Some players are taking final exams in hotel ballrooms, others had to walk in an early graduation ceremony and they’re all missing out on a relaxing Memorial Day holiday weekend – but there’s nothing the Bethel softball team would rather be doing than playing this weekend for a spot in the NCAA D-III Softball World Series.

The Royals are in Western Oregon this weekend facing Linfield University in the D-III Super Regionals. The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the World Series.

The softball team is hoping for a similar result what the football team accomplished in their postseason trio to Linfield. The 13th-ranked Royals traveled and upset the 5th-ranked Wildcats 30-13 in the second round of the D-III football playoffs last fall.

The rankings this weekend are fairly similar. The Royals head west ranked #11, Linfield is ranked #4.

Game One of the best-of-three Super Regional in Oregon is Friday at 4:00 p.m. Central Time. Game Two is Saturday at 3:00 p.m., with Game Three – if needed – playing after Game Two.

Click the video box on this page to watch KSTP Sports interviews with the Bethel Royal softball team before they headed to Oregon for this weekend’s NCAA D-III Super Regional against #4 Linfield

Bethel earned the right to play this weekend by traveling to Pella, Iowa last weekend and beating host Central Iowa twice in their NCAA Regional.

RELATED: Surprisingly sent on road, Bethel Softball heads off for NCAA Regional

It’s the second straight year the Royals have advanced to Super Regionals. They made their NCAA postseason debut last year and advanced through a regional at home before losing to Berry University in the Super Regional round.

In addition to graduation ceremonies for the outgoing Royals, this week’s run-up to the weekend’s Super Regional trip also saw a slew of Bethel players earn postseason awards.

Eight players earned recognition for various MIAC conference honors – with senior Kayla Simacek landing the Conference Pitcher of the Year award.

RELATED: Bethel’s Kayla Simacek leads nation in strikeouts

and head coach Penny Foore being named the conference’s coach of the year.

Grad-student Allie Fauth-Kilgore became the first player in conference history to be a five-time All-MIAC honoree.

Head coach Penny Foore is the MIAC Coach of the Year, after her squad managed their first-ever perfect MIAC season. Their 20-0 conference record gave them the first perfect MIAC softball season in ten years.