The road to a district championship is set. With the OHSAA releasing its 2026 softball tournament brackets for Divisions III through VII on Sunday, all 12 Northeastern Athletic Conference schools with 2026 softball teams now know who stands between them and a postseason title. For fans who follow the NAC but may not be familiar with how the conference is structured, it helps to know that the NAC is split into two divisions — the Stars and the Stripes — and the schools in each division compete among themselves for the conference title. Here is a look at where every NAC school lands in the OHSAA tournament, broken down by division.
Before diving into the brackets, it is worth noting that the NAC Stars division race has quite competitive this season, with Pymatuning Valley, Cardinal, Saint John and Mathews all battling for the division title heading into the final week of the regular season. The NAC Stripes have been headlined by Maplewood’s undefeated run through division play, with Chalker close behind at 6-1 and Badger also making their presence felt — though with Maplewood and Chalker not scheduled to meet again, the Stripes title picture may already be set. For the full picture on how every team stacks up heading into the postseason, the NAC Softball standings are updated daily and tell the complete story.
NAC Stars Division
The six Stars division schools compete across Division V, VI and VII of the OHSAA tournament, reflecting the range of enrollment sizes within the conference.
Pymatuning Valley Lakers — Division V, Northeast 4 — 7-1 NAC, 10-5 overall
The Stars division leaders enter the tournament as the #14 seed in their bracket and earn the right to host #18 seed Canton Central Catholic in a sectional final on May 13. The winner travels to face fourth-seeded Tuslaw in a district semifinal on May 18, with fifth-seeded Akron Manchester lurking on the other side of the bracket. Pymatuning Valley has been one of the hottest teams in Northeast Ohio down the stretch, and the Lakers arrive at tournament time playing their best softball of the season — making them the team to beat not only in the Stars division and a potential disruptor in their bracket.
Cardinal Huskies — Division VII, Northeast 3, No. 9 Seed — 7-2 NAC, 8-7 overall
Cardinal earned the ninth seed in their bracket and received a first round bye. As a result the Husies will face the winner of sixth-seeded Chalker and #19 Leetonia in a district semifinal on May 18. It is a notable potential matchup — Chalker is a longtime NAC member while Cardinal is in their first year in the conference, and Leetonia, who Chalker must first get past on May 13, is set to join the NAC next fall. Cardinal has been one of the surprise stories of the NAC Stars this spring and brings a winning conference record into the tournament.
Saint John Heralds — Division VII, Northeast 1, No. 8 Seed — 3-2 NAC, 6-7 overall
The Heralds drew the eighth seed and travel to fourth-seeded Andrews Osborne for a sectional final on May 13. Should they advance, Saint John would face the #15 Lordstown at #14 Lisbon winner for the right to face top-seeded Maplewood in the Northeast 1 bracket.
Mathews Mustangs — Division VII, Northeast 2, No. 10 Seed — 5-3 NAC, 10-10 overall
Mathews earned the tenth seed and host #20 Kidron Central Christian in a sectional final on May 13. The winner advances to a district semifinal on May 18 to face the winner of the Sebring and second-seeded Jackson-Milton game. Mathews has a history of success and the offensive firepower to make a postseason run, making the Mustangs dangerous for anyone to face.
Grand Valley Mustangs — Division VI, Northeast 2, No. 26 Seed — 2-8 NAC, 3-12 overall
Grand Valley competes in Division VI and travels to seventh-seeded LaBrae for a sectional final on May 13. It is a challenging road draw for the Mustangs, who will need to find their best softball away from home against a seeded opponent to extend their season.
Fairport Harding Skippers — Division VI, Northeast 3, No. 30 Seed — 0-10 NAC, 0-12 overall
Fairport Harding concludes what is expected to be their final season as a NAC member, with the Skippers set to leave the conference after this school year. They enter the tournament as the 30th seed and travel to fourth-seeded Independence for a sectional final on May 13. It is a difficult draw to close out the program’s NAC chapter.
NAC Stripes Division
The six Stripes division schools all compete in Division VII, reflecting the smaller enrollment sizes of the Trumbull, Portage and surrounding county programs that make up this half of the conference.
Maplewood Rockets — Division VII, Northeast 1, No. 1 Seed — 9-0 NAC, 18-1 overall
Maplewood enters the OHSAA tournament as the top seed in their bracket, earning a bye directly to the district semifinal round. The Rockets host a TBA opponent on May 18 — whoever emerges from the Saint John and Andrews Osborne sectional matchup. Having gone undefeated in NAC Stripes division play and carrying an 18-1 overall record, Maplewood is the heavy favorite to advance deep into the tournament and represents the clearest path to a district title of any NAC program. Hosting every game on their home field is a significant advantage that the top seed earned outright.
Chalker Wildcats — Division VII, Northeast 3, No. 6 Seed — 6-1 NAC, 7-4 overall
Chalker may be seeded sixth, but the Wildcats are anything but a sixth-seed talent — an underrated program with veteran leadership that has quietly been one of the best teams in the NAC Stripes all season and is capable of making a deep tournament run. The Wildcats host Leetonia in a sectional final on May 13, with the winner earning a district semifinal matchup against ninth-seeded Cardinal on May 18.
Badger Braves — Division VII, Northeast 3, No. 3 Seed — 6-2 NAC, 8-5 overall
Badger earned the third seed and host #21 seed Open Door Christian in a sectional final on May 13. The winner faces the winner of Lowellville and seventh-seeded Western Reserve in a district semifinal on May 18. Badger has been one of the Stripes’ most consistent programs all season and enters the tournament with offensive stars who could lead the team on a serious run at a district title.
Bristol Panthers — Division VII, Northeast 2 — 1-7 NAC, 4-12 overall
Bristol travels to fifth-seeded Cuyahoga Heights for a sectional final on May 13. Should the Panthers advance, they would face eleventh-seeded Windham — a NAC Stripes division rival — in a district semifinal on May 18. A Bristol-Windham postseason matchup would be an all-NAC affair, giving conference fans an extra reason to follow along. Both teams know each other well from division play, which makes the potential rematch all the more interesting.
Windham Bombers — Division VII, Northeast 2, No. 11 Seed — 2-6 NAC, 6-10 overall
Windham enters as the eleventh seed and awaits the winner of the Bristol and Cuyahoga Heights sectional game in a district semifinal on May 18. Should Bristol advance, the Bombers would host a rematch with a Stripes division opponent they have already seen this season. Windham has shown flashes of offensive ability throughout the NAC schedule and will look to channel that into a tournament run.
Lordstown Red Devils — Division VII, Northeast 1, No. 15 Seed — 2-8 NAC, 3-12 overall
#15 seed Lordstown travels to #14 Lisbon for a sectional final on May 13, a relatively even seed matchup that gives the Red Devils a legitimate opportunity to win their first postseason game. A win over Lisbon would set up a district semifinal matchup against the winner of the Saint John and Andrews Osborne game on May 18. Lordstown will look to close out a challenging NAC Stripes season with a postseason victory and give their program something to build on heading into next year.
Key Dates
Sectional finals for NAC schools take place on May 13, with district semifinals scheduled for May 18 and district championships on May 20. All games are scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. first pitch unless otherwise noted.
With potential all-NAC matchups possible in the district round — Cardinal versus Chalker and Bristol versus Windham are the ones to watch — the postseason could deliver some of the same conference rivalries that have made the 2026 NAC softball season one of the most entertaining in recent memory. And with Maplewood sitting at home as the top seed waiting for whoever survives their half of the bracket, the Stripes division champion has a clear path and a home-field advantage to match.