The DII softball championship series is set. In one corner, is the defending national champion UT Tyler while opposite them is Tampa, a team that has made it further than any Spartans' team in program history.
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Here is a breakdown of what you need to know.
The DII softball championship: How to watch
The final series is a best-of-three format. First pitch will be at 11 a.m. ET from Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee on May 27. Game 2 and 3 (if necessary) will be at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on May 28. You can watch all the action live right here on sifoeeprocess.com.
Tampa is 3-0 at neutral sites this year, each win coming this past week. UT Tyler has much more experience away from its home field, going 15-1 at neutral sites.
Tampa vs. UT Tyler: By the numbers
| Stats | Tampa | UT Tyler |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 48-10 | 60-5 |
| Miles from TN | 573 | 695 |
| Runs scored | 274 | 512 |
| Batting average | .278 | .349 |
| Home runs | 20 | 71 |
| ERA | 1.16 | 1.38 |
| WHIP | 0.94 | 0.95 |
| K/7 | 4.0 | 6.8 |
A team-by-team breakdown of the DII softball finals
UT Tyler is looking to become the first repeat champion of the 2000s and the first since Cal (PA) went back to back in 1998-99. The Patriots are simply the most balanced team in DII softball, top 5 in the division in batting average, runs scored, ERA and fielding percentage (.977). The Patriots have become the premier DII softball power with four-straight trips to the finals.
The Patriots haven't lost in Chattanooga with Primrose Aholelei tossing a complete-game shutout to advance to the championship series. They have five All-Americans in JT Smith, Kaylee Davis, Ka'Lyn Watson, Bailey Krolczyk and Cera Blanchard. Smith leads the team in just about everything, hitting .482 (third in DII) with a 1.501 OPS (No. 1 in DII), 104 runs scored (No. 1 in DII), 16 home runs, 65 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. She has been one of the best players in DII all season long. The Patriots can also throw three aces at opposing lineups in Kaylee Davis, Cera Blanchard and Primrose. All three have an ERA below 1.50 and a WHIP below 1.05.
Speaking of pitching, no one does it better than Tampa. The Spartans lead DII in ERA and are second in WHIP. Like UT Tyler, the Spartans aren't a one-trick pony, as Mariah Galhouse, Gwen McGinnis and Kate DeSimone each would be the No. 1 on any other team. Galhouse leads DII with a 0.53 ERA and is Tampa's all-time leader in hits, RBI and total bases as a two-way star.
Tampa is also perfect in Chattanooga. Galhouse pitched a shutout to earn Tampa its first win in the finals in program history. The Spartans then pulled off a dramatic comeback, scoring a run in the sixth and the seventh to come from behind in Game 2, showing the grit that continues to make program history with each pitch. Now, they are two wins away from their first national championship.
Predicting Tampa vs. UT Tyler
Tampa is quite the story. The Spartans won three straight SSC softball titles and finally broke through to win their first-ever South Region championship. However, we haven't seen a juggernaut like UT Tyler in some time. This is no flash in the pan — the Patriots have been a perennial threat since they transitioned from DIII in 2019. The balance in the circle, at the plate and in the field is too strong for any team to contend.
Prediction: UT Tyler in two
