Mustangs are No. 3 seed for NJCAA DI Softball World Series

The Northeast Alabama Community College softball team gathered Tuesday night to watch the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Softball World Series Selection Show.

And while the Mustangs knew they were automatically in the field thanks to winning the Alabama Community College Conference/NJCAA Region 22 Tournament championships, seeing the school's name pop up on the screen was still a thrill.

"We were excited to reach a goal of getting into the World Series," said NACC head coach Joe Guthrie. "We are now focused on the ultimate goal, earning a national championship."

In just its second year of softball, Northeast Alabama (51-4) has earned the No. 3 seed for the 2026 NJCAA Division I Softball World Series, which is May 25-30 in the state of Alabama at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. 

NACC's first game in the double-elimination 20-team tournament is Tuesday, May 26 at 1:15 p.m. (Field 2) against the winner of Monday's opening-round game between 14th-seeded Gaston (N.C.) and 19th-seeded Wabash Valley (Ill.). 

"We want to make this a home game for our athletes," said NACC athletic director/assistant softball coach Jimmy Kolaitis. "Let's show the country who the best fans are."

The complete bracket with game times each day can be viewed by clicking here.

Tickets for the 2026 NJCAA Division I Softball World Series, available by on-site purchase only, are $15 per day and tournament passes are available for $40 per person. Children ages five and under are admitted free. In the event of a rain delay or game suspension due to weather, or any other reason, anyone with a valid wristband will be admitted to the rescheduled game. Tournament wristbands cannot be exchanged or refunded for any dollar value. Parking is available at the complex for $5 per vehicle each day.

It's been a record setting season for NACC softball, which played its inaugural season in 2025. The 2026 campaign began with a 19-winning streak and the Mustangs had a 20-game winning streak later in the season. NACC won the ACCC regular-season crown with a 29-3 mark in conference play and went 3-0 in the conference tournament last weekend, winning in thrilling fashion on sophomore Francesca Lumpp's walk-off two-run homer in extra innings. The Mustangs are batting .401 as a team, which leads the NJCAA, and has outscored opponents 462-108 this season. Meanwhile, the NACC pitching staff has a team ERA of .185 (seventh in NJCAA) and has a team fielding percentage of .972 (tied for third in NJCAA) while committing just 39 errors in 1,399 total defensive chances.