NJCAA Alumni in the 2026 NCAA DI Softball Championship

Charlotte, NC – Almost 100 former National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) student-athletes and coaches are participating in the 2026 NCAA Division I Softball Championship over the next month. Regionals are May 15-17, followed by Super Regionals May 21-24. The final eight teams will compete at the Women's College World Series May 28-June 4/5 in Oklahoma City. Continue reading to learn more about the alumni competing at the next level. 

In the Numbers 

• 55 NJCAA schools are represented in the NCAA tournament field 

• Florida SouthWestern State, McLennan, Odessa, and Parkland each have six individuals with school ties in the tournament 

• 37 NCAA teams competing have at least one student-athlete or coach who has previous experience at an NJCAA institution  

• Nine head coaches participating in the NCAA championship competed or coached in the NJCAA previously 

Cailyn Heyl | Northwest Florida State | South Alabama 

Cailyn Heyl was one of the most dominant pitchers in NJCAA Division I in 2025 as a sophomore with Northwest Florida State. After leading the Raiders to the program's first national championship title, Heyl was named NJCAA Pitcher of the Year as well as NJCAA Division I Softball World Series Most Outstanding Pitcher and Most Valuable Player. Heyl tossed all 35.0 innings for Northwest Florida State in the tournament, allowing just seven runs. Overall, Heyl went 35-2 with a 0.94 ERA, setting a single-season program record, in 2025. Heyl was a two-time NJCAA and NFCA First Team All-America selection and set a new program record for career wins with 72.  

Peyton Paulsen | Kirkwood (IA) | South Dakota  

Peyton Paulsen, the 2025 NJCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year, posted a 24-3 record and 1.80 ERA for Kirkwood as a sophomore. She tossed 163.0 innings, including 18 complete games, and struck out 144 batters. Paulsen earned NJCAA All-America honors in both seasons and was named to the NFCA All-American First Team in 2025. As a sophomore, Paulsen ranked 10th in wins, 14th in ERA, and 15th in shutouts in NJCAA Division II. 

Belle Sardja | Florida SouthWestern State | South Florida 

After leading Florida SouthWestern State to back-to-back national championships, Belle Sardja was showered with accolades. Sardja was named the 2023 NJCAA and NFCA Pitcher of the Year along with receiving NJCAA Division I Softball World Series Most Outstanding Pitcher honors. In 2022, Sardja was selected as the Most Outstanding Pitcher and Most Valuable Player at the world series. Across two seasons, Sardja totaled a 41-5 record and nine saves with 28 complete games and a 1.05 ERA.  

Craig Nicholson | Central Arizona | Akron 

Current Head Coach for Akron softball, Craig Nicholson, spent 11 seasons at Central Arizona where he amassed a record of 723-90. He won four NJCAA national championships in 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2005, along with seven conference championships and eight region titles. Nicholson was named NJCAA Coach of the Year four times and NFCA Junior College Coach of the Year on three occasions. 

Abby Grace Richardson | Copiah-Lincoln | Mississippi State 

Abby Grace Richardson was a key player in helping Copiah-Lincoln win their first national title in 2023 as a freshman. Richardson was selected as the NJCAA DII Softball World Series Most Valuable Player as well as Most Outstanding Offensive Player. During that season she hit a school-record 24 home runs and drove in a single-season record 80 RBI. Richardson followed her freshman campaign with an impressive sophomore season that finished with another NJCAA Third Team All-America honor and MACC Player of the Year while setting school records in career RBI (145) and home runs (46).   

The listing below compiled by the NJCAA National Office is composed of former NJCAA student-athletes and coaches competing in the 2026 NCAA DI Softball Championship. If you know of a former student-athlete or coach who will be participating in this year's championship that is not listed, please send an email to media@njcaa.org.