DICKINSON, N.D. - The inaugural Frontier Conference Softball Championship will take place over the following four days, leading-off with the Carroll College Softball team taking on Bismarck State in the first game of the tournament this morning at 10 a.m. on Bravera Field.

The Fighting Saints (18-18, 13-13) will look to capture the league's first ever tournament title, and with it, a chance to head to the NAIA National Tournament in May. The first team standing in their way is the fourth-seeded Mystics of Bismarck State (18-30, 13-14).

Finishing their first full season as Frontier-members, the Saints wound up with an even 13-13 record in league play, with a pair of games canceled due to weather at Ballevue earlier this month. Those two games proved consequential, as the Saints will now enter the weekend tournament as the five seed.

While Carroll's .500 record in conference play is higher than the 13-14 Mystics, conference officials ruled that Bismarck State would play as the fourth seed based on their 3-1 series advantage over the Saints in the regular season. While the seeding doesn't affect the opponent, Carroll will now be forced to play as the away team, batting first in the opening round tilt.

This weekend's tournament is a double-elimination format, with all eight teams guaranteed at least two games. Thursday brings four opening round games, while the loser-out and winner's bracket games continue Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2.  

There will be three games on Saturday, starting with the two undefeated teams in the tournament facing each other at 11 a.m.  Two loser-out games will follow at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m, vying for a spot for the championship game.

The championship game is set for Sunday, May 3, at 12 p.m., with the second championship game, if necessary, at 2 p.m. (if Winner of Game 11 suffers their first defeat of the tournament).

Monday, May 4, is designated as a rain date.

The winner will receive the Frontier Conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Softball National Tournament Opening Round on May 11-13 at campus sites announced by the national office.

Every game of the 2026 Frontier Conference Championship will be streamed live on the Frontier Conference YouTube Channel.

A live-stream link and live stats for Thursday's game can be found below:

STREAM | STATS