Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz

NEWARK, Del. - - After winning its second consecutive Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament on Saturday, the Wilmington University baseball team is back in the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament. It is the twelfth regional appearance in the Wildcats' NCAA era.

After hosting East Region Tournament #2 in 2025, the Wildcats will travel to Waltham, Massachusetts, to join host Bentley and CACC-rival Goldey-Beacom in the top half of the Region's 2026 bracket. It is the sixth time in program history that Wilmington has appeared in the East Region Tournament in consecutive seasons, alongside back-to-back appearances in 2018 and 2019 and a five-year run from 2011-15.

The Wildcats (39-15) earned the fourth seed in the tournament by winning the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament, going 5-0 and defeating Goldey-Beacom College 12-3 in the Championship Round. The Wildcats will open the tournament against that same Lightning squad (33-22), who will be playing as the fifth seed. The two will kick things off in Game 1 at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, with the winner getting the rest of the day off. The loser will turn around and play #1 Bentley University (39-13) at 2:30 p.m. in Game 2.

Wilmington holds the all-time edge over Goldey-Beacom, 23-15, and is 4-1 against the Lightning this year, including 10-8 and 12-3 wins in the CACC Tournament. Wilmington and Bentley have played each other once all-time – a 2024 neutral-site game at Barry University, which the Falcons won 10-7.

The winner of the East Regional 1 Bracket advances to take on the winner of the East Region 2 Bracket (hosted by Molloy University) in the East Super Regional best-of-three series. The winner of that advances to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Cary, N.C., hosted at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

The NCAA went to the two-regional and Super Regional format beginning in 2019. The Wildcats won the 2015 East Regional Tournament, which was between seven teams held at one site, to advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Follow The Action of the 2026 NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament:

Live Stream for Game 1
NCAA Baseball East Regional 1 Tournament Central

Ticket Information:

Tickets are available for purchase on the Tournament Central webpage
General Admission: $11.00
Students/Seniors: $5.50

Wilmington in the East Regional Tournament:

2007 (0-2): #1 Franklin Pierce def. #6 Wilmington, 4-1; #5 Bryant def. #6 Wilmington, 5-1
2009 (2-2): #6 Wilmington def. #1 Dominican, 10-1; #4 Dowling def. #6 Wilmington, 3-2; #6 Wilmington def. #5 Assumption, 10-1; #3 Adelphi def. #6 Wilmington, 9-6
2011 (0-2): #4 Southern Connecticut State def. #3 Wilmington, 2-1; #1 Adelphi def. #3 Wilmington, 6-5
2012 (1-2): #5 Wilmington def. #2 Le Moyne, 1-0 (10 inn.); #3 Franklin Pierce def. #5 Wilmington, 7-1; #1 Southern New Hampshire def. #5 Wilmington, 6-3.
2013 (3-2): #6 Franklin Pierce def. #1 Wilmington, 7-0; #1 Wilmington def. #2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 8-1; #1 Wilmington def. #3 New Haven, 11-0; #1 Wilmington def. #4 Southern New Hampshire, 2-1 (10 inn.); #6 Franklin Pierce def. #1 Wilmington, 5-1
2014 (1-2): #3 Wilmington def. #4 St. Thomas Aquinas, 4-0; #5 Dowling def. #3 Wilmington, 6-1; #1 Southern New Hampshire def. #3 Wilmington, 4-3
2015 (4-1): #4 Wilmington def. #3 Southern New Hampshire, 3-2; #4 Wilmington def. #2 Stonehill, 4-3; #6 St. Thomas Aquinas def. #4 Wilmington, 7-3; #4 Wilmington def. #1 Franklin Pierce, 5-3; #4 Wilmington def. #6 St. Thomas Aquinas, 11-9
2018 (1-2): #2 St. Thomas Aquinas def. #7 Wilmington, 8-3; #7 Wilmington def. #6 Merrimack, 10-5; #8 New Haven def. #7 Wilmington, 1-0
2019 (2-2): #5 NYIT def. #4 Wilmington, 10-7; #4 Wilmington def. #1 Adelphi, 14-5; #4 Wilmington def. #8 Franklin Pierce, 12-10; #5 NYIT def. #4 Wilmington, 6-3
2022 (0-2): #5 Southern Connecticut State def. #4 Wilmington, 6-2; #1 Southern New Hampshire def. #4 Wilmington 6-2
2025 (1-2): #2 Wilmington def. #7 Molloy, 14-5; #3 Felician def. #2 Wilmington, 10-6; #7 Molloy def. #2 Wilmington, 12-5

Overall: 15-21

Season and All-Time Series vs. East Region Tournament Participants:

#1 Bentley University Falcons: 2026 – 0-0; All-Time – 0-1; Regionals – 0-0
#2 Molloy University Lions: 2026 – 0-0; All-Time – 9-7; Regionals – 1-1
#3 Southern New Hampshire University Penmen: 2026 – 0-0; All-Time – 6-9; Regionals – 2-3
#4 Wilmington University Wildcats
#5 Goldey-Beacom College Lightning: 2026 – 4-1 (vs. W 10-4, W 5-0; at L 8-7; CACC Semis W 10-8; CACC Champ. W 12-3); All-Time – 23-15; Regionals – 0-0
#6 Felician University Golden Falcons: 2026 – 3-1 (at L 5-2, W 7-5; vs. W 10-9; CACC Quarters W 6-5); All-Time – 38-25; Regionals – 0-1

2026 NCAA Division II East Region #1 Tournament Game Schedule:

Friday, May 15 - at Robert DeFelice Field (Waltham, Mass.)
Game 1: No. 4 Wilmington (39-15) vs. No. 5 Goldey-Beacom (33-22) – 12:00 a.m.
Game 2: No. 1 Bentley (39-13) vs. Loser Game 1 – 3:00 p.m.

If Two Teams Remain After Game 2 (Best-of-Three Series)
Friday, May 15 - at Robert DeFelice Field (Waltham, Mass.)
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, May 16 - at Robert DeFelice Field (Waltham, Mass.)
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 11:00 a.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 2:00 p.m. (if necessary)

If Three Teams Remain After Game 2
Friday, May 15 - at Robert DeFelice Field (Waltham, Mass.)
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, May 16 - at Robert DeFelice Field (Waltham, Mass.)
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3 – 11:00 a.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 – 2:00 p.m.