Head Coach Savanah Webster's group gathered on Tuesday night with anxious hopes that they might hear their name called at the NJCAA selection show for a trip to the national stage. After a 45-15 record and one of the best seasons in Santa Fe history, the group sat together in hopes that their efforts would land them a spot in the tournament at Oxford, Alabama. 

When Santa Fe was selected, the room broke out in cheers, hugging and celebration. For the first time in 13 years, Santa Fe College will be represented in the NJCAA DI Softball World Series. The Saints' first nod in over 10 years has landed them a spot as the #11 seed to face the Odessa College Wranglers of Odessa, Texas in the first round. 

The Saints will bring no shortage of superstar talent to the NJCAA's big dance. Four Saints earned First or Second Team All-FCSAA honors. They will be led at the circle by standout ace, Belle Mancillas, who was named FSCAA First-Team All-State and FSCAA All-Tournament Team for her 1.24 ERA. Molly Bender, the leadoff hitter, also earned All-State, All-Tournament Team, and NFCA DI Second Team All-Region honors for her .393 batting average and perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Sydney English and McKenzie Cox also solidified themselves as leaders on both sides of the diamond, earning a Second Team All-FSCAA selection. 

The Saints' stars have had a stellar season up to this point but will now need to bring their best to the national stage as each team was either an automatic qualifier by winning their region or by receiving one of four at-large bids. 

Awaiting them is a white-hot Wranglers team that has not lost a game since the calendar month of March. The win streak for Odessa College stands at 39 games, a team who swept their way through the Southwest District A Championship now enters the tournament with a 51-7 record as the #6 seed. The Wranglers were ranked 10th in the final week of the NJCAA DI Softball rankings

The Wranglers similarly will bring their stars to the stage. Led offensively by freshman star Angelique Iredale, their offense has three players batting over .400; Iredale with .494. The infielder hit 10 home runs and 64 RBIs. RHP Jayda Lorigan brings the ace presence for the Wranglers similar to Mancillas, throwing an ERA of 1.60 alongside 217 strikeouts. The Wranglers have been noted for their performance on both sides of the diamond and shutdown home-field performances. As the home team, the Wranglers have yet to lose a game at home or in their conference, sitting at 36-0.  

The Saints will play in the final game slot in the first day of the NJCAA DI Softball World Series. The #11 Saints will face the #6 Wranglers on Memorial Day, May 25th, 2026, at 6:45PM EST, 5:45PM CT.

You can watch live on the NJCAA Network here: https://www.njcaa.org/network/live   

You can follow along on the NJCAA Tournament Central here: https://njcaachampionship.prestosports.com/sports/sball/div1/index