LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Reigning national champion and top-ranked Trine heads another elite field for the 2026 NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP, which includes seven teams ranked in the NFCA/GoRout Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll. The event is set for March 6-8 at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Ga.
The (6-0) Thunder swept Virginia Wesleyan in last June’s best-of-three championship finals in Bloomington, Ill., to secure their second Division III title in the past three seasons, which was their third championship series appearance in the last four seasons. They were national runner-up in 2022. Trine won the Leadoff Classic crown in 2013 and is one of three former tournament titlists in the 2026 field.
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Fourth-ranked Saint Mary’s (10-0), which joined Trine as one of the eight teams that advanced to the 2025 NCAA finals site, captured the inaugural Leadoff Classic in 2001 under NFCA Hall of Fame head coach John Tschida, fresh off winning the 2000 Division III title. Tschida also led St. Thomas to the 2007 Leadoff championship, a school with which he won back-to-back Division III national championships in 2004-05 over a stellar 21-season run. He returned to Saint Mary’s in 2023 after St. Thomas went Division I.
Two-time national champion East Texas Baptist (2010, 2024), which is ranked eighth and also unbeaten this season (8-0), is the other former Leadoff champion, having won the 2020 edition. The Tigers are one of 13 tournament teams that played in the NCAAs last season and one of 10 that captured their conference crown.
East Texas Baptist and Trine are two of 13 squads that competed in the 2025 Leadoff. No. 14 Huntingdon (8-1), 24th-ranked Belhaven (5-4), Denison (0-0), DePauw (0-0), Gettysburg (0-0), LaGrange (1-9), Pacific Lutheran (0-0), Pfeiffer (3-3), Saint Benedict (2-2), Spalding (2-3) and Stevens (2-2) are the others.
The remaining tournament teams are No. 13 Emory (5-1), 23rd-ranked Berry (7-1), Bethel (0-0), Cortland (0-0), Maryville (Tenn.) (9-3), Mount Union (0-0), Pomona-Pitzer (2-5) and Transylvania (5-0).
All teams are scheduled to play six games in the tournament, with two games each day. This will be the fifth straight Division III Leadoff held at the South Commons Softball Complex and the 12th edition of event overall.
Previous NFCA Division III Leadoff champions
2025 – Redlands
2024 – Linfield
2022 – Christopher Newport
2020 – East Texas Baptist
2018 – Virginia Wesleyan
2016 – UT Tyler
2013 – Trine
2010 – Louisiana College
2007 – St. Thomas (Minn.)
2004 – Moravian
2001 – Saint Mary’s (Minn.)
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Leadoff Classic tournaments, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.
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