The nationally ranked Endicott baseball team completed a stellar regular season Saturday night by capturing the Commonwealth Coast Conference title with a thrilling 1-0 win over Salve Regina.
On Monday, the Gulls were awarded the top seed in the NCAA Bridgewater Regional, joining Tufts, Wheaton, and Bridgewater State as Massachusetts teams selected for the Division 3 tournament via automatic qualification.
Ranked fourth in the latest D3baseball.com poll, Endicott leads Division 3 in team ERA (2.94), fueled by the nation’s leader, Lexington’s Gabe Van Emon (0.94).
The Gulls (39-6) open tournament play Friday against fourth-seeded Bridgewater State (32-11), which is back in the NCAA field for a second straight year after defeating Mass. Maritime in the MASCAC title game.
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Wheaton (37-6) is the top seed in the New London Regional hosted by Mitchell (NECC) after winning the NEWMAC regular season and tournament titles. Like Endicott, the Lions are nationally ranked (No. 8) and rely on a stellar pitching staff; theirs ranks fifth in team ERA (3.23).
Husson (24-17) and Tufts (31-9) join Wheaton in New London. The Jumbos took down Middlebury, 12-1, Sunday to capture their first NESCAC tournament crown since 2019.
Other New England schools in the 60-team bracket are defending national champion Eastern Connecticut State (Little East), Johnson & Wales (GNAC), Salve Regina (at-large), and Middlebury (at-large).
In the NCAA Division 3 softball tournament, Endicott (CCC), Simmons (GNAC), UMass Dartmouth (Little East), Framingham State (MASCAC), Husson (NAC), Williams (NESCAC), MIT (NEWMAC), and Eastern Nazarene (NECC) received automatic bids, while Tufts and Eastern Connecticut State were selected as at-larges in the 62-team field.
Endicott (35-7) captured a fourth straight CCC crown Saturday with a mercy-rule win over Western New England. The Gulls were placed in the MIT Regional with the Engineers (32-6) and Simmons (25-14), which won its first ever GNAC title May 7 with a 7-3 win over Lasell.
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UMass Dartmouth (30-12) scored a thrilling 1-0 walkoff win over Eastern Connecticut State in Saturday’s Little East title game, tying the program record for wins in a season. The Corsairs will face Williams (22-15) in the opener of the Salisbury (Md.) Regional, which also includes Framingham State (32-11).
Quincy’s Eastern Nazarene (22-19) is headed to the Lebanon (Pa.) Regional, marking the program’s third NCAA tournament appearance.
Despite losing to Williams in the NESCAC title game, Tufts (37-4) received an at-large bid after winning the regular-season crown during a dominant campaign. The Jumbos won three consecutive national titles from 2014-16 and will host the Tufts Regional at Spicer Field in Medford.