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MAY 29, 2026
composed by STEVE ULRICH
No publication covers NCAA Division III better. #whyD3
🏖 Hello, Summer. Enjoy this free edition as we begin to wind down the year.
📕 Today in the D3Playbook. Profs Hand Marlins 1st Loss of Season. Baseball Championship Preview. D3baseball All-America Team.
🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Stay. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (with Jackson Browne)
Top Story
1. Rowan Ends Virginia Wesleyan’s 50-Game Winning Streak to Open Softball World Series
Emily McCutcheon, Rowan
Rowan survived a late rally by Virginia Wesleyan to hand the top-ranked and top-seeded Marlins (50-1) their first loss of the season, 3-2, at the NCAA Division III softball championship in Salem, Va. The Profs (43-9) scored once in the first and twice in the fifth to advance to the winners’ bracket opposite Redlands. The Bulldogs (44-6) rallied with five runs in the top of the seventh to overcome Linfield, 9-7.
In the other bracket, defending national champion Trine scored five runs in the first two innings and held off Belhaven, 7-5. Debbie Hill homered and picked up the win in the circle for the Thunder (39-6). And Simpson (40-6) answered a three-spot from Mount Union in the top of the sixth with three runs of its own in the bottom half to edge the Purple Raiders, 4-3.
» Results. Rowan d. Virginia Wesleyan, 3-2; Redlands d. Linfield, 9-7; Trine d. Belhaven, 7-5; Simpson d. Mount Union, 4-3.
» Today’s Schedule. Rowan vs. Redlands, 11 AM; Virginia Wesleyan vs. Linfield, 1 PM; Trine vs. Simpson, 4 PM; Belhaven vs. Mount Union, 6:30 PM.
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2. Baseball Championship Preview
“The 2026 DIII softball tournament final round field is set with games starting Thursday, May 28 and will conclude on Wednesday, June 3 at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.
Here is a preview of today’s four matchups.
Johns Hopkins (38-10) vs. Baldwin Wallace (36-10), 10 a.m.
BLUE JAYS
AVG: William Jaun 389, Alex Shane 387, Hamilton Adams 362
HR: Clay Hartje 16, Lukas Geer 15, Jacob Harris 15
RBI: Geer 79, Jaun 68, Hartje 66
SB: Harris 13, Shane 8
W: Michael Yousef, Kieren Collins 7
ERA: Yousef 4.21, Ryan Anderson 4.81
K: Collins 62, Anderson 54, Yousef 45
SV: Dylan Zucker 8
YELLOW JACKETS
AVG: Dennis Ritlinger-Nirider 451, Sean Kolenich 358, Colin West 339
HR: Ritlinger-Nirider 12, Carson Petrecca 8
RBI: Ritlinger-Nirider 62, West 53
SB: Kolenich 15, Ritlinger-Nirider 12
W: Brit Kostura 11, Matt Moscarino 5
ERA: Kostura 2.04, Moscarino 3.40
K: Kostura 74, Tyler Walker 62
SV: Sam Hoffman 2
Denison (45-1) vs. East Texas Baptist (38-11), 1:15 p.m.
BIG RED
AVG: Jack Lutte 459, Nate Lloyd 402, Eron Vega 392
HR: Lutte 12, Erik Sundgren 9
RBI: Lutte 65, Sundgren 54
SB: Sundgren 29, Lloyd 13
W: Will Rettig 11, Robbie Lee 7
ERA: Rettig 2.55, Lee 2.84
K: Andrew Montero 77, Lee 73
SV: Devin Parker 6
TIGERS
AVG: Carter Nannini 408, Jobee Boone 356, Connor Massimini 355
HR: Massimini 16, Kahne Nolen 14
RBI: Massimini 60, Justin Flannery 51
SB: Boone 17, Carson Livesay 14
W: Isaac Thornton 9, Aiden Leonard 7
ERA: Thornton 3.81, Tyler Bogusz 3.86
K: Thornton 98, Leonard 47
SV: Conner Smeltzer 3
Rowan (37-5) vs. Adrian (37-12), 5 p.m.
PROFS
AVG: Brayden Davis 411, Damon Suriani 381, Mason Dorsey 347
HR: Davis 15, Ian Murphy, Jason Schooley 4
RBI: Davis 84, Evan McCoach 48
SB: Dorsey 13, Davis 12
W: Austin Kreyenhagen 8, Zach Coluccio 5
ERA: Kreyenhagen 3.66, Coluccio 4.68
K: Coluccio 57, Kreyenhagen 46
SV: Nick Watson, Evan Brasberger 2
BULLDOGS
AVG: Rolando Jimenez 369, Jaxon McGuigan 336, Jack Boike 329
HR: Jake Burns 10, Aiden Melvin, McGuigan 5
RBI: Gabe Jones 47, Jimenez 42
SB: Nic Bruder 24, McGuigan 18
W: Ambrose Horwath 10, Parker Faris 9
ERA: Landon Kozlowski 2.38, Sean Parker 2.52
K: Faris 46, Parker 45, Horwath 42
SV: Lincoln Lipinski, Parker 3
Salisbury (37-9) vs. Endicott (40-11), 8:30 p.m.
SEA GULLS
AVG: Nathan Tondreault 378, Jackson Inman 371, Mickey Haynes 360
HR: Inman 13, Tondreault 10
RBI: Inman 59, Tondreault 47
SB: Ethan Ruiz 25, Tondreault 23
W: Aidan Brinsfield 10, Jack Rucker 8
ERA: Cole Williams 1.53, Brinsfield 2.61
K: Brinsfield 74, Tyler Villa 61
SV: Bryce Sterling 9
GULLS
AVG: TJ Liponis 374, Cade Bernardo 322, John Fusco 315
HR: Brenden Walsh 13, Kyle Grabowski, Bernardo 7
RBI: Walsh 61, Liponis 53
SB: Walsh 25, Trevor Kamuda 19
W: Brady Stuart, Ben Gill 8
ERA: Stuart 1.41, Matt Pappalardo 2.71
K: Stuart 85, Pappalardo 65
SV: Kyan Bagshaw 6
» Team Championships. Rowan 2 (1978-79), Salisbury 1 (2021)
3. Testerman, Tolfree, Stuart Headline Baseball All-America Team
“The 19th annual D3baseball.com All-America team is as strong the previous All-America teams. Here are our top award-getters, plus the full All-America team.
Trevor Testerman was earlier named the USA South Player of the Year and First Team all-conference and today he is the 2026 D3baseball.com Player of the Year. His stellar season included top 5 rankings in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. The 2026 D3baseball.com Pitcher of the Year, Brady Stuart, has posted a career year in his 2026 campaign. He currently sports an ERA and WHIP that ranks among the ten best marks this season. His dominance has been showcased by his program-record three single-season shutouts. Ohio Northern starting pitcher Drew Tolfree came out of the gates in 2026, leading the Polar Bears to their best win total in a decade. For this reason, he earned 2026 D3baseball.com Rookie of the Year honors.”
» First Team. C-Brandon Mahler, Sr. (Concordia-Chicago); 1B-Kyle Douin, Sr. (Southern Maine); 2B-Tommy Chilicki, Sr. (Wittenberg); 3B-Brayden Davis, Jr. (Rowan); SS-Evan Sykes, Sr. (Greensboro); OF-Richie Heyder, Sr. (Farmingdale State); OF-Isaiah Parido, Sr. (Messiah); OF-Trevor Testerman, Jr. (Greensboro); DH-Josh Dezenzo, Sr (Washington & Jefferson); UTL-Evan Grimes, Sr. (Sage); SP-Bryan Carney, Sr. (Olivet); Brendan Cruz, Jr. (Washington & Jefferson); SP-Brady Stuart, Sr., Endicott; SP-Drew Tolfree, Fr. (Ohio Northern); RP-John Wade, So. (Belhaven)
4. Lightning Round ⚡
» Rowing. “The 2026 NCAA DIII rowing championships are set for today at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Ga., hosted by the University of North Georgia. Tufts is in search of a third consecutive title. Races begin at 7:30 a.m. with the petite finals set for 3 p.m. and the grand finals scheduled for 3:32 p.m.”
» In Memoriam. Our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of McDaniel College men’s basketball coach Kevin Curley who passed away on Wednesday. May his memory be a blessing.
5. Comings and Goings
ALBRIGHT - Named Jeremiah Stanton assistant men’s basketball coach
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE - Named Erin Dietz assistant women’s basketball coach
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL - Named Ken Ord head men’s golf coach
GETTYSBURG - Named Vaeria Guevara head acrobatics and tumbling coach
HANOVER - Named Trey Shabazz assistant men’s basketball coach
HOOD - Head athletic trainer Jennie Bowker stepped down
LEBANON VALLEY - Named Sophie Popp head field hockey coach
MARIETTA - Named Eli Ciotti assistant men’s lacrosse coach
MIDDLEBURY - Named Todd Phelps director of athletics
NORTH CENTRAL (Minn.) - Named Isaac Wright head men’s golf coach
ST. OLAF - Named John Cheng head men’s basketball coach
SIMPSON - Named Lex Ponce assistant women’s soccer coach
SUSQUEHANNA - Named Kelsey Homberg assistant women’s lacrosse coach
TRINITY (Conn.) - Announced addition of women’s fencing as a varsity sport beginning in 2027-28
WHITWORTH - Named Alecia Parker head women’s basketball coach
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