MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – The NEWMAC has announced the seeds for the 2026 NEWMAC Softball Championship bracket after the regular season wrapped up this afternoon. The 2026 Softball Championship field consists of seven teams, with a single elimination play-in game, followed by a double elimination tournament. The Championship will begin on Monday, May 4. 

WPI (19-1) captured the top seed along with the regular season title and has earned hosting rights for the start of double-elimination play on Wednesday, May 6, as well as games on Friday, May 8. WPI is led offensively by Lucy Latour's .504 batting average, which leads the NEWMAC. Emma Nagy also leads the league with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. Pitcher Abby Merchant heads into the postseason with a league-leading 22 wins.
 
The second seed goes to MIT (16-4). The Engineers' Holland Poe is fifth in the league with a .431 batting average. Pitcher Sharona Huang boasts a 2.74 ERA.
 
The third seed is awarded to Springfield College (14-6), which will await the winner of the play-in game on Wednesday. The Pride is led offensively by Amelia DeRosa's .468 batting average, which is fourth in the league. DeRosa also leads the Pride in the circle, with a 1.93 ERA, tied for tops in the league.

The fourth seed goes to Babson College (11-9). The Beavers' Lexi Sealy leads her squad with a .344 batting average heading into postseason play.

With the fifth seed, Wellesley College (11-9) is the final team to head straight to double elimination play. Pitcher Jill Colgan is a dual threat for the Blue, leading her team with a 2.13 ERA
 
No. 6 Wheaton College (11-9) will host a single-elimination game on Monday. Wheaton will face the seventh-seeded Coast Guard Academy (10-10). The Lyons are led by Peyton Blankenheim-Brown, who is tied for fifth the NEWMAC with a 1.36 ERA. The Bears will look to Dana Walker to lead the defense, as the pitcher is tied for fifth in the NEWMAC with a 1.36 ERA.  The winner of the play-in game will move on to face No. 3 Springfield.
 
Tickets for NEWMAC championship events can be purchased through the NEWMAC box office. The NEWMAC encourages fans to purchase their mobile tickets in advance of the event to streamline the entry process on game day. Spectators may purchase mobile tickets on site, but no cash option will be available. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission. Children 12 and under and NEWMAC students with a valid institutional ID are free and do not need to purchase a mobile ticket. Once a matchup is confirmed following each round of the championship, the tickets will become available.

All rounds of the NEWMAC Softball Championship will be available for streaming on FloSports.

2026 NEWMAC Softball Championship

Monday, May 4 – (single-elimination)

Game 1- No. 7 Coast Guard at No. 6 Wheaton – 4:00 p.m.  

Wednesday, May 6 (double-elimination)

Game 2 - No. 5 Wellesley vs. No. 4 Babson- 2:30 p.m. – at WPI
Game - 3 Winner game 1 vs. No. 3 Springfield - 2:00 p.m. – at Springfield
Game 4 - Winner Game 2 at No. 1 WPI- 4:30 p.m. – at WPI
Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. No. 2 MIT- 4:00 p.m. – at Springfield

Friday, May 8 at TBD (double-elimination)

Game 6 - Loser Game #2 vs. Loser Game #3- 12:00 p.m. 
Game 7- Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5- 2:00 p.m. 
Game 8 - Winner Game #6 vs. Winner Game #7- 4:00 p.m. 

Game 9 - Winner Game #4 vs. Winner Game #5 - 4:00 p.m. 

Saturday, May 9- at highest-remaining seed (double-elimination)

Game 10 - Winner Game #8 vs. Loser Game #9 - 12:00 p.m. 
Game 11 - Winner Game #9 vs. Winner Game #10 - 2:00 p.m. 

Sunday, May 10 (Saturday site) – (if necessary)

Game 12 - Winner of game #11 vs. Loser of Game # 11- 1:00 p.m. 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.