Indianapolis, Ind. – After a 40-13 season and finishing runner-up in the WHAC Tournament, the Aquinas softball team is preparing to play at the national stage for the first time since 2018 and for the just fourth time in program history. Here is everything you need to know with the opening site games right around the corner:

Tournament Information

TICKETS | PAY-PER-VIEW LIVESTREAM | LIVE STATS | TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

The opening round of the 2024 NAIA National Tournament will feature an expanded field of 48 teams across 10 host sites from May 13 – May 16. Two host sites will feature four teams and eight brackets will be five-team brackets. Each bracket will be a double-elimination bracket, similar to what was played in the WHAC tournament. The winner of each bracket will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Georgia on May 23, 2024.

Aquinas was chosen to compete in the Indianapolis bracket, hosted by Marian University. The Saints will play the first game of the bracket tomorrow (May 13) at 11:00 a.m. against the University of Rio Grande. Regardless of the outcome of the first game, Aquinas will play again on Tuesday (May 14), either against top-seeded Marian or the loser of the number two and three seed game.

Background of the Teams

Aquinas

Aquinas enters the tournament as the number four seed after claiming the WHAC's second automatic qualifier as the conference tournament runner-up. As the No. 4-seed, AQ will kick off the tournament against the No. 5-seed Rio Grande Red Strom.

AQ finished the season with a 40-13 record, crossing the 40-win threshold for just the fourth time in program history. The team was led this season by five second-team all-conference athletes Katie Carlson, Courtney Hardin, Carson Hendrickson, Haley Myers, and Sophia Pavese. Aquinas boasts a team batting average of .306 and has held teams to just 2.59 earned runs per game in 2024. Carlson leads the team in both RBIs (33) and home runs (7).

The Saints' featured win this season actually came against Marian University back on March 9th with a 5-1 victory, giving the Knights one of their 10 total losses this year.

Aquinas is very familiar with close games this season with 22 of their 53 games being decided by less than two runs. The Saints have continuously found a way to win, coming out ahead in 17 of those 22 games. AQ is also undefeated in extra innings this year, boasting an 8-0 record after the seventh frame.

Rio Grande

The Red Storm earned an automatic bid as the River States Conference Tournament Champion. Rio Grande will enter the tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face off against the Saints. The Ohio team made an expected run in the RSC tournament, winning as the number four seed in the conference to punch their ticket to nationals.

Rio Grande enters the tournament with a 34-17 record and is led this season by shortstop Caitlyn Brisker and outfielder Madison Ogden. The Red Storm had three All-RSC First Team selections, including Brisker and Ogden, while Ogden was also the RSC Newcomer of the Year.

Marian

The Knights enter the tournament as the top seed in the Indianapolis Bracket after winning the Crossroads League regular season and tournament championship for the second consecutive year with a 44-10 record. This is the ninth consecutive season that Marian has qualified for the national tournament.

Marian is led by six All-Crossroads First Team athletes including the CL Pitcher of the Year, Olivia Stunkel, and the Newcomer of the Year, Abbey Hofmann. MU will receive a "bye day" and will not need to play on Monday, giving themselves an extra day of rest and preparation.

Southern Oregon

Southern Oregon comes into Indianapolis as the No. 2-seed in the bracket and the defending national champions. The Raiders own a 37-17 record and are the No. 17-rated team in the NAIA, having won three of the past four NAIA World Series. Southern Oregon finished as the tournament runner-up in the Cascade Conference Tournament and was one of 16 teams in the field to enter the national tournament with an at-large bid.

Seven different Raiders were named CCC All-Conference honorees. Most notable were Jordan Henderson, Piper Love, and Katie Machado, who were all named to the first team.

Middle Georgia State

MGS earned its automatic bid to nationals by finishing as the SSAC Tournament Runner-Up. The Knights just snuck into the top 25 of the final NAIA Poll with a No. 24 ranking. Middle Georgia State will take on Southern Oregon as the No. 3 seed in the bracket and a 33-14 overall record. The Knights are by Beth Eddins and Morgan Windham, who were both named First Team All-Conference.

Game Schedule

The NAIA Opening Round will take place on Marian's campus at the Marian Softball Diamond on Monday May 13, with games played through Thursday, May 16. Game one on Monday will feature Aquinas playing Rio Grande at 11 a.m., while Southern Oregon will play Middle Georgia State at 1:30 p.m. The full schedule is below. All games are subject to change, pending weather. All changes pertaining to Aquinas will be announced through the Aquinas social media channels and on AQSaints.com.

MAY 13
Game 1 | 11 AM | (4) Aquinas vs. (5) Rio Grande (Ohio)
Game 2 | 1:30 PM | (2) Southern Oregon vs. (3) Middle Georgia State

MAY 14
Game 3 | 11 AM | (1) Marian (Ind.) vs. Game 1 winner
Game 4 | 1:30 PM | Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (loser eliminated)

MAY 15
Game 5 | 11 AM | Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner
Game 6 | 1:30 PM | Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner (loser eliminated)
Game 7 | 4 PM | Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 winner (loser eliminated)

MAY 16
Game 8 | 11 AM | Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner (championship round)
Game 9 | 30 Minutes Following Game 8 | If necessary

Tickets, Live Video, and Stats

Tickets for the tournament can be found at the link above or at the gate along the Marian Softball Diamond. Single-day session passes will be sold for $10, while full tournament passes can be purchased for $30 and will be valid for the entire week. Children five and under will be admitted at no charge.

The ISC Sports Network will be the official live stream provider for the Indianapolis Bracket. The tournament will be pay-per-view with a $9.99 fee. Fans will receive access to all of the games in the tournament for that one-time price. The link to the live stream can be found above and will be updated on the softball schedule on AQSaints.com.

Live stats for each game will be free through Marianstats.com. Live stat links can be found at the link above, on AQSaints.com, or through Marian's website.