2026 NCAA Softball Tournament Durham Regional Breakdown

 By Ben Anderson

    The 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament is just three days away and the Marshall Thundering Herd will be competing in the Durham Regional.

    The other three teams in the regional will be the Arizona Wildcats, the Herd’s first day opponent, the Howard Bison, and host The Duke Blue Devils.

    Let’s take a deep dive into the Durham regional, starting with the Arizona Wildcats of the Big 12 conference.

    The Wildcats' postseason appearance marks Arizona's 38th selection all-time and is the 11th time in program history that Arizona will be on the road for a regional. Arizona swept the last two road regionals that the Wildcats have played in – the 2024 Fayetteville Regional and the 2022 Columbia Regional.  

    The Wildcats are heading into the big dance with a 35-16 (16-8 Big 12) record and ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Rankings. Arizona has one of the most dominant offenses in the nation which is ranked 15th in batting average (.345), 18th in scoring (7.33), and 26th in RBI (343). In the Big 12, Arizona is second in batting average and scoring, and third in the conference in on base percentage (.422), RBI per game (6.73), and runs scored (374). Big 12 Player of the Year Sydney Stewart leads the Wildcats and the Big 12 with 76 RBI, .39 home runs per game, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and .80 walks per game.

    The Wildcats also boast one of the best defenses in the nation that leads the Big 12 and the country with a program-record 42 double plays. Arizona's .973 fielding percentage ranks third in the conference.

    The depth of the Wildcats has been the key to the team’s success this season. Arizona had nine players on the All-Big 12 teams led by Stewart who was named Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Batting Champion, Regan Shockey earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Tayler Biehl was named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Biehl, Grace Jenkins, Shockey, and Stewart earned first-team all-conference honors, while Jalen Adams, Tele Jennings, and Serenti Trice were named to the All-Big 12 second team. Shockey and Trice picked up all-defensive honors while Rylie Holder and Kez Lucas were named to the all-freshman team.

    Arizona has advanced out of 33 of the 37 regionals since 1987 and owns an 107-14 record in the round overall. Arizona has advanced to the super regional round in 17 of the 19 seasons since they began in 2005.

    The trio of Shockey, Stewart, and Trice lead the way for the pouncing offensive attack of the Wildcats. All three are all batting over .400 with Shockey batting .447. The dynamic trio has scored 177 of the teams 374 runs, accumulated for 195 of the teams 448 hits which is 44% of the teams’ total hits.

    Stewart, with all the accolades throughout her career, was also one of 17 collegiate athletes to receive a golden ticket this season by the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) to guarantee a spot on one of the league’s six teams. She was picked by the Portland Cascade in the second round and was the ninth overall pick. 

    With the dominance at the plate throughout the season, comes an equal aggressive attack in the circle. The pitching staff has a team ERA of 4.62 which is ranked 5th in the Big 12. Adams is the ace for the squad on the season. The senior transfer from Iowa, leads the team in many categories while being ranked 4th in the conference wins with a 20-9 record, 3rd in innings pitched (147.2), 14th strikeouts (58), 14th strikeouts looking (10), and 12th in opponent batting average (.261)

    The Wildcats have an impressive resume to prove why it enters the tournament as one of the Top 25 squads in the country. The team is 6-10 against Top 25 opponents throughout the season including wins against Oklahoma, Texas, Stanford, Texas Tech, Grand Canyon, LSU, and Oklahoma State.

    In addition, it’s more impressive that the Wildcats are as dominant as they are with being in one of the strongest conferences in NCAA Division I softball. The Big 12 ended the season with five teams in the ESPN/USA Top 25 rankings, and another team in the other receiving votes. The conference had every team in the top 100 in the RPI rankings.

    Marshall will not be the first test of Sun Belt Conference softball that the Wildcats have gone up against this season. Arizona swept went 1-1 against Coastal Carolina on Valentine's Day weekend in the Bear Down Fiesta. The Wildcats also dismantled Durham regional opponent Howard 9-0 in a five-inning run-rule victory on Feb. 28, in the Hillenbrand Invitational.

    Arizona is 8-0 all-time against Marshall, sweeping the Herd in two games last season in Tucson, Ariz. The Wildcats have outscored the Thundering Herd 72-25 over the eight matchups that included three run-rule victories. This will mark the first meeting between the two programs in the NCAA Tournament.

    Arizona is 13-12 against teams that are in the field.

    Competing on the other side of the Durham Regional is the Howard Bison and the host, the Duke Blue Devils.

    The Howard Bison 28-17 (18-3 MEAC) captured its second consecutive MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Tournament Championship, defeating South Carolina State, 11-2 (f/5) in Norfolk, Va.

    Reigning MEAC Player of the Year senior outfielder Maryn Jordan was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player while junior catcher Makyia Taylor and senior pitcher Julia Holt earned MEAC All-Tournament Team honors. Bison head coach Tori Tyson was selected Most Outstanding Coach.

    The Bison had 12 players earn MEAC Softball Postseason Honors. Jordan claimed MEAC Player of the YEar after hitting a league-leading .455 average, which ranked 22nd in the country at the time, She also topped the conference in on-base percentage (.558), which sat 17th in the country. The San Diego native became the third Bison in program history to win the illustrious award, joining Camille Navarro (2021) and HU Hall of Famer Courtney Young (2008).

    Aiko Conaway, transfer from Marshall University, earned MEAC Pitcher of the Year. Conaway made an immediate impact in her first at HU, winning a conference-best 13 games. She also led the league with four shutouts, including a pair of no-hitters. The Virginia product became the second Bison in school history to grab the major accolade (Kiana Carr, 2021). 

    Graduate Taylor Ames-Alexander, Holt, juniors Cheyenne Castille, Wisdom Colbert, Taylor and freshman Aniyah Whipper joined Conaway and Jordan on the All-MEAC First Team.

    Freshman Amirah Lenon made the All-MEAC Second Team while fellow classmate Na’khia Lee and senior Destiny Calloway earned a spot on the All-MEAC Third Team.

    Dallas Hill was selected MEAC Rookie of the Year.

    Howard’s biggest accolade in the 2026 campaign was securing one of the biggest victories in school history, knocking off Big Ten opponent Minnesota 5-4 at the Hillenbrand Invitational.

    The Bison dominate the MEAC statistics on both sides of the diamond. Offensively the Bison led the way in batting average (.318), runs scored (289), doubles (69), RBI (251), HBP (26), and on-base percentage (.404). Howard showed equal dominance in the circle, finishing at the top in ERA (3.18), least hits allowed (262), least runs allowed (169) least earned runs allowed (134), least walks allowed (100), and the lowest opponent batting average (.232).

    The Bison struggled against Power 4 competition, going 1-6 and getting outscored 6-35. The losses included two against Michigan State (0-6, 0-5), #19 LSU (0-1), #16 Arizona (0-9 5 inn), Minnesota (1-4), and Maryland (0-6).

    Howard is 0-2 this season against the Sun Belt Conference after dropping two games in the Purple & Gold Challenge to Louisiana. The Bison was supposed to play against Marshall in the Marshall March Madness back in March but had to withdraw from the round robin due to inclement weather. 

    Howard is 0-2 all-time against Duke with both losses coming in 2025, the first at the Mary Nutter Classic, and the second in Durham in last year’s NCAA Tournament Durham Regional 12-0 in five innings. 

    This regional while marking the second consecutive NCAA Tournament that the Bison played in Durham, it also marks the second straight tournament that it is paired with a team from the Sun Belt Conference. In the 2025 Durham regional, the Bison fell to Coastal Carolina 1-9 in five innings in the elimination game. 

    Howard is 1-3 against teams in the field.

    The Duke Blue Devils, 39-14 (20-4 ACC) enters the tournament earning its sixth-consecutive bid to the NCAA Softball Championship after being selected the No. 12 overall seed. The Blue Devils earned hosting rights for the fifth time in program history. 

    Dukes enters NCAA tournament play after advancing to the semifinals of the 2026 ACC Softball Championship in Charlottesville, Virginia. Redshirt junior Jessica Oakland was selected to the ACC All-Tournament team after batting 5-for-8 (.625) with four RBI during the two games. Duke now 13 all-tournament selections in program history, including a pair of MVPs in Jala Wright and Peyton St. George

    Overall, Duke is 16-12 in the NCAA Championship with three Super Regional appearances and one Women’s College World Series appearance. The Blue Devils have outscored their opponents, 135-89, during the tournament.

    The Blue Devils will be potentially facing Arizona and Marshall for the first time ever in program history, while having an 2-0 all-time advantage over Howard. 

    Duke brings its own high power attack with having a program high seven athletes earning All-ACC honors. Senior Aminah Vega and Oakland led the way with first team honors while senior Cassidy Curd was tabbed second team. Seniors D’Auna Jennings and KK Mathis, sophomore Layla Lamar and freshman Gabriella Shadek rounded out Duke’s selections on the third team. Shadek also represented the Blue Devils on the all-freshman team. 

    Vega has been the engine to one of the nation’s top offenses, leading the Blue Devils in batting average (.469), runs (79), hits (76), doubles (20), and triples (5) through 51 games of the regular season. The DeBary, Fla. native has rewritten the Duke record books in her final season, setting the career doubles record with 66 and matching Claire Davidson’s single-season mark of 20. The 2024 NFCA All-America selection sits second all-time with 291 career hits and 52 home runs. Vega is the only player in program history to earn first team honors in four consecutive years.

    Oakland earned her first All-ACC nod after playing her first two seasons at Minnesota. After missing the opening weekend due to injury, Oakland has started every game at shortstop. The San Jose, California product is one of just two players to hit above .450, batting .456, with 68 hits, nine doubles, and 13 home runs through the regular season, She currently sits second in the in RBI with 64. Oakland was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on April 21, following an explosive performance at the plate in one of the final weeks of the regular season. She went 12-for-16 (.750) with three doubles, four home runs, and 14 RBI to lead the offense to a 4-0 week against No, 7 Tennessee and a road series sweep at Boston College.

    Curd continues to lead the Blue Devil’s pitching staff in her final season. She holds a 4.37 ERA through 33 appearances collecting 120 strikeouts on 139.1 innings pitched. She sits with an overall record of 17-2, which ranks third in the ACC and 47th nationally. The southpaw helped guide Duke to a 6-0 victory over Clemson in the regular season finale, holding the Tigers’ offense scoreless through seven innings to set the program record with 13 career shutouts. With the second team nod, Curd has now earned all-conference honors in three of her four seasons.

    Jennings has started every game in the outfield this season for Duke. She is currently hitting .424, with 69 runs, 78 hits, 13 doubles, and an on-base percentage of .493. The slapper has sent out a career-high five home runs this season. The Houston, Texas native passed Jameson Kavel’s career mark of 252 hits to become Duke softball’s all-time hits leader. She now has 301 career hits to her name entering the NCAA Tournament. She also leads the team in stolen bases with 16 on the year. 

    Mathis, a product of West Chester, OH. has mainly played the designated player spot this season. She has contributed both at the plate and in the circle for the Blue Devils. Offensively, Mathis holds a .327 batting average, with seven of her eight home runs coming against ACC foes. Mathis made her collegiate pitching debut in Duke’s midweek win over Campbell and picked up her first career win in the series opener at North Carolina. She earned the first All-ACC honor of her Blue Devil career.

    Lamar is a star outfielder for the Dukes. She has proved her star power at the plate, batting .380 with 57 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs, and 43 RBI. She has recorded four multi-home run games. The Cary, N.C. product has also shown her speed around the bases and one of just two players to record multiple triples this season, The sophomore earned All-ACC recognition for the time in her career after playing her first year at Florida.

    Shadek has played a key role in the Blue Devils’ offense in the second half of the series. Against conference opponents before the ACC tournament, she led the team with a .500 batting average, while blasting five home runs and driving in 14 runs. The Kinnelon, N.J. native closed out Duke’s final weekend on the road in strong fashion, hitting a home run in all three games at Boston College. She drove in a career-high four runs in game of the doubleheader, using an RBI-double and a three-run homer in back-to-back innings, to help Duke clinch the three-game series against the Eagles. She was named the ACC Freshman of the Week following her dominant performance. 

    The Blue Devils were a strong team against high competition as it sits with an overall record of 18-11 against teams in the field.

    Duke was one of the top offensive teams in the ACC, ranking second in batting average (.354), 3rd in hits (529), 4th in doubles (97), 3rd home runs (96), and 2nd slugging percentage (.624). In the circle, the Blue Devils ranked eighth in the ACC in team ERA (4.52), while walking the second most batters (191), and giving up the second most home runs (70). 

    The ACC, just like the Big 12, had a majority of its teams in the top 100 of the RPI rankings, with 11 of the 15 teams falling in the category, with Duke having the second highest RPI ranking of 12, right below Florida State with 10. 

    The final team in the regional is the Marshall Thundering Herd out of the Sun Belt Conference, making its third all-time appearance and first since 2017.

    This also marks the first time that the Thundering Herd will compete in the biggest stage outside of Lexington Kentucky. 

    Marshall finished the season with a record of 37-17 (17-7 SBC), but ended the season on the low tide. The Herd dropped two of three games in its last two conference opponents before the tournament, against Louisiana and James Madison. Marshall then for the second season in a row, was eliminated in the Sun Belt Conference Quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed, falling to No. 10 seed Coastal Carolina 6-0, after sweeping the Chanticleers in Conway during the regular season. The loss against JMU cost the Thundering Herd the No. 1 seed in the SBC Tournament and a chance to become regular season champions.

    Marshall qualified for the tournament, thanks to having the highest RPI ranking in the Sun Belt Conference, 28. Head coach Morgan Zerkle said that the RPI system is why she made the schedule the way it was. 

    “That’s why we play the schedule that we did is to be able to be in that position that, if something happened at the end, which it did, we’d still have a chance,” Zerkle said.

    Zerkle was a senior on the team the last time the Thundering Herd qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The All-American is now Marshall Softball’s first to both play and coach in the NCAA Tournament.

    "This one feels more special to me,” Zerkle said. “As an athlete, you have your own expectations on you. As a coach, it’s out of your hands a lot and you want to give them the environment and the position to be successful. But a lot of it’s up to them and (I’m) just really proud of them for making it happen.”

    Marshall played numerous P4 opponents throughout the course of the season, going up against the likes of Florida, & Florida State, and defeating Pitt 8-0 in 6 innings at Dot Hicks Field. The Herd is 11-8 against teams in the field with wins over the likes of UConn, Florida A&M, Boston University, Akron, and SBC foes Texas State, and South Alabama.

    After battling through the gauntlet of non-conference play, the Thundering Herd took that experience and ran with it, winning fifteen of the first eighteen games in league play.

    Marshall has one of the strongest pitching staffs it has had since joining the SBC for the 2023 season. The Herd is led by the trio of Paige Maynard, Jules King, and Maddie Veal who all have 10 or more wins on the season. This marks the first time in program history that the Thundering Herd has three or more pitchers with 10 or more victories in the circle.

    King has 18 games with 5+ strikeouts, and is ranked 4th in the SBC in punchouts with a team-leading 156 to earn herself SBC All-Second team honors.

    “I couldn’t do it without the other pitchers in the circle,” King said. “I think it just speaks how well coach Drew (Calloway) has done with us and what he has helped us develop into. So, I think it’s just a big kudos to him and kudos to our staff.”

    Marshall is known for its ability to hit the ball out of the park. The team set a single-season record of 89 home runs on the season, which led the Sun Belt Conference. Carrying the load was sophomore third baseman and Indiana transfer Syndi Burko, setting the individual single-season home run record with 21 long balls to earn herself Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. The One, W.Va native said that making the tournament is a complete circle moment for her. 

    “Growing up watching Marshall softball and watching coach Z and now being on the other side of the fence and getting to play for her and competing in regional for the third time in school history, that is such a blessing,” Burko said. “I think it’s bigger than yourself. It’s bigger than softball to be able to make history with this team.”

    Burko said that despite how the season ended, the Herd has what it takes to make some noise.

    “You saw us play our level of ball in the preseason and early season,” Burko said. “The last couple of series, we didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but that’s part of softball, you have your ups and downs. But I think just going out there and playing stress-free, we have nothing to lose.”

    Zerkle said that the pre non-conference portion of the schedule has greatly prepared the team for what is ahead. 

    “We talked about the beginning of the year, playing at Florida and Florida State, these are the environments that we want to be at the end of the year as well,” Zerkle said. “I was glad that I got that experience early of being in those stadiums with those crowds. And I do think it’ll be exciting because it will be their first regional, but I do think they’re prepared in a sense.”

    Many of the players agreed that the tournament gives not only the opportunity to represent Marshall but the great state of West Virginia and the future generations of West Virginia softball stars.

    “I love Marshall,” Burko said. “There’s no place I’d rather be. There’s no school I’d rather represent. There’s no coaching staff I’d rather play for.”

    “Marshall is the only division one program in the state of West Virginia,” outfielder Ava Blake said. “It goes to show all these girls that we don't have to come from a big state or do all the crazy traveling and stuff to get to this point. We want that kind of representation. It means more to be able to go out and do this and bring some respect back to West Virginia and respect to this program because we know the history of Marshal. And to be able to play with that chip on our shoulder, I really think we’re going to go and do a lot of damage and show these other universities exactly what West Virginia girls and this university has to offer. 

    “A lot of our roster is West Virginia and keeps recruiting in the backyard. These girls, they’re young, they’re hungry. You come from West Virginia, it’s a humble place. It’s all true honest work. I didn’t go play in the PGF tournaments. I didn’t go play in Colorado. I played a lot of local ball with a couple of my friends coached by our dads, and it led me to this point. So that just makes you really hungry, and it should be that you can do it no matter where you come from. I think absolutely all these girls should be putting in that work because it is very possible for them, and they don't have to be all these big things in order to reach success at all. You can do it and we're testaments to that and we push each other and you get someone to push you to want it, it can happen.”

    “I think it’s super great just growing the game of softball in West Virginia,” Junior and Huntington native Ramey George said. “I think these girls coming, some of them play softball, some of them don’t. But I think being here with us shows them, I want to do softball. Or I’ve heard some of them tell their parents I want to take softball lessons. It’s really cool to grow the game. We have a lot of local girls on the team, as well as me included. It’s really special because years prior, you probably didn’t see that from Marshall Softball.” 

    The Herd’s overall NCAA Tournament record is 2-4 as the team seeks its first Regional Final appearance and beyond.

    Action from Durham begins Friday at noon with Duke vs Howard followed at 2:30 p.m. with Marshall taking on Arizona.