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MAY 11, 2026
composed by STEVE ULRICH
No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3

Good Morning. What a weekend!

📕 Today in the D3Playbook. 64 Teams Set For Baseball Championship. Softball Championship Field Set. Hope Stuns Bates to Headline Men’s Lacrosse Round of 16. Sweet 16 Set in Women’s Lax

🗓 What’s Happening Today. The Division III softball brackets will be unveiled at 11 AM, with baseball following at noon. The women’s golf selections will be released at 6 PM. And the Division III Analysis Working Group will hold a virtual meeting.

🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Walking On Sunshine. Katrina & The Waves

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Top Story

1. 64 Teams Set For Baseball Championship

Congratulations to the 41 automatic qualifiers and 23 at-large selections to the 2026 Division III baseball championship tournament. The bracket will be announced today at noon ET on NCAA.com.

» AQ (41). Penn State Behrend (AMCC), Wartburg (ARC), East Texas Baptist (ASC), Marymount (AEC), Johns Hopkins (CC), Millikin (CCIW), Piedmont (CCS), Endicott (CNE), Sage (E8), Mitchell (GNAC), Transylvania (HCAC), Scranton (LAND), Southern Maine (LEC), RIT (LL), Bridgewater State (MASCAC), Adrian (MIAA), Messiah (MACC), DeSales (MACF), Grinnell (MWC), Macalester (MIAC), Tufts (NESCAC), Babson (NEWMAC), Rowan (NJAC), Husson (NAC), Denison (NCAC), Aurora (NACC), Whitworth (NWC), Baldwin Wallace (OAC), Shenandoah (ODAC), Washington & Jefferson (PAC), Farmingdale State (SKY), Centre (SAA), Pomona-Pitzer (SCIAC), Concordia TX (SCAC), Webster (SLIAC), Cortland (SUNYAC), Penn State Harrisburg (UEC), Chicago (UAA), Pfeiffer (USAS), Bethany Lutheran (UMAC), UW-Whitewater (WIAC)

» At-Large (23). 2-Lynchburg, 4-Salve Regina, 7-Salisbury, 11-Bridgewater, 14-Washington U., 15-Wittenberg, 16-Montclair State, 19-Belhaven, 23-Mount Union, 27-Randolph-Macon, 28-Kean, 29-Maryville, 34-Mary Washington, 35-Rhodes, 36-DePauw, 37-Claremont-M-S, 38-Trinity CT, 39-UW-La Crosse, 40-Kalamazoo, 42-Ramapo, 44-Christopher Newport, 45-Hobart, 46-Luther

» First Four Out. 47-Trinity TX, 48-Amherst, 50-Ohio Northern, 53-St. John Fisher

» Multiple Bid Conferences. C2C (4), NJAC (4), ODAC (4), CCS (3), NCAC (3), A-R-C (2), LL (2), MIAA (2), NESCAC (2), NEWMAC (2), OAC (2), SAA (2), SCIAC (2), UAA (2), WIAC (2)

2. Softball Championship Field Set

Congratulations to the 42 automatic qualifiers and 22 at-large selections to the 2026 Division III softball championship tournament. The bracket will be announced today at 11 AM ET on NCAA.com.

» AQ (42). Penn State Behrend (AMCC), Simpson (A-R-C), East Texas Baptist (ASC), Marymount (AEC), Swarthmore (CC), Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW), Belhaven (CCS), Endicott (CNE), John Jay (CUNYAC), Alfred (E8), Albertus Magnus (GNAC), Earlham (HCAC), Moravian (LAND), UMass Dartmouth (LEC), Rochester (LL), Westfield State (MASCAC), Trine (MIAA), Messiah (MACC), Lebanon Valley (MACF), Illinois College (MWC), Saint Benedict (MIAC), Middlebury (NESCAC), WPI (NEWMAC), Rowan (NJAC), Husson (NAC), Denison (NCAC), Dominican (NACC), Linfield (NWC), Capital (OAC), Virginia Wesleyan (ODAC), Westminster PA (PAC), Manhattanville (SKY), Berry (SAA), Redlands (SCIAC), Texas Lutheran (SCAC), Greenville (SLIAC), Cortland (SUNYAC), Penn State Brandywine (UEC), Washington U. (UAA), Pfeiffer (USAS), Bethany Lutheran (UMAC), UW-Stevens Point (WIAC)

» At-Large (22). 11-Saint Mary’s MN, 13-Mount Union, 15-Tufts, 17-Stockton, 18-Wartburg, 20-UW-Oshkosh, 21-MIT, 23-Pacific Lutheran, 24-Case Western Reserve, 25-Emory, 27-Huntingdon, 30-Christopher Newport, 31-Muskingum, 33-Calvin, 35-Muhlenberg, 37-Colby, 39-Bowdoin, 41-Central, 42-Trinity TX, 44-St. Thomas, 45-Loras, 46-Transylvania.

» First Four Out. 47-Shenandoah, 49-Hope, 51-UW-Eau Claire, 52-UW-Whitewater.

» Multiple Bid Conferences. A-R-C (4), NESCAC (4), OAC (3), UAA (3), C2C (2), CC (2), CCS (2), HCAC (2), MIAA (2), MIAC (2), NEWMAC (2), NJAC (2), NWC (2), SAA (2), SCAC (2), WIAC (2).

3. Hope Stuns Bates to Headline Men’s Lacrosse Round of 16

The NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse team has a Cinderella and it resides in Holland, Mich. Hope travels to Maine and came away with a pair of surprising victories against Ithaca, 14-11, and Bates, 14-12, to remain undefeated at 20-0. Next up for the Flying Dutchmen is No. 2 overall seed Bowdoin. York went on the road and stunned Lynchburg, 18-12, while Christopher Newport subdued Washington and Lee, 13-12.

» Round of 16. Tufts d. Middlebury, 24-10; York d. Lynchburg, 18-12; Christopher Newport d. Washington and Lee, 13-12; Wesleyan d. Williams, 14-10; Bowdoin d. Stevens, 17-14; Hope d. Bates, 14-12; Babson d. St. Lawrence, 13-9; Salisbury d. RIT, xx.

Quarterfinals/Semifinals
» at Tufts | York vs. Tufts; Christopher Newport vs. Wesleyan
» at Bowdoin | Hope vs. Bowdoin; Babson vs. Salisbury

4. Sweet 16 Set in Women’s Lax

photo by Kevin Colton Photography

Home teams and higher seeds came away victorious in 13 of the 16 NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse second-round contests over the weekend. Gettysburg went on the road to Cambridge and toppled MIT, 13-9, while Williams made its trip to the Finger Lakes special with an 11-10 win at William Smith. And Christopher Newport won Virginia bragging rights with an 8-7 overtime triumph over homestanding Washington and Lee.

» Round of 32. Middlebury d. St. John Fisher, 17-4; Rowan d. Scranton, 13-11; Amherst d. Stevens, 11-8; TCNJ d. Messiah, 18-11; Tufts d. Haverford, 17-7; Gettysburg d. MIT, 13-9; Williams d. William Smith, 11-10; Colorado College d. Rhodes, 20-7; Salisbury d. Union, 17-9; York d. Wooster, 14-7; Denison d. Carthage, 20-7; Christopher Newport d. Washington and Lee, 8-7 (OT); Wesleyan d. Cortland, 18-3; Chicago d. Hope, 23-7; Pomona-Pitzer d. Claremont-M-S, 14-13; Trinity d. Franklin & Marshall, 12-7.

Sectional Weekend
» at Middlebury | Rowan vs. Middlebury; Amherst vs. TCNJ
» at Tufts | Gettysburg vs. Tufts; Williams vs. Colorado College
» at Salisbury | York vs. Salisbury; Denison vs. Christopher Newport
» at Wesleyan | Chicago vs. Wesleyan; Pomona-Pitzer vs. Trinity

5. Quarterfinals Set In M/W Tennis

In a weekend that saw favorites advance, it was the Emory men that featured the biggest upset as the No. 11 Eagles downed No. 6 Johns Hopkins, 4-1. The seventh-ranked Emory women were not as fortunate, falling to No, 14 Washington and Lee, 4-3.

» Sweet 16 (M). Claremont-M-S d. Sewanee, 4-0; Emory d. Johns Hopkins, 4-1; Denison d. Washington U., 4-1; Case Western Reserve d. Mary Washington, 4-0; Tufts d. Trinity TX, 4-0; Swarthmore d. Carnegie Mellon, 4-1; Chicago d. Kenyon 4-1; Bowdoin d. Babson, 4-1

» Quarterfinals (M). Claremont-M-S vs. Emory; Denison vs. CWRU; Tufts vs. Swarthmore; Chicago vs. Bowdoin | Complete Bracket/Results

» Sweet 16 (W). Claremont-M-S d. Pomona-Pitzer, 4-0; Bowdoin d. MIT, 4-0; Washington and Lee d. Emory, 4-3; Wesleyan d. Amherst, 4-2; Chicago d. Gustavus Adolphus, 4-0; Babson d. Middlebury, 4-2; Carnegie Mellon d. Johns Hopkins, 4-3; Washington U. d. Kenyon, 4-0.

» Quarterfinals (W). Claremont-M-S vs. Bowdoin; W&L vs. Wesleyan; Chicago vs. Babson; Carnegie Mellon vs. Washington U. | Complete Bracket/Results

6. Lightning Round

» Basketball Rules (M). “The Division I Men's Basketball Rules Subcommittee and the Division II and III Men's Basketball Rules Committee met virtually this week to discuss the state of men's college basketball and ways to enhance the game. Because this is not a rules-change year, the committees focused on current trends and potential future modifications. A central topic was whether NCAA men's basketball should further evaluate transitioning from two halves to four quarters.”

» Governance. “Presidential committees on college sports, formed following a roundtable hosted by President Donald Trump, have distributed a draft of “ideas” to reform the landscape. When it comes to permanent governance, the draft recommends a 15-member board make up the permanent entity. It would include representation for student-athletes, power conference commissioners and Notre Dame, two representatives from other conferences, a representative from both Division II and Division III, and independent representation.”

7. Comings and Goings

ALVERNIA - Named Cody Savitsky head field hockey coach
EMORY - Named John Sjoberg director of golf
HUNTINGDON - Head men’s basketball coach Zac Richards stepped down to accept position at Montevallo
KALAMAZOO - Named Karlyn Crowley president
LYON - Named Thomas Orr head men’s basketball coach
MIT - Elevated Arpad Horvath to head men’s and women’s fencing coach
MUHLENBERG - Named Quinn Newton head men’s basketball coach
OZARKS - Head tennis coach Brad Jones stepped down to accept position at Bradley
RANDOLPH - Announced addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport beginning in 2027-28. Named Ryan Davis director of track and field/cross country. Head women’s track and field/cross country coach Todd Pettyjohn announced his retirement
WILLIAMS - Named Ryne Morrison head men’s wrestling coach

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