The NCAA Softball season is on the horizon, and at the Division III level, traditional powers will clash with upstarts, all with hopes of taking the title in Texas in June.

A dominant pitcher is a must if a team hopes to make a deep run in the postseason.

Mark Allister is the author of Women’s College Softball on the Rise: A Season Inside the Game. He will be writing on DIII softball this spring and would welcome story ideas and comments at allister@stolaf.edu

When Wade Wilson took over as Texas Lutheran University’s head softball coach in 2011, he inherited a program that had never won a softball championship. In the previous eight seasons, the Bulldogs’ overall record was 145-167-1, a .465 winning percentage.

TYLER, Texas -- The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs are a perfect 2-0 after two games at the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Finals after hanging on to defeat Eastern Connecticut State 7-6 Friday night at SuddenLink Field.

Six teams outside of the Top 25 made it to the Sweet Sixteen sending top-seeded teams like Virginia Wesleyan, East Texas Baptist, Birmingham Southern, and more packing.