NCAA Ithaca Regional Begins Thursday

WEEKEND BASICS

• The 9th-ranked Bulldogs have been tabbed the No. 10 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Division-III Softball Championship Tournament and open postseason play with the Ithaca, New York Regional, May 15-17, hosted by #21 Ithaca College at Kostrinsky Field. The Bombers play host to #9 TLU, Springfield, and UMass-Boston.
• 2025 marks the 11th straight season the Bulldogs have made the NCAA Tournament, making the NCAA Tournament every season since joining the SCAC in 2014.
• The four-team, three-day event features TLU facing UMass-Boston at 11 AM EST on Thursday before Ithaca takes on Springfield at 1:30 PM EST on ncaa.com.
• Thursday's winners will play game three at 11 AM EST Friday, May 16, while the losing teams from Thursday will meet in game four shortly after. Friday's games will conclude with the loser of game three and the winner of game four in a win-or-go-home meeting. The start time for Saturday's regional final will be 11 AM EST, weather permitting.
• The winner of the Ithaca Regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regional against the winner of the Marshall Regional, hosted by the No. 1-overall seed East Texas Baptist Tigers.
• All games will be available on ncaa.com for FREE.
• Tickets will be available on site. Adults ($10) and students ($7) with all tickets being single-day passes.
• After 42 games played, the Bulldogs are batting .362 as a team with a nation-leading 223 stolen bases, 297 runs scored on 394 hits and 244 RBIs. They are outscoring opponents 297-65 with only 43 runs given up being earned. The team is slugging .464 and holds a .441 on-base clip.
• The pitching staff holds a 1.12 ERA, ranking second in NCAA Division-III, and has 159 strikeouts, allowing opponents to bat just .209.

MAYHEM

• Texas Lutheran has made the NCAA Tournament every year since joining the SCAC in 2014, all under head coach Wade Wilson (tournament was not played in 2020).
• Overall, Texas Lutheran is 21-14 (.600) in NCAA Regional play with three Regional championships.
• The Bulldogs are looking to make their third appearance in NCAA Super Regionals. All-time, TLU has competed in three Women's College World Series, earning a National Championship in 2019.

A LOOK AT THE REGIONAL FOES

• The Ithaca Regional marks the Bulldogs first trip to the state of New York and will feature first time matchups for the Bulldogs.
• The Bulldogs and Ithaca have never met in the program's two histories. This marks the Bombers' 31st trip to the NCAA Tournament. The team has played 149 games in the tournament and holds an 85-64 all-time record. The Bombers have made 11 trips to the NCAA Championship and were crowned National Champions in 2002.
• The Bulldogs and Springfield have also never met in the program's two histories. The Pride are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Springfield and Ithaca have not met since April 1, 2000 and the Pride have a 5-7 record all-time against the Bombers. Springfield has not played UMass Boston since 2017, also in the NCAA regional championship.
• UMass-Boston, the automatic qualifier as the winner of the Little East Conference, made a triumphant run to win the conference tournament after entering as the tournament's number four seed. Thursday's matchup between the Bulldogs and Beacons will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.

SCOUTING THE BEACONS

Texas Lutheran's first-round draw of the 2025 NCAA Ithaca Regional, UMass-Boston enters the national tournament 32-11-1 and fresh off winning the Little East title last weekend. The Beacons went 8-7-1 in conference play and have won five of their last six games.

Bri Melchionda, the Little East Conference Player of the Year, paces the club with 14 doubles and a triple to go with 23 runs scored and a .449 average. Melchionda, a two-way standout, is 10-3 with a 1.79 ERA in the circle, striking out 119 across 97.2 innings. Haley Krockta highlights the heart of the UMass-Boston lineup, batting .349 with three home runs, 10 doubles and 45 RBIs. Freshman outfielder Mary Matthews earned All-LEC Second Team and All-LEC Rookie Team honors this season as one of the conference's most exciting young players, punctuated by the walk-off double to win the Little East for the Beacons. The Beacons have stolen 123 bases in 44 games this season, ranking 16th in Division-III, on a 96.1% success rate. Sofia Richland, who also earned All-LEC Second Team honors, leads the Beacons on the base paths with 32 stolen bases on 33 attempts, setting a new program record for stolen bases in a season.

Jacqueline Cherry leads the Beacons in appearances in the circle with a 13-4 record and a 1.72 ERA, striking out 102 across a team-high 114 innings pitched. 

SCOUTING THE BOMBERS

Ithaca acts as the regional host this weekend with a 28-6 record entering the postseason. The Bombers were 11-3 in Liberty League play before winning their conference tournament this weekend, run-ruling RPI 8-0 in six innings, and have won seven in a row and 11 of their last 12 games.

Cate Murray leads Ithaca with a .376 average, 29 runs scored and nine stolen bases to serve as a key member of the top of the order. Elise Waddington (.350 BA, 10 2B, 3 HR, 37 RBIs) and Haley Petrucci (.366 BA, 10 2B, 2 HR, 24 RBIs) provide power to the lineup while Kailen Winkelblech bats .337 with two homers and 32 RBIs.

Anna Cornell earned Liberty League Pitcher of the Year honors with a 15-3 record and 1.06 ERA and is joined in the circle by Mady Rowell (10-2, 1.63 ERA) as the duo has combined to handle 189.1 of Ithaca's 214.1 innings in the circle this spring.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE

Springfield travels north to Ithaca this weekend with a 30-13 record entering the postseason. The Pride were 14-6 in NEWMAC play to win the NEWMAC regular season championship, before being eliminated from their conference tournament, falling 10-8 to WPI, and are playing .500 softball over their last six games.

Callie Gendron leads Springfield with a .457 average, 22 runs scored, five home runs, and 41 RBIs in the heart of the Springfield lineup. Kate Katsetos (.328 BA, 35 RBIs) and Amelia DeRosa (.358 BA, 15 2B, 20 RBIs) provide a presence to the Pride lineup. Gendron and DeRosa earned All-NEWMAC First Team honors.

Springfield primarily relies on two pitchers in the circle, Lily McCauliffe (8-2, 0.62 ERA) and Amelia DeRosa (11-8, 3.12 ERA).

LAST TIME OUT

• No. 4 ranked and top-seed Texas Lutheran Softball dropped its third game of the season in the SCAC Championship game on May 4, losing 5-3 to two-seed St. Thomas.
• It marks just the second time TLU has not been both the regular season and tourney champs since joining the conference in 2014.
• Texas Lutheran won its semifinal matchup at the tourney over sixth-seeded Centenary on May 4, 5-0. The win was highlighted by a complete game from Amanda White (Lockhart/Lockhart) and a first inning two-run home run from Faith Hernandez (Dinuba, CA/Dinuba).

#STOLENBASEU

• As TLU paced the country in stolen bases seven of the last eight seasons (NCAA record 233 stolen bases 2024), the Bulldogs are off to another scorching pace in 2025, having stolen 223 bases, leading the NCAA across all three divisions in total stolen bases and stolen bases per game (5.31).
• In 2025, the Bulldogs have stolen a base in 40 out of 42 games and stolen at least three bases in 38 of 42 games. Texas Lutheran stole a season-high 11 bases twice this season.
• Individually, five Bulldogs have stolen double-digit bases and 19 out of 23 active non-pitchers have stolen at least one base. Caelee Clark (Montgomery/Lake Creek) and Annie Kay (Sinton/Sinton) pace the nation with 59 stolen bases each while Linzee Leal (Corpus Christi/Mary Carroll) ranks 19th with 36 stolen bases.
• Three Bulldogs (Clark, Kay, Leal) all have 100 career stolen bases with Clark leading all active softball players on any level with 212 career stolen bases.
• Six Bulldogs have a multi-stolen base game this season.

DOMINANCE IN THE CIRCLE

• Texas Lutheran's pitching staff is not to be overlooked by the potent offense. The TLU staff of Amanda White, Ainsley Davis (Rockwall/Jesuit (OR)), Katelyn Howard (Waller/Hempstead), Jordyn Joy (Kerrville/Tivy), Kezia Alvear (Kyle/Hays), and Jamie Burch (Sinton/Sinton) sit at second in the country with a 1.12 ERA, allowing just 43 earned runs (65 R) in TLU's 42 games. Additionally, the staff is third in the nation with 18 shutouts on the season.
• Senior Amanda White, the 2025 SCAC Pitcher of the Year, leads the group with a 0.77 ERA, ranking fourth in the nation while tallying a team-high 88 strikeouts and five saves.

KAY, WHITE NAMED TO NFCA PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

• Two members of the Texas Lutheran softball team were named to the 2025 NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year Watch List in April.
• Junior Annie Kay and senior Amanda White represented TLU as two of 119 players named to the watch list.
• It marks the first time that either athlete has been named to the watch list.

MORE NOTES & NUMBERS

• Texas Lutheran has won 193 of its last 219 games (.881 win%) dating back to the start of the 2021 season.
• Of those 219 games, 78 have been via run-rule (35.6%).
• TLU's defense ranks seventh in Division-III with a .976 fielding percentage, committing 28 errors on the season. The defense has turned 22 double plays on the season, ranking fifth nationally.
• Texas Lutheran has outhit its opponents in 35 of 42 games this season, and in the seven games they didn't outhit the opposition, the Bulldogs are 4-3.
• TLU has been exceptional in a number of situations this season, hitting .405 with an RBI opportunity and leadoff hitters getting on base at a .452 clip. The team is batting .696 with a runner on third with less than two outs, led by Faith Hernandez's perfect 1.000 average (14-for-14). Annie Kay leads the team with 14 RBIs with two outs.

BULLDOGS DOMINATE SCAC AWARDS

• Texas Lutheran softball collected or earned a share of three of the four SCAC yearly awards and placed six across the All-SCAC First and Second Teams, including a league-best five on the first team.
• Junior Annie Kay was named SCAC Co-Player of the Year, while senior Amanda White was named Pitcher of the Year, and TLU head coach Wade Wilson and staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
• Kay collects TLU's 11th consecutive SCAC Player of the Year award, winning the award every year since joining the conference in 2014. White earns her first career SCAC Pitcher of the Year honor. The honor is TLU's 10th since joining the SCAC and 12th overall since becoming an NCAA institution.
• Wilson won his ninth SCAC Coach/Staff of the Year Award and tenth Coach of the Year overall in his 14 seasons at the helm in Seguin. This is the ninth SCAC Staff-of-the-Year (Coach) honor for Wilson and 10th overall as he was honored by the ASC in 2013 before earning the award in nine of the last 11 seasons in the SCAC.
• Of the 13 student-athletes that made up the All-SCAC First Team, five of the selections are Bulldogs. Claiming First Team honors was Kay, White, senior Faith Hernandez, junior Caelee Clark, and designated player Serena Gonzalez.
• Bella Rodriguez (Pearland/Pearland) was Texas Lutheran's lone representative on the All-SCAC Second Team, her second career All-SCAC honor.
• Seniors Linzee Leal and Tavery Ortiz (Texas City/Texas City) and juniors Ainsley Davis, Katelyn Howard, Harleigh Russell, and Taylor Vannett (Kingwood/Kingwood)were named All-SCAC Honorable Mention to bring the Bulldogs All-SCAC total to 12 honorees.

THE CAE WAY

• Texas Lutheran second baseman Caelee Clark has showcased her versatility and dependability for the Bulldogs since she stepped foot on campus as a freshman in 2023 and her productivity from the leadoff spot has been pivotal to the Bulldogs success.
• Clark has started and hit in the leadoff spot in every game for the Bulldogs over the last three seasons, with the Bulldogs being 112-16 over that span.
• The speedy leadoff has continued to showcase her ability to get on base, tallying a team-high 23 walks while pacing the nation in stolen bases with 59 stolen bases. Clark has led the country in stolen bases in back-to-back seasons stealing 66 as a freshman and a NCAA record 87 bases a season ago.
• The two-time All-American paces TLU in runs (54), walks (23) and stolen bases (59-62). She ranks in the top 20 nationally in stolen bases (1st), runs (11th), and runs per game (14th).
• Earlier this season, Clark became just the second player in Division-III softball history and ninth player in NCAA history on any level to steal 200 bases in a career, joining former Bulldog Kelly Jurden.

'MANDA MANIA

• After taking off last season, Texas Lutheran fifth-year senior right-hander Amanda White has returned to the Bulldogs rotation with a vengeance, having the best season of her career.
• A two-time All-SCAC honoree, White has paced TLU's pitching staff with 88 strikeouts and a 0.77 ERA, allowing opponents to bat just .192. White has had a team-best five shutouts in 2025. 
• With her performance this year, White has scattered her name over the TLU record book. Her 20 wins thus far are the third most in a single-season and she ranks sixth all-time with 41 wins in her career. White set a new single-season record with five saves in 2025, passing former teammate Sydney Ouellette's record of four.

SERENA SLAM

• After a sophomore campaign that saw her in and out of the Bulldogs lineup while she battled injuries, Texas Lutheran designated player Serena Gonzalez has returned to form in the heart of the Bulldogs lineup.
• Gonzalez leads the SCAC with 11 home runs and is second in RBIs with 50 for the season. Nationally, Gonzalez sits in 16th in RBIs.
• The power-hitting righty sits second all-time on the TLU all-time home run list only trailing Haley Padilla in both single-season and career home runs. Entering the weekend, Gonzalez is third all-time in career RBI (122).

ALL EYES ON AK

• After being known for her defensive versatility her first two seasons, outfielder Annie Kay has had a breakout season for the Bulldogs posting one of the best offensive seasons in program history from the two-spot in the lineup.
• The Gold Glove winning All-Region outfielder has built off her sophomore campaign that saw her raise her splits over 100 points in all three categories - to increase her productivity at the plate even further as a junior. Kay has raised her batting average 104 points, hitting .485 this season compared to .381 as a sophomore and her on-base percentage by over 40 points, reaching base at a .530 clip.
• The Sinton native paces TLU in batting average (.485), on-base percentage (.530), and hits (64). She ranks in the top 20 nationally in stolen bases (1st), hits (17th), and runs (18th).

For more information on Texas Lutheran softball, follow the Bulldogs on Facebook (@txlutheransoftball), X (Twitter) (@TLUsoftball), and Instagram (@tlu_softball) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on Twitter, @tlu_athletics on Instagram and TikTok, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).