 10 triples, four doubles, 30 RBI and a slugging percentage of .725. Earlier this spring, Dole became the Calvin career leader in triples. Last weekend she set a Calvin single-season record for triples by belting her 10^th triple of the season in a 3-0 win over Hope. Dole has 19 three-base hits in her young Calvin career. Junior catcher Taylor Sanborn is batting .320 with 27 runs batted in. Sophomore right fielder Tory Decker is batting .348 with 29 RBI. Sophomore center fielder Emma Walker is batting .318 with 16 RBI.

In the pitching circle, sophomore Brooke Hunderman has emerged as the staff ace, compiling a 14-5 record with a 1.44 earned run average with 155 strikeouts in 135.2 innings of work. Hunderman was the 2024 MIAA Pitcher of the Year and has been a two-time Wilson/NFCA/ Division III National Pitcher of the Week recipient this spring. Junior Zoe Hazelhoff is 10-0 with a 1.47 earned run average with one save while sophomore Emma Ludema is 8-5 with a 3.66 earned run average and two saves.

Hunderman, Dole, Sanborn and Decker were all named to the 2024 All-MIAA First Team while Walker was named to the 2024 All-MIAA Second Team.

NCAA III CASE WESTERN RESERVE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Day 1 – Thursday, May 16
Game 1: CWRU vs. Penn St. Behrend – 12 p.m.
Game 2: Calvin vs. Dominican – 2:30 p.m.
Day 2 – Friday, May 17
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 11 a.m.
Game 4 (elimination): Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 1:30 p.m.
Game 5 (elimination): Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 – 4:00 p.m.
Day 3 – Saturday, May 18
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 11 a.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 Teams – 1:30 p.m.