BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Softball Championship will begin Thursday at Inspiration Field in Bloomington, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan and Inspiration Field will serve as the host for the tournament, which includes the top six teams from the regular-season standings.
 
The tournament champion will receive the CCIW’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. Illinois Wesleyan earned the No. 1 seed after winning the outright regular-season title with a 15-1 conference record. Millikin is the No. 2 seed, followed by Augustana, North Central, Carthage and North Park.
 
Thursday’s schedule begins with a pair of elimination games, with No. 4 North Central facing No. 5 Carthage at 12 p.m and No. 3 Augustana will play No. 6 North Park at 2 p.m.
 
Double-elimination play follows. Top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan will meet the North Central-Carthage winner at 4 p.m., while No. 2 Millikin will play the Augustana-North Park winner at 6 p.m.
 
The tournament continues Friday with three games. The losers of Thursday’s late games will meet at 1 p.m., followed by the winners of Thursday’s late games at 3:30 p.m. Friday’s final game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will include the winner of the 1 p.m. game and the loser of the 3:30 p.m. game.
 
Saturday’s championship round is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. An if-necessary game will follow, if needed.
 
Admission will be charged daily for the tournament. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, students and children ages 6-14. Children ages 5 and under will be admitted free. Current CCIW students will be admitted free with a valid institutional ID.
 
#1 Illinois Wesleyan Titans (25-13, 15-1 CCIW)
Illinois Wesleyan enters the tournament as the CCIW regular-season champion after finishing 15-1 in league play. The Titans, led by head coach Tiffany Prager, also received the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year award for the fourth consecutive season.
 
Gianna Certa, the CCIW Pitcher of the Year, leads the Illinois Wesleyan pitching staff after going 7-0 with a 0.71 earned-run average during the conference schedule. Certa struck out 53 batters in 49 innings and completed her conference career undefeated in CCIW regular-season play. Offensively, Casey Wissmiller hit .457 during the league schedule, while catcher Claire Post also earned All-CCIW First Team recognition. The Titans also led the conference with a .970 fielding percentage in CCIW games.
 
#2 Millikin Big Blue (26-13, 12-4 CCIW)
Millikin earned the No. 2 seed after finishing 12-4 in conference play. The Big Blue closed the regular season by splitting a series with North Park and finished two games behind Illinois Wesleyan in the league standings.
 
Summer Wynn was a First Team All-CCIW selection in the outfield after batting .500 with four home runs and 27 RBIs during the conference season. Ann Marie Meek also received First Team honors at catcher after hitting .395 in league play. In the circle, Alyssa Dralle led Millikin with six conference wins and a 2.64 earned-run average.
 
#3 Augustana Vikings (19-20, 11-5 CCIW)
Augustana enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing 11-5 in the CCIW. The Vikings closed conference play with wins in 10 of their final 12 league games to move into the top half of the tournament field.
 
Aubrey Gradin and Alexis Duke were both named to the All-CCIW First Team. Gradin hit .373 in conference play with six home runs, while Duke batted .429 during the league schedule. Augustana also posted a .971 overall fielding percentage, the best mark among CCIW teams.
 
#4 North Central Cardinals (18-16, 8-8 CCIW)
North Central finished the regular season with a 8-8 conference record to earn the No. 4 seed. The Cardinals will open the tournament against No. 5 Carthage in Thursday’s first game.
 
North Central’s pitching staff is led by Juliana Maude and Sam Schilf. Maude, a First Team All-CCIW selection, finished league play with a 1.44 earned-run average and 51 strikeouts. Schilf, a Second Team selection, recorded a 1.89 earned-run average during the CCIW schedule. Hailey Morsovillo and Lauren Bowmar have led the Cardinals offensively, with Morsovillo batting .397 overall and Bowmar hitting .333 in conference play.
 
#5 Carthage Firebirds (19-19, 8-8 CCIW)
Carthage enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed after finishing 8-8 in the conference standings. The Firebirds will meet North Central in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday.
 
Clare Rettler leads the Carthage lineup after being named the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive season. Rettler hit .600 in conference play, led the league with 30 hits and set a single-season CCIW record with 26 stolen bases in 16 games. Gwen Hendrick also received All-CCIW First Team honors after driving in 19 runs during the conference schedule.
 
#6 North Park Vikings (16-24, 7-9 CCIW)
North Park is making its first CCIW Tournament appearance since 2024 after finishing 7-9 in league play. The Vikings will open the tournament against No. 3 Augustana on Thursday afternoon.
 
Eden Baker and Miabella Collazo led North Park’s All-CCIW selections. Baker was named the CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year after anchoring the Vikings’ outfield and batting .442 in conference play. Collazo was selected as the CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year and earned First Team honors at second base after hitting .412 during her debut conference season. Abrianne Papas enters the tournament as a key option in the circle after posting a 2.69 overall earned-run average.