The DII softball finals head to Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the first pitch coming on May 22. Of the 64 teams that began the DII softball championship, only eight remain.

Four of the eight "teams to beat" from the tournament preview — North Georgia, Saginaw Valley State, UT Tyler and Western Washington — advanced as expected, while two others saw their season end one game short in the super regionals. Additionally, one of the "teams to watch" also advanced to Chattanooga, as Pace's pitching staff proved to be all that was expected.

In all, five No. 1 seeds — Central Oklahoma, Pace, Saginaw Valley State, Tampa and UT Tyler — made it through, while No. 2 North Georgia also advanced . If you go by the seeding, the "surprise" teams to make it to the finals were No. 4 seed Western Washington and No. 4 seed Shippensburg. Western Washington is the defending national runners-up, so the Vikings weren't too much of a surprise.

Here's a look at each team remaining in the hunt.

The DII softball finals, by the numbers

The DII softball finals: A team-by-team look

Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos are one of three teams in the finals that have a national championship under their belts, winning it all in 2013. They have been a national power pretty much ever since, having made the tournament in all but one tournament since their championship. Terin Ritz, who was on the 2023 finals squad, is one of the best players in DII, hurting teams with the bat and her arm. On the season, she is hitting .412 with 18 doubles, 18 home runs and 77 RBIs while going 22-4 with a 1.51 ERA and 137 strikeouts in the circle.

Pace. Pace is one of two programs making its finals debut in 2025. The Setters earned the No. 1 seed in the East on the heels of just their second NE10 title in program history. They got to the finals thanks to one of the best pitchers in DII, Gisselle Garcia. Garcia struck out 35 batters in three regional starts while allowing just one earned run and then started every one of the super regional games, including the big 8-0 victory that evened the series.

North Georgia. The Nighthawks are in familiar territory. They are looking to win their third national championship in the past 10 tournaments. The last time they won was a mere two years ago — the first time the tournament was ever in Chattanooga. While the Nighthawks are back where they won it all, freshman Carleigh Knowles is looking to leave her mark. The PBC freshman of the year was tied for the DII lead in home runs with 2, was sixth in RBIs with 68, and in the top 20 with 60 runs scored.

Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals return to the DII softball finals for the second time in program history and first time since 2011. They romped through the regionals, allowing just three runs in three-straight wins and then came from behind in a thrilling Game 3 of the super regionals, downing last year's Midwest champs, UIndy. Macy Irelan, the GLIAC pitcher of the year, has been strong all season, with a 22-3 record, 1.27 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 233 strikeouts.

Shippensburg. The Raiders are heading to the finals for the third time in program history, but the first in more than two decades. Shippensburg has yet to lose in the DII softball championship, and that includes two wins over No. 1 East Stroudsburg in the Atlantic regional tournament and then sweeping No. 2 Kutztown in the supers. Freshman Gianna Cimino and sophomore Sarah Sabocsik are both red hot in the tournament, each hitting .529 with Cimino homering in each of the last two games. The Raiders are filled with youth and could be on the verge of something big.

Tampa. The Spartans made program history and won their first South Region title this past weekend. It was an odd, but impressive, super regionals as all three games ended with the final score of 5-0. Tampa fell in the first game, but rallied to take the next two with back-to-back shutouts from Mariah Galhouse and Katie DeSimone, two of the pitchers that earned Tampa recognition as one of DII's best rotations .

UT Tyler. It is the fourth-straight season the Patriots have found themselves amongst the final eight. Last year, they finally broke through and won it all, defeating Western Washington for the national championship. Their experience is deep, they have one of the best pitching staffs left standing and are a run-scoring machine — having more runs scored than any team remaining in the field. This team is poised to be the first repeat champions of the century, and first since Cal (PA) did it in 1997-98.

Western Washington. One year after setting the program record for wins and winning their first West Region title, the Vikings are back in the mix once again. Once in the finals, the Vikings upset train, taking down No. 1 AUM and No. 4 UIndy, rode them all the way to the championship series. Last year, they were the No. 6 seed and this year, they draw the No. 8 seed, so that upset experience is going to be needed. That shouldn't be a problem with a lineup loaded full of returners and all three starting pitchers back from last year's run — a pitching staff that has posted a sparkling 1.98 combined ERA.