SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- The Shippensburg University softball team is in the first edition of the 2023 NCAA Atlantic Region rankings released Wednesday. The NCAA regional rankings are annually used to determine the teams that qualify for the NCAA Division II Softball Championships.
 
This is the first of three editions of the regional rankings before the announcement of the tournament field, which is set for 10 a.m. on Monday, May 8. Each set of rankings includes all games played through the previous Sunday.
 
Eight teams from each of the eight regions will advance to the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball Championships following the completion of the regular season. Per the NCAA, four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in a double-elimination tournament. The 16 teams advancing from regional competition will participate in a two-team, best-of-three super regional at eight sites.
 
The Atlantic Region is comprised of all the teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in addition to independents Bluefield State and Salem (44 total teams).
 
The Atlantic Region Championships will feature three automatic qualifiers – the tournament champions from the PSAC, MEC and CIAA – and five at-large selections.
 
Shippensburg is seeking its first back-to-back NCAA Tournament berth since the 2013 and 2014 season. Last season, the Raiders hosted the NCAA Atlantic Region. 
 
2023 NCAA Division II Softball Championships Notes:
 
• The regional rankings committees are tasked with assigning teams based on the following criteria, per the NCAA pre-championship manual: Division II in-region winning percentage; Division II winning percentage; Division II strength of schedule (opponents' average winning percentage and opponents' opponents' average winning percentage); Division II head-to-head competition and results versus Division II common opponents. Additional criteria specific to softball includes: results versus ranked Division II opponents, in-region Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and Division II results vs. teams with a winning record.
 
• More information can be found in the NCAA's Pre-Championship manual.