The Amherst College softball team hasn’t looked like a team filled with players who’d never been to the NCAA Tournament before.

Amherst hasn’t been to the tournament since 2012, but the Mammoths have played like veterans and have a chance to turn this run into a national title as they head to Oklahoma City for the Division III National Championships.

The championship isn’t technically called the Division III world series, but the format and the location is the same, as the Division I event will be at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium for the first time this year.

The eight-team field is split into two-four team pods. The victor of each double-elimination pod will play each other in a best-of-three championship series.

Amherst plays Trine, Thursday at noon. Texas-Tyler and Virginia Wesleyan follow at 2:30 p.m.

The winners (7:30 p.m.) and losers (noon) of those games will play each other on Friday.

Illinois-Wesleyan, St. Catherine. St. John Fisher and Williams make up the other pod.

Amherst and Williams both will try to give the NESCAC it’s fourth championship. Texas-Tyler’s title last year snapped a stretch of three straight by Tufts.

Amherst coach Jessica Johnson likes the way her team has approached each game of the postseason.

“The women know what they’re doing on the field. It’s just making sure they’re focused on each pitch. That’s all we’re asking of them,” she said. “I think we kept it pretty simple going into regionals and obviously super regionals. They stayed inside themselves. They looked to each other to stay grounded and they pulled through.”

The team departed on Monday to get acclimated before competing. Senior captain Alena Marovitz said the players were excited to play at Hall of Fame Stadium but wouldn’t be overwhelmed by it.

“We’re so excited. A lot of us have dreamed of playing on this field since we were very young,” she said. “It’s staying within ourselves and playing the same way we have all season. We’re trying not to let the big stage or the opponents get in our heads too much.”

Junior shortstop Ally Kido agreed.

“A lot of it is just playing loose, having fun and being there in the moment,” she said. “As long as we stay within ourselves I think we’ll be able to do well and complete.”

Amherst (33-10) heads to Oklahoma City on a hot streak. The Mammoths haven’t lost to anyone not named Williams since March. Since April 1, they’ve gone 24-4. They’ve outscored NCAA Tournament foes 26-7.

Leadoff hitter Lauren Tuiskula, a senior designated player, has led Amherst with a .431 batting average and 39 runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Kyra Naftel is also above .400 at .412 with 26 RBI.

Junior Gina Pagan will likely start for Amherst. She’s 22-4 with a 1.30 earned-run average and 170 strikeouts in 156.1 innings.

Trine (37-8) rolled through the Wisconsin-Whitewater Regional and then swept Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the Super Regional.

The Thunder rely on power with three players with 11 or more home runs. Freshman pitcher Danielle Ray is 18-3 with a 1.99 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 151.1 innings.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage

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