INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2026 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship, naming four MIAA teams advancing to the NCAA postseason. Missouri Southern, Pittsburg State, Central Oklahoma and Rogers State will compete in the 2026 NCAA Central Region Championship, hosted by the Lions and Gorillas May 14-16.
 
Sixty-four NCAA Division II softball teams will open the 2026 postseason in regional, double-elimination tournaments at 16 different regional sites May 14-16. The winners from each regional site will advance to the best-of-three super-regional competition, hosted by the highest-seeded team advancing in the region, May 21-22. Super Regional winners will then advance to the double-elimination national championship finals May 28 - June 3 at Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
The MIAA represents four of the eight total teams competing in the Central Region. As the top two seeds in the region, Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State were awarded hosting privileges and will each welcome three Central Region opponents on their campuses this upcoming weekend.
 
The Central Region consists of three automatic qualifiers and five additional at-large bids from the MIAA, the Great American Conference (GAC), and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Missouri Southern softball won its first MIAA tournament title since 2001 to claim the MIAA’s AQ. Southern Arkansas won the GAC’s AQ and Augustana claimed the AQ in the NSIC.
 
Joining the top-seeded Lions (48-7) in Joplin, Mo., is No. 4 seed Southern Arkansas (46-7), No. 5 seed St. Cloud State (46-13), and No. 8 seed Augustana (30-26). Joining the No. 2-seeded Gorillas (45-9) in Pittsburg, Kan., is No. 3 seed Central Oklahoma (42-13), No. 6 seed Winona State (48-9), and No. 7 seed Rogers State (36-19). The opening round game schedules for both Central Region sites are listed below.
 
To view the complete game schedule and find more information on the Central Region Championship hosted at Missouri Southern State University’s Pat Lipira Softball Complex, visit MSSULions.com.
 
To view the complete schedule and find more information about the Central Region Championship hosted at the Pittsburg State University Softball Field, visit PittStateGorillas.com.
   
THURSDAY IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI:
No. 1 seed Missouri Southern vs. No. 8 seed Augustana @ 3 pm
No. 4 seed Southern Arkansas vs. No. 5 seed St. Cloud State @ 5:30 pm
 
THURSDAY IN PITTSBURG, KANSAS:
No. 2 seed Pittsburg State vs. No. 7 seed Rogers State @ 2 pm
No. 3 seed Central Oklahoma vs. No. 6 seed Winona State @ 4:30 pm