Tournament marks the second occasion of Raiders playing the opening round in Ashland
For the sixth time in seven postseasons, Southern Oregon University will host an NAIA Softball Championship opening-round bracket when the 48-team tournament begins May 12-15.
The Raiders were among 10 hosts named Thursday by the national selection committee, which awarded bids based on rankings, geography and suitable facilities. Two sites will feature four-team brackets and eight will have five-team brackets.
SOU will learn how many and which opponents are headed to University Field when the selection show takes place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 7.
This will be the second time the Raiders play the opening round in Ashland. The tournament was held at Lithia & Driveway Fields in Medford the first four times they hosted.
SOU was on the road for the opening round last season for the first time since 2017 but advanced to the NAIA World Series anyway. This year’s World Series is scheduled for May 22-28, to be played again in Columbus, Georgia.
The Raiders were No. 4 in Wednesday’s final NAIA Top 25. They’re 44-6 overall entering the Cascade Conference Tournament in Klamath Falls, where they’ll be the No. 2 seed and play their opener at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 2.
2025 NAIA Softball National Championship opening-round softball sites
| Host | City | Field |
| Central Methodist (Missouri) | Fayette, Missouri | Cox Stadium Complex |
| Cumberlands (Kentucky) | Williamsburg, Kentucky | UC Softball Complex |
| Georgia Gwinnett | Lawrenceville, Georgia | Grizzly Softball Complex |
| Indiana Wesleyan | Marion, Indiana | Sue Bowman Field |
| Northwestern (Iowa) | Sioux Center, Iowa | Open Space Park |
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Ann Lacey Stadium |
| Oregon Tech | Klamath Falls | John & Lois Stilwell Stadium |
| Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | San Antonio, Texas | St. Mary’s University Softball Field |
| Sciences & Arts (Oklahoma) | Chickasha, Oklahoma | Bill Smith Ballpark |
| Southern Oregon | Ashland | University Softball Field |
This story first appeared on the Southern Oregon University Sports Information website, souraiders.com.
