Four years ago, Indiana softball had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011. During Sunday’s selection show, the NCAA announced the 64-team field for the 2026 tournament. The Hoosiers were included in the Knoxville Regional, marking their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
After finishing the 2026 regular season with a 41-13 overall record and a semifinal exit in the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana will begin its Knoxville Regional competition against the University of Virginia at 8 p.m. Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game will be televised on ESPN.
The NCAA Tournament regional round follows a double-elimination format. If Indiana defeats Virginia, the Hoosiers will play the winner of the matchup between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Northern Kentucky University on Saturday. With a loss to Virginia, Indiana would move to the elimination bracket, where a second loss would eliminate the Hoosiers.
Here’s what to know about each potential opponent:
Virginia
Virginia enters its third straight NCAA Tournament with a 38-13 overall record. The Cavaliers were dominant outside of Atlantic Coast Conference play, owning a 25-3 nonconference record. But Virginia went just 13-10 against ACC opponents. The Cavaliers defeated the University of Pittsburgh in the first round of the ACC Softball Championship before falling to Virginia Tech in the quarterfinal.
The Cavaliers have a balanced offensive attack with seven of their regular starters hitting over .250 on the season. Junior infielder Macee Eaton leads the team with a .443 batting average, 70 hits and 61 RBIs. Eaton was named to the All-ACC First Team on May 6.
Junior infielder Bella Cabral’s 13 home runs rank first on the team, earning her All-ACC Third Team honors. The Cavaliers also rely on senior infielder Jade Hylton’s production at the plate. After securing All-ACC First Team recognition in 2025, Hylton’s production dipped in 2026. However, she has still contributed 56 hits and 10 home runs during her senior season.
While Virginia has firepower offensively, its pitching staff has been the driving force behind its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cavaliers rank 27th nationally with a 2.94 team ERA and 21st with a collective 1.26 WHIP.
Senior pitchers Eden Bigham and Courtney Layne have each tossed more than 100 innings this season for the Cavaliers, combining for 209.2 of the team’s 335.2 total frames pitched. Bigham holds a 3.28 ERA across a team-high 33 appearances, while Layne owns a team-low 2.31 ERA through 29 stints.
Tennessee
Tennessee hosts the Knoxville Regional with a 42-10 overall record entering the tournament. The Lady Volunteers rank No. 8 in the country, per ESPN and USA Softball’s latest rankings. The program has been one of the most dominant in recent years, reaching the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 22 seasons.
Despite a successful regular season, the Lady Volunteers disappointed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, falling to the University of Mississippi in the second round.
Offensively, Tennessee is led by junior outfielder Sophia Knight, who owns a team-high .420 batting average. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore infielder Ella Dodge leads the Lady Volunteers with 46 RBIs.
While its offense does not stand out among many other tournament teams, Tennessee’s pitching staff is one of the best in the country. Entering the Knoxville Regional, Tennessee has posted a 1.33 team ERA — the lowest mark in the nation.
The Lady Volunteers primarily rely on the trio of senior Karlyn Pickens, junior Sage Mardjetko and sophomore Erin Nuwer in the circle. All three have pitched over 80 innings this season, and each rank in the top 11 nationally in ERA. Mardjetko owns the second-lowest mark in Division I with a 0.96 ERA through 109.1 innings this season. Pickens was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team after posting a 1.52 ERA across a team-leading 115.1 innings.
Northern Kentucky
After finishing 23-23 in regular season play, Northern Kentucky defeated Robert Morris University to win the Horizon League Championship on May 9 — its second in the past four years.
While the Norse have hit just 17 home runs this year, their offense has been effective at getting on base. Northern Kentucky owns a .368 on-base percentage entering the tournament.
The Norse are led by freshman outfielder Kenzie Gulley and senior utility player Brielle DiMemmo in the batter’s box. Gulley ranks first on the team with a .348 batting average and 57 hits. DiMemmo has generated much of the Norse’s power in 2026, hitting seven home runs on the season.
However, Northern Kentucky has struggled in the circle this season. The team owns a 5.41 ERA. Freshman pitcher Makaree Chapman has carried much of the burden in the circle, tossing 129.2 of the Norse’s 313 total innings pitched.
The Hoosiers
Indiana takes one of the top lineups in the nation into the tournament. The Hoosiers rank fourth in the country with a .454 on-base percentage. Indiana’s 448 total runs scored entering the tournament is the sixth-best mark in the nation. This has been a combined effort, as all nine batters in the Cream and Crimson’s typical lineup bat over .300 on the year.
Junior utility player Aly VanBrandt leads Indiana with a .399 batting average, while senior catcher Avery Parker has hit 19 home runs — the most by any Hoosier this season. VanBrandt, junior utility player Alex Cooper and sophomore infielder Madalyn Strader were each named to the All-Big Ten Second Team on May 8.
While Indiana has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons, the Hoosiers have not advanced past the regional round.
Head coach Shonda Stanton and Parker made their goal clear during a preseason open practice: a Women’s College World Series.
“Yeah, I mean, when I came into Indiana, we hadn't been to a postseason, I think, like, 12 years,” Parker said Feb. 2. “So, knowing that is what we're going for, and knowing that our standard is now super regional, and then, ultimately, the World Series.”
UPDATE: This story has been updated to include the new broadcast channel.
Follow reporter Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
