Unprecedented Three ICCAC Teams Compete At 2025 World Series

OXFORD, Ala. – Three ICCAC teams traveled south to compete at the 2025 NJCAA Division II Softball World Series. DMACC and Kirkwood entered the tournament with automatic bids after winning their respective district championships, earning the No. 4 and No. 6 seeds, respectively. Iowa Central received an at-large bid following an impressive 47-10 regular season and entered the tournament as the No. 10 seed.

It was the No. 10 seeded Iowa Central that had the most sucuessful run of the three.

The Tritons opened the tournament with a statement win, pulling off an upset over No. 7 Pima (Ariz.) by a score of 2-1. Jayda Long was the hero, pitching a gem with nine strikeouts while allowing just one earned run, and she also delivered at the plate, driving in both of the Tritons' runs. However, Iowa Central's momentum stalled in the second round as they fell 9-1 to No. 2 Murray State (Okla.).

Relegated to the elimination bracket, Iowa Central showed grit, edging Rock Valley (Ill.) 8-7 in a thrilling comeback. Trailing 7-4 entering the seventh, the Tritons erupted for four runs to stay alive.

Their run came to an end in another nail-biter against Johnson County (Kan.), falling 3-2 in ten innings after a tense, back-and-forth battle. Despite the early exit, Iowa Central capped a memorable season—its first World Series appearance since 2009—with 49 wins.

DMACC began its tournament run with a solid 4-2 win over Illinois Central. The Bears jumped ahead 4-0 by the third inning, with Macee Reiling knocking in two runs and Ella Husak scoring twice. In their next matchup, however, DMACC ran into a red-hot Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) team and suffered an 8-2 loss.

With elimination on the line, the Bears struck first against Pima (Ariz.) in their third game but couldn't sustain the offense, falling 9-1. The early exit was a disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding season for DMACC, which finished with a stellar 56-7 overall record.

Kirkwood came into the World Series riding a 50-16 record and faced a familiar foe in the opening round: Johnson County (Kan.). The Eagles had dominated the Cavaliers earlier in the season, winning their lone head-to-head matchup 11-2, but this time the game was far more competitive. The teams traded runs until Johnson County pulled ahead 6-5 in the seventh and held on for the upset.

In the elimination bracket, Kirkwood's offense faltered again in a 2-0 loss to Bryant and Stratton (Wis.), marking a second consecutive upset and a sudden end to the Eagles' postseason. Nonetheless, Kirkwood wrapped up a successful season at 50-18, continuing its tradition of excellence on the diamond.

DMACC:

Round 2: #4 DMACC def. #13 Illinois Central, 4-2 – Box Score

Elimination Round: #5 Copiah-Lincoln def. #4 DMACC, 8-2 – Box Score

Elimination Round: #7 Pima def. #4 DMACC, 9-1 – Box Score

Iowa Central:

Round 2: #10 Iowa Central def. #7 Pima, 2-1 – Box Score

Round 2: #2 Murray State def. #10 Iowa Central, 9-1 – Box Score

Elimination Round: #10 Iowa Central def #12 Rock Valley, 8-7 – Box Score

Elimination Round: #11 Johnson County def #10 Iowa Central, 3-2 – Box Score

Kirkwood:

Round 2: #11 Johnson County def. #6 Kirkwood, 6-5 – Box Score

Elimination Round: #18 Bryant & Stratton def. #6 Kirkwood, 2-0 – Box Score