The Case Western Reserve University softball team was selected to the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship and chosen as one of the 16 hosts of four-team regionals the organization announced during a selection show on Monday. The Spartans will welcome three teams to Cleveland for a three-day regional from Thursday, May 15 to Saturday, May 17.
CWRU, seeded second in the four-team regional and ranked 14th in Division III according to the NFCA, will open play with a matchup against third-seeded Lebanon Valley (29-13) on the first day of the double elimination tournament. The first game of the day will feature top-seeded and 15th-ranked Wisconsin Whitewater (35-5) and fourth-seeded Penn College (29-14). The winners of the two opening round games will face off on Friday, followed by an elimination game between the losers of the first two games. A second elimination game will follow on Friday evening, setting up the regional championship on Saturday, with a potential second game if necessary to follow.
Case Western Reserve (28-10) earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament after ranking 21st in the final NCAA Power Index. Of the 22 at-large teams selected to the championship, CWRU had the ninth-highest NPI. The Spartans are making their fourth consecutive and sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, hosting the regional round each of the past four seasons. The team advanced to the NCAA Finals in 2024 and 2018 and reached the Super Regional Round in 2022. All-time, the Spartans are 20-14 in postseason play.
Lebanon Valley, ranked 43rd in NPI, qualified for the postseason after winning the MAC Freedom Championship. The Flying Dutchmen are making their eighth all-time and third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, previously qualifying in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The program has a 16-15 all-time NCAA Tournament record, advancing as far as the Super Regional Round in 2023. The two teams have met just once in program history, an 11-1 victory for the Flying Dutchmen on March 8, 2011.
Wisconsin Whitewater received an at-large bid to the postseason after falling in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. The Warhawks ranked 12th in the final NPI and were the sixth at-large team selected. The team started the season on a 15-game winning streak and had won 12 consecutive games prior to losing in the conference championship. Whitewater is a two-time NCAA Division III runner-up (2008 and 1987) and finished as a national semifinalist in 1984, 1985, and 2014. The program has an all-time postseason record of 59-55 and is making its 24th appearance in the national championship. The Spartans and Warhawks have never met.
Penn College, ranked 123rd in NPI, received the automatic bid from the United East Conference after reaching the league's championship final. The Wildcats are making their third appearance in the national tournament, previously qualifying in 2021 and 2024. The program is looking for its first-ever postseason victory, going 0-2 in both NCAA Tournament appearances. CWRU and Penn College have never played against each other.
The winner of the Cleveland Regional will advance to the Super Regional Round at a site to be determined on Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23 against the winner of the Minneapolis Regional hosted by Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
All games will be played at Mather Park on the CWRU campus. More information about the regional, including ticket information, will be available on athletics.case.edu later in the week.
Regional Schedule
Day 1 – Thursday, May 15
Game 1: UW-Whitewater vs. Penn College – 11 a.m.
Game 2: CWRU vs. Lebanon Valley – 1:30 p.m.
Day 2 – Friday, May 16
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 11 a.m.
Game 4 (elimination): Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 1:30 p.m.
Game 5 (elimination): Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 – 4:00 p.m.
Day 3 – Saturday, May 17
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 11 a.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 Teams – 1:30 p.m.
