Jones College Softball Earns At-Large Bid to NJCAA Division II World Series

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jones College softball team received an at-large bid to the NJCAA Division II Softball World Series, marking its fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament. The Bobcats, led by head coach Tori Dew, will compete in the 20-team field after the announcement Tuesday on the NJCAA Network.

Jones, which finished the regular season with a school-record 45 wins, is seeded seventh and will face 10th-seeded State College of Florida at 12:30 p.m. May 20 at Tyger River Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The teams have never met before. If Jones wins, they could face No. 2 seed Murray State of Oklahoma, which boasts a 63-1 record this season.

This marks the 14th trip to the NJCAA World Series for Jones. It is also Dew’s third in three years as head coach, with a record of 137-35 (.797). The tournament includes automatic qualifiers from Region 23 and the Gulf District, such as Copiah-Lincoln and Pearl River, along with Northwest, which earned an at-large berth.

Jones has been fueled by standout performances from several players. Outfielder Mabry Eason, a freshman, is batting .375 with 23 home runs and 63 RBIs. First baseman Mary Kimble Price is hitting .411 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs. Outfielder Claire Andersen, also a sophomore, is batting .396 with 48 stolen bases. Pitcher Madison Sawyer, a freshman, is 19-2 with a 2.58 ERA, pitching 133 innings with 96 hits allowed and 121 strikeouts.

Jones finished as runner-up in last year’s NJCAA World Series, losing to in-state rival Co-Lin. The Bobcats’ appearance this year continues their strong postseason tradition and quest for their first national championship.

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