INDIANAPOLIS - After an electrifying three-game sweep in the NAIA Opening Round Championship, the Marian softball team is packing up and heading south for Columbus, Georgia, and the 2025 NAIA World Series. The Knights are making their sixth appearance at the NAIA World Series in program history, returning to South Commons Complex for the second time in three seasons.

OPENING ROUND RECAP
Marian blitzed through their NAIA Opening Round site, winning three games over three days in Sioux Center, Iowa. Marian began their national tournament postseason run with a 5-4 victory over Friends University, scoring their runs in the third and fourth innings, while holding off a late comeback attempt. The win advanced the Knights to the winner's bracket championship, where Marian man-handled top-seed Northwestern College, winning 9-0 in six innings. Grace Meyer sparked the charge with her team on top 1-0, driving in four runs on her bases-clearing double in the top of the fifth, scoring herself on the play on an error in the outfield. Olivia Stunkel then finished off the week with a strong outing in the championship game, pitching five of six innings against Northwestern in the closing 10-2 win. Hayley Greene recorded the walk-off hit to send Marian to the NAIA World Series, driving home Meyer in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap a run-rule win against the Red Raiders for a second consecutive day.

MEET THE NAIA WORLD SERIES TEAMS
Marian is one of 10 teams at the 2025 NAIA World Series and has been seeded as the No. 6 seed in the bracket. The University of the Cumberlands is the top seed in the bracket, while Georgia Gwinnett is the second seed. Both the Patriots and Grizzlies have earned first-round byes in the bracket. Southern Oregon is the third seed, with Oklahoma City and Central Methodist taking the fourth and fifth seeds ahead of Marian. Eastern Oregon, Grand View, Midland, and Reinhardt make up the other four teams in the World Series, seeded seventh through 10, respectively.

FUN WITH NUMBERS

• Oklahoma City leads the field for the NAIA World Series in batting average with a .369 team rate, one percentage point higher than Marian. The Stars and Knights are sixth and seventh nationally this season. 
  • Southern Oregon and Cumberlands are both in the top-15 in batting this season, while Reinhardt is the only other member of the 10-team field in the top-25 for batting average in the NAIA
• Georgia Gwinnett, led by pitcher Annalise Jarvis, boasts the lowest team ERA entering the World Series, holding a team average of 1.18.
  • Southern Oregon, Cumberlands, and Reinhardt are all in the top-25 in team ERA this season, while Marian ranks 43rd with their team 2.81 ERA.
• Ayla Davies and Olivia Stunkel carry the most pitching wins this season, as Davies from Southern Oregon is 31-4 while Stunkel is 29-0. 
• Jarvis and Davies are both in the top-five in the NAIA in strikeouts
• Analise Rayburn of Oklahoma City is the top-remaining hitter in the NAIA, ranking 10th entering the World Series with a .495 average. 
  • Three total players in the World Series field rank in the top-25 in the NAIA in batting average. Marian's Lily Wendt has the fifth-best batting average in the NAIA among players in the World Series with her .440 average.
• Tiffany Paul and Tara Hoehner of Oklahoma City lead the NAIA World Series field in runs scored, ranking third and fourth nationally with 72 and 71 runs scored, respectively. Abbey Hofmann from Marian is sixth in the NAIA with 67 runs scored on the year.
• Hofmann and Wendt both rank in the top-25 in the NAIA in base hits this season.

HISTORY AGAINST THE FIELD
Marian has a history against seven of the nine members in the 2025 NAIA World Series field, with their highest rate of matchups coming against their first opponent in Southern Oregon. The Knights have never played against Central Methodist or Eastern Oregon, and a postseason matchup in 2025 would be the first meeting all-time.

• vs Cumberlands: 0-1 - Only matchup came during the 2023 World Series, where the Patriots eliminated the Knights from the bracket with a 9-6 result
• vs Georgia Gwinnett: 1-1 - The first matchup came during the 2019 World Series in a 1-0 loss, while in 2023, Marian avenged the defeat with a commanding 6-0 win. Marian's win in 2023 advanced the team to the NAIA Semifinal round of the World Series.
• vs Southern Oregon: 2-3 - The 2025 first-round matchup will be the sixth all-time between Marian and Southern Oregon. The Knights won the first-ever meeting in 2016 in the NAIA Opening Round, and followed with a win in the first round of the 2018 NAIA World Series. The Raiders would eventually eliminate Marian from the 2018 World Series, and won twice against the Knights in Indianapolis in the 2024 NAIA Opening Round. The Knights are 2-1 all-time in a neutral setting against Southern Oregon
• vs Oklahoma City: 0-2 - The Knights have lost both meetings in program history against the Stars, falling in their first meeting in the 2016 World Series, before losing in the 2019 World Series. 
• vs Grand View: 0-1 - The first meeting between Marian and Grand View took place in the 2022 season, with the two playing in Florida on the team's spring break trip. Marian lost the game 8-3, with five of the six current seniors starting or coming in off the bench in the loss as freshmen. 
• vs Midland: 1-0 - Marian's only meeting with Midland came during the 2023 World Series, with the Knights winning 2-0. The game was Marian's first in the 2023 series, setting the stage for their fourth-place run. Anna Pritchett scored what stood as the game-winning run, stealing home in the third inning. 
• vs Reinhardt: 1-0 - Marian earned a win in their lone matchup against Reinhardt on their spring break trip in the 2019 season

INSIDE MARIAN vs SOUTHERN OREGON
For the second consecutive year, Marian will take on Southern Oregon during the NAIA Tournament. Marian is seeking payback in the game, as the Raiders ended the Knights' 2024 season in Indianapolis at the MU Softball Diamond, taking two victories during the 2024 NAIA Opening Round.

Marian is led by senior pitcher Olivia Stunkel, who boasts the second-most wins in the NAIA from the circle with 29. Stunkel is one of two undefeated starting pitchers in the NAIA entering the World Series, entering Georgia with a 29-0 record. Her catcher, Grace Meyer, is one of four players on the team batting over .400 this season, with Lily Wendt's .440 average leading the team. Jenna Minnix and Abbey Hofmann are also batting over .400 on the year, with the corner outfielders combining for 37 total extra base hits this season. Freshman Ally Malone has made 51 starts this year, and enters the World Series with a .382 batting average. The Knights hold a record of 47-7 on the year.

Southern Oregon is 48-8 on the season, entering the World Series after winning the NAIA Opening Round hosted by the Raiders on the West Coast. The Raiders are batting .357 as a team, and have three players batting over .400, including team-leader Sarah Kerling with her .444 batting average. Freshman pitcher Ayla Davies leads the Southern Oregon pitching staff, carrying the team as she has thrown in 45 games and 236 innings. Davies leads the NAIA in wins from the circle on the season, holding a record of 31-4. 

Marian is 2-3 all-time against Southern Oregon in softball, but holds a 1-0 record against the Raiders when playing in the first round of the NAIA World Series. The Knights are 4-1 all-time in the first game of the NAIA World Series.

RECORD WATCH
Marian's lineup has the potential to produce multiple program records by the conclusion of the season, with several obtainable in the first days of the NAIA World Series. Olivia Stunkel will look to extend her single-season wins record, which currently stands at 29 victories. Stunkel broke the record during the NAIA Opening Round Championship, taking the crown from former Knight and current pitching coach Breena Smith, who set the record in 2016. 

Grace Meyer ended the NAIA Opening Round with two doubles, tying the program record for doubles in a career. Meyer has 66 career doubles entering the World Series, and is tied with 2021 graduate Kassidi Cadle for the top spot all-time. Meyer is additionally eyeing the program's single-season walks record, needing six to tie the record shared by Emily Gwaltney and Mallory Ortwein. 

Abbey Hofmann needs four runs to break the single-season runs record, entering the World Series with 67 runs on the campaign. Savannah Harweger broke the record one season ago, with the 2024 graduate setting the mark at 70. Lily Wendt is two doubles shy of tying teammate Abby Madere for the single-season doubles record, needing three to best Madere's record set in 2024. Madere recorded 23 doubles one season ago. 

TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now and are linked above in addition to the Marian softball schedule page. Tournament passes are $70, and daily tickets are $20 for general admission. All ticket sales permit fans access to all games played on the date of purchase, or for the duration of the World Series, with the purchase of the tournament pass.

FOLLOW ALONG
All games of the NAIA tournament will be streamed free, with links to the NAIA Network pinned in the story and on the Marian softball schedule page. Fans will need to make a free account in order to watch. All games will be statted and shared on StatBroadcast, with direct links available on Marian's schedule. Updates from all games will be shared on the MUKnights X account, with additional updates to be posted on the MUKnights Instagram page throughout the week. 

Marian's first game of the NAIA World Series is set for Thursday, May 22, when Marian takes on No. 3 Southern Oregon at 1:00 p.m. The winner of the game will play on Saturday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m., while the loser falls to the elimination bracket and will play on Friday, May 23 at 10:00 a.m.

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