GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team will begin its quest in the 2026 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament in the Athens Regional against, No. 6 Clemson on Friday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m. at Jack Turner Softball Stadium on the University of Georgia campus.
Joining the Spartans and Tigers will be host, Georgia Bulldogs and the College of Charleston Cougars.
The four-team, three-day event features UNCG (42-17) facing the No. 6 Clemson Tigers (32-20) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday before Charleston (30-28) takes on No. 3 Georgia (38-18) at 7:00 p.m.
Winners of four-straight games and 14 of the last 16 contests, UNCG will make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2023, when it competed in the Clemson Regional. The NCAA Regional appearance will be the eighth in program history for UNCG (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2026).
The top-seeded Spartans earned The Southern Conference's (SoCon) automatic bid after defeating the second-seeded Samford Bulldogs, 4-0, in the Championship game on Sunday at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was the 17
th shutout of the season, which is the most since 2000 when UNCG had 19.
UNCG earned its fourth SoCon sweep (2018, 2021, 2023, 2026) by earning its seventh Regular Season Title and fourth SoCon Championship. This is the first sweep since 2023. In four conference championships, this is the first shutout for the Spartans.
The battery of SoCon Pitcher of the Year
Brooklyn Shroyer and
Madelyn McKinnon tossed their third one-hitter of the season with the win over the Bulldogs, as UNCG went 4-1 against Samford this season.
Shroyer was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Tournament Team, while SoCon Freshman of the Year
Avery Bouquin,
Laney Deane and
Macy Michael were also selected to the All-Tournament Team. Shroyer's Most Outstanding Player Award is the seventh for UNCG and first since 2023 when Maddie Spell earned the honor. McKinnon received the Pinnacle Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average on the championship-winning team.
In the latest national rankings, which are games through May 9, UNCG is ranked in the top 50 in 11 categories, including seventh in ERA (2.22), 11
th in hits allowed per seven innings (5.67), 12
th in WHIP (1.21), 23
rd in doubles, 34
th in win-loss percentage (.707), 36
th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.01), 37
th in hits (473), 42
nd in doubles per game (1.64), 46
th in RBI (318), 47
th in team strikeouts per seven innings (5.60) and 49
th in home runs (65).
They continue to lead the SoCon in nine categories, including doubles, doubles per game, ERA, hits allowed per seven innings, shutouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio, team strikeouts per seven innings, WHIP and win-loss percentage.
PURCHASE UNCG GEAR
UNCGgear.com is your one-stop shop for all of your official UNCG merchandise! From apparel to accessories, there is something for everyone!
The winner of the Athens Regional will advance to a best-of-three NCAA Super Regionals against the winner of the Knoxville Regional between May 21-24. The Women's College World Series will be played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at Devon Park from May 28 to June 4/5.
