LAKELAND, Fla. – The field is set for the 2026 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round in Winter Haven, Florida, as four teams will compete May 11-13 at Diamond Plex for a berth in the NAIA World Series.
Hosted by Southeastern, the Lakeland Opening Round features host and No. 1 seed Southeastern alongside No. 2 seed Evangel, No. 3 seed Faulkner, and No. 4 seed Dillard. Full tournament information, including ticketing and tournament coverage, can be found at
2026 NAIA Softball Opening Round Central.
The host Fire enter the tournament as champions of the Sun Conference regular season after posting a 44-7 overall record and a 22-2 mark in league play. Southeastern will be making its ninth appearance in the NAIA Opening Round and has advanced to the NAIA World Series twice in program history, reaching the final site in 2016 and 2022.
Evangel earned the No. 2 seed after claiming the KCAC regular season championship. The Valor carry a 43-9 overall record and a 21-5 conference mark into the postseason. This will be Evangel's third appearance in the NAIA Opening Round and the program previously reached the NAIA World Series in 2006.
Faulkner received an at-large berth out of the Southern States Athletic Conference after compiling a 35-14 overall record and a 17-7 conference record. The Eagles are making their second Opening Round appearance and advanced to the NAIA World Series in 2018.
Dillard enters the tournament as the HBCU Athletic Conference Tournament Champion. The Bleu Devils are 27-14 overall and finished 19-2 in conference play. This marks the program's first-ever appearance in the NAIA Opening Round.
The tournament opens Monday, May 11, with Southeastern taking on Dillard at 11 a.m. ET in the first game of the opening round. Faulkner and Evangel will follow at 2 p.m. ET.
Tournament Schedule
Monday, May 11
Game 1 – 11 a.m. ET – First Round
Dillard vs. Southeastern
Game 2 – 2 p.m. ET – First Round
Faulkner vs. Evangel
Tuesday, May 12
Game 3 – 11 a.m. ET – Semifinal
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 4 – 2 p.m. ET – Elimination
Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 5 – 5 p.m. ET – Elimination Semifinal
Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Wednesday, May 13
Game 6 – 12 p.m. ET – Opening Round Final
Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 7 – 3 p.m. ET – If Necessary
Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser
Every game of the tournament will be streamed live on Urban Edge Network.
