ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University softball team has announced their schedule for the 2025 season.
Two seasons ago the Thunder won the program's first NCAA Championship and followed up by spending much of the 2024 season as the top ranked team in the country. An upset loss in the Super Regional round of last season's NCAA Division III Softball Championship ended their repeat bid. Now the team enters the season ranked tenth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason poll and are poised for another national run.
The team's full 40 game slate boasts 14 home games, 12 away games and 14 on neutral fields. It also features a gauntlet of tough competition including seven other nationally ranked teams and 17 fellow members of the 2024 championship field. Included in that group are four teams that traveled to Texas as part of the final field of eight during the championship, including the now defending national champions from East Texas Baptist University.
Trine opens the season with, perhaps, the toughest part of their schedule, once again traveling to the NFCA Leadoff Classic, an invitation only event that features some of the top teams in the country. The Thunder will face four top ten teams during their three days at the event. All six of their opponents were members last year's playoff field. Day one of the season, Friday, February 28, features games against #2 Linfield University and Wartburg College. Day two they will face #25 Huntingdon College and #7 Case Western Reserve University. Their final day starts with a matchup between the last two national champs as they play #1 ETBU followed by #6 Tufts University.
After two travel days, the Thunder arrive in Florida for The Spring Games. Of the eight games Saint Mary's (Minn.) University appears to be the top challenge with the Cardinal receiving votes in the NFCA poll. That said, six of the eight opponents feature teams that competed in the playoffs last season including Saint Mary's, Moravian University, Transylvania University, Lebanon Valley College, Dominican (Ill.) University and Husson University. Trine will also face Bethany Lutheran College and Allegheny College.
After returning home and enjoying a 12-day break, the Thunder will open the home portion of the schedule by hosting Ohio Northern University on Thursday, March 20. They follow up with another road trip featuring tough competition, in the form of two more participants in the 2024 tournament. They open the weekend on Saturday, March 22 by playing a pair of games against Illinois Wesleyan University on the field that will eventually host the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Finals. They then take on DePauw University on Sunday, March 23.
The next four opponents all will travel to Angola, in what is scheduled to be the longest home stand of the season for the Thunder. First up are the last two non-conference doubleheaders of the season, with Spalding (Ky.) University and the University of Mount Union come to town on back-to-back days starting on Saturday, March 29. Trine then enters Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play by hosting Kalamazoo College on Sunday, April 6 and Adrian College on Tuesday, April 8.
On Saturday, April 12, the Thunder face their last preseason nationally ranked team when they travel to #20 Calvin University for a doubleheader that could decide the MIAA regular season championship. They finish off the conference slate with away games against Saint Mary's College, Alma College and Albion College while hosting The University of Olivet and Hope College.
The final home games of the regular season are against the Flying Dutch on Saturday, April 26 and the regular season finale comes on Sunday, May 4 against the Britons.
