Triton Softball projected 4th in ICCAC Conference
The 2025 ICCAC Softball season is nearly about to start competition and the expectations are for another exciting season. In 2024 three ICCAC teams reached the World Series with Kirkwood finishing as the national runner up in Division II.
Division II features eight teams for one last season before Central (Neb.) and Northeast Iowa join the bunch. Of which, Kirkwood and DMACC are once again seen as the perennial favorites. Kirkwood has qualified for the National Tournament in each of the last nine seasons while DMACC has qualified each of the last ten years.
At the World Series last year, Kirkwood powered their way to the National Championship game before meeting their end, losing two games to St. Johns River State (Fla.) -- they came in second for the second time in school history (1983).
DMACC ended their year at the World Series in the elimination rounds after very competitive games.
NIACC and Iowa Central each finished runners-up in the two Region 11 Tournaments and will be the teams on the outside looking to upset the hegemony that DMACC and Kirkwood have cultivated. Iowa Central has continued to inch closer to getting over the hump and hopes 2025 is their year.
Ellsworth and Iowa Lakes were the five and six seeded teams last season and have been predicted to finish in those same spots during the 2025 season. The Lakers had a down year and will look to rebound, while the Panthers are hoping to make more noise after improving greatly last year.
To round out the Division II teams Northeast and Hawkeye are predicted by the coach poll to finish seventh and eighth, respectively. Although both Northeast and Hawkeye made some noise last year as they both upset higher seeds in the elimination rounds of the Region 11 Tournaments.
DMACC and Kirkwood will likely battle it out at the top this season, but there are multiple teams sitting right below them that will look to upset the two team dominance in the 2025 season.
Iowa Central Preview -
Iowa Central had the upper hand heading into the Region 11-A Championship game last year, needing to win 1 of 2 games to advance to the District Tournament. The Tritons were unable to succeed and dropped back-to-back games to Kirkwood, ending their season.
Over the years the Tritons have been on the cusp of breaking through, and that again will be the goal this season -- to knock off DMACC or Kirkwood.
Iowa Central has 12 returning players that all had playing time last season -- led by NJCAA Second Team All-American Kennedy Palmer. The sophomore second baseman hit .478 and had 52 RBI last season. Jayda Long and Breanna Nolte each had 60 or more RBI and will again provide additional juice to the lineup.
Most of the team's pitching will be back in 2025, with a couple of new freshmen entering the rotation. Of the newcomers at the plate, coach Bo Tejbben was able to add some power and speed throughout.
The Tritons have won 30+ games in each of the last four seasons, have reached the Regional Championship in the last three, and forced an if necessary game in the last two. Will 2025 be the year the Tritons prevail?
Division II:
ICCAC Division II Softball Preview
DMACC
Ellsworth
Hawkeye
Iowa Central
Iowa Lakes
Kirkwood
NIACC
Northeast
*Article courtesy of ICCAC