Softball Selected to Host NCAA Regional at Spicer Field This Week

MEDFORD, MA (May 11, 2026) - For the seventh time since Tufts University's Spicer Field was refurbished prior to the start of the 2015 season, the Jumbo softball team will host an NCAA Tournament Regional Thursday through Saturday (May 14-16) this week.

The Jumbos (30-10), the top seed for the Regional in Medford, will welcome #2 seed Middlebury College (33-8), #3 seed Muhlenberg College (32-11) and #4 seed Alfred University (29-13) to Spicer for a double-elimination tournament that will send the winner on to the NCAA Super Regionals May 21-22.

Tufts will play Alfred at 11 AM on Thursday, and Middlebury will face Muhlenberg that day at 1:30 PM in first-round game. Three games are scheduled for Friday (11 AM, 1:30 PM, 4 PM), and Saturday will have one game and another if-necessary game (11 AM and 1:30 PM.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 seniors and students, $5 for children 3-12, and children three and under are free. There is no tournament pass, only day tickets.

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Tournament Details:
2026 NCAA Div. III Medford (MA) Softball Regional
Dates: May 14-16, 2026
Location: Medford, MA – Spicer Field
Coverage: LIVE VIDEO – LIVE STATS – NCAA BRACKET

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Here's a closer look at the teams:

The Tufts Jumbos (New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Semifinalist)
NCAA Appearance – 24th (83-42) / 2026 NPI Ranking: 15

The Jumbos led the NESCAC in hitting this season, and come into the tournament with a .348 batting average led by first-year shortstop Paige Murphy at a .450 clip. Junior catcher Heaven Oliva has been one of the top power threats in Division III with 12 home runs so far this season, which has helped her drive home 46 runs. Tufts scores 6.88 runs per game. Senior Kaitlyn Perucci is just one hit shy of tying the Jumbo program's career hits record (240).

Tufts earned a top 20 NPI ranking with three first-year pitchers carrying the load. The staff, which has a 3.54 earned run average, is led by Avery Kanouse with a 12-3 record and 2.70 era. First-year Francesa Colangelo's five saves are one of the top totals in Division III, while classmate Sarah Brody is another key contributor.

Murphy is one of the busiest shortstops in the nation, as her 122 assists rank sixth in Division III. Tufts has a .951 fielding mark as a team.
 
The Middlebury Panthers (New England Small College Athletic Conference Champions) - Coming to Medford from Middlebury, VT
NCAA Appearance – 2nd (1-2) / 2026 NPI Ranking: 29

Middlebury senior center fielder Kristyn Carroll is one of the top offensive players in the nation, coming into the tournament with a .510 batting average that ranks 13th in the nation. Her 10 triples are second-most in Division III. The Panthers hit .338 overall, and senior Jen Westphal leads the team with 40 runs batted in. The Panthers average 6.44 runs per game.

First-year Emily Dowd has two of NESCAC's top totals in the pitcher's circle this year with 14 victories and 101 strikeouts in 104 innings. The Panther team era entering NCAA's is a 3.36 mark. Senior McKenna Lont has made the most starts for Middlebury and is 9-4 with a 3.92 era.

By the numbers, Middlebury is the top defensive team at the Regional this weekend with a .974 fielding percentage. That ranks eighth nationally at the moment.
 
The Muhlenberg College Mules (Centennial Conference Semifinalists) - Coming to Medford from Allentown, PA
NCAA Appearance – 11th (11-20) / 2026 NPI Ranking: 35

Statistically, the Mules bring the best 1-2 punch in the pitcher's circle into the Regional. Sophomore Morgan Bobrowski and first-year Eden Clark lead a staff whose 2.31 era is the best at the site this weekend. Bobrowski's 1.37 era and Clark's 9.0 strikeouts per seven innings are highly-ranked national numbers.

The Mules enter NCAA's with a .349 batting average, led by sophomore Ava Storlazzi with a .440 mark. Their 133 stolen bases are top 15 nationally, led by 30 from Hailey Godin and 29 by Josie Hoffacker. Muhlenberg has not hit a home run all season, but averages 5.58 runs per game.

Muhlenberg has a strong .964 fielding percentage which ranks second in the Centennial Conference this season.
 
The Alfred University Saxons (Empire 8 Conference Champions) - Coming to Medford from Alfred, NY
NCAA Appearance – 6th (13-12) / NPI Ranking: 78

Alfred is the top hitting team at the Regional by a small margin with their .351 batting average. They are a top 10 team nationally in both doubles (90) and home runs (39), with junior Kendall Steward (.449 average) leading the way with 17 and 10, respectively. Junior Molly Whitmyer (9 home runs, 53 rbis) and junior Samantha Vidal (48 runs, 49 stolen bases) are other leaders who help the Saxons score 7.12 runs per game, the most among the four teams.

In the pitcher's circle, the Saxons sport a 4.61 earned run average. Steward (14-7, 4.52) and first-year Ava Galvan (10-2, 4.04) lead the staff.

The Saxons enter the tournament with a .953 fielding percentage.
 
What's Next?

The winner of the Medford Regional will face the winner of a Regional taking place at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. The Trine Thunder (32-4)the, who are the defending national champion and own the #2 NPI ranking this spring,  (32-6) are hosting the University of Rochester (35-8), Loras College (29-14) and Earlham College (26-17). Whoever moves on from the Super Regional will play in the NCAA DIII Finals in Salem, Virginia starting on May 28.