Mustangs are top seed for ACCC Division I Softball Tournament

The Northeast Alabama Community College softball team has a regular-season conference title on its 2026 resume. 

Now the Mustangs will try to add a conference tournament championship to the list of accomplishments they have achieved during their historic second season of competition.

No. 3-nationally ranked NACC (48-4 overall, 29-3 in ACCC play) is the top seed for the 2026 ACCC Division I Softball Tournament. The double-elimination tournament is Thursday through Sunday at Veterans Park in Alabaster. The tournament will end Saturday unless an "if needed" championship game is required to crown the tournament champion. If an "if needed" championship game is required, it would be played Sunday at noon.

Admission is $15 per day and a $20 tournament pass is available. Children ages 6 and under are admitted free as are any youth who wear their team jersey. 

Tournament games will be streamed live at www.jockjive.com.

The ACCC Tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I World Series, which is May 25-31 at Choccolooco Park in Oxford.

NACC head coach Joe Guthrie said the team that wins the tournament championship will have earned it.

"Our league was very tough this year," Guthrie said. "Anybody can beat anybody. We need to show up hungry with something to prove. It's time to finish."

NACC opens the tournament against the Gadsden State-Calhoun winner Thursday at noon. If the Mustangs win, they would play Friday at 2 p.m. for a spot in Saturday's championship game. If the Mustangs lose their opening game, they would fall into the elimination bracket and play again Friday at noon.

Here is the complete 2026 ACCC Tournament schedule:

THURSDAY

Game 1: Calhoun vs. Gadsden State, noon (Field 5)

Game 2: Coastal Alabama-South vs. Shelton State, noon (Field 2)

Game 3: NACC vs. Calhoun/Gadsden State winner, 2 p.m. (Field 5)

Game 4: Wallace State vs. Coastal Alabama-South/Shelton State winner, 2 p.m. (Field 2)

FRIDAY

Game 5: G2 loser vs. G3 loser, noon (Field 5)

Game 6: G1 loser vs. G4 loser, noon (Field 2)

Game 7: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 2 p.m. (Field 5)

Game 8: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 2 p.m. (Field 2)

SATURDAY

Game 9: G7 loser vs. G8 winner, noon (Field 5)

Game 10 Championship: G7 winner vs. G9 winner, 45 minutes after completion of Game 9 (Field 5)

SUNDAY

Game 11 "If Needed" Championship: G10 winner vs. G10 loser vs. G8 winner, noon (Field 5)

For information on Veterans Park, please visit:http://al-alabaster.civicplus.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Veterans-Park-10