BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2023 softball season has arrived for Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) teams.
The regular season will get underway with non-conference contests beginning on Saturday, February 18. MIAC teams will compete in a handful of dome games throughout Minnesota in the month of February before embarking on their typical spring trips to Florida in March. The conference regular season begins April 1 and will run through the end of the month.
The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will compete in the 2023 MIAC Softball Playoffs. Due to the NCAA moving the championships back one week, the MIAC Softball Playoffs will be permanently scheduled one week later going forward. As such, the first two games of the single-elimination conference tournament will be hosted by seeds No. 3 and 4 on Thursday, May 11 before the playoffs head to the home field of the No. 1 seed for three final games on Saturday, May 13. The last team standing will receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.
2022 FINAL STANDINGS
Bethel (20-2) *#%
St. Olaf (18-4)
Saint Benedict (15-5)
St. Catherine (14-8)
Hamline (10-10)
Gustavus (10-12)
Saint Mary’s (9-13)
Macalester (9-13)
Concordia (6-12)
Carleton (7-15)
St. Scholastica (7-15)
Augsburg (3-19)
*MIAC Regular Season Champion
#MIAC Playoff Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant
RULE CHANGES
The NCAA Softball Rules change process occurs every two years. This is a non-rule change year, with the most recent changes being effective for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The current rulebook is available for download at www.ncaapublications.com.
NEW MIAC WEBSITE & APP
The MIAC launched a refreshed website and new mobile app over the summer through a new multi-year partnership with SIDEARM Sports. The updated website design is more user-friendly and interactive for student-athletes, parents, alumni, and fans, featuring easy access to stories, schedules, results, standings, and championship information. The new mobile app is free to fans and can be downloaded on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android devices. The MIAC's previous "Front Row" app will be retired and no longer update as of the 2022-23 academic year.
AWARD WATCH
MIAC coaches will vote on the 2023 MIAC Softball All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to a 36-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Player, Pitcher, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will tentatively begin on Monday, February 20, and be announced each Monday following through the end of the regular season. During the week following the MIAC Playoffs, participating coaches will also select a 13-player All-Playoff Team to recognize outstanding performances throughout the conference tournament.
LOOKING AHEAD
NFCA Preseason Rankings: No. 9 Bethel
First Non-Conference Game Date: Saturday, February 18
First Conference Game Date: Saturday, April 1
MIAC Playoffs: Thursday, May 11 and Saturday, May 13
Season Links: Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Playoffs |