The WPI softball team is riding an incredible wave of momentum into the NCAA Division 3 Tournament, and they have a secret weapon: the sting of a loss on their own field.

After claiming the regular-season NEWMAC title, the Engineers hosted the conference tournament at Rooftop Field. But when rival MIT celebrated an 8-5 victory on their home turf, dropping WPI into the elimination bracket, it lit a fire that couldn't be extinguished.

"I told my seniors, 'Let this sink in. Watch what they're doing. Use it as fuel,'" said head coach Heather Ross. "Our team knew we didn't want anyone else celebrating on our field except us."

And fuel them it did. WPI stormed through three elimination games, including a dramatic 10-inning, 7-6 thriller over MIT on May 9, followed by a commanding 10-3 victory the next day. That championship run secured the program's fourth NEWMAC tournament title — their first since 2022 — and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 3 Tournament.

It's been a season for the history books. With a staggering 42-3 record, WPI has shattered the single-season program wins mark. This marks their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, and they're no strangers to success: the Engineers won regional championships in 2015, 2016, and 2022, and under Ross's leadership, they advanced all the way to the Division 3 World Series in 2022.

Currently ranked 12th in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll, WPI is hungry for more. The four-team, double-elimination regional kicks off May 14-16 back at Rooftop Field, where the Engineers will face Albertus Magnus at 11 a.m. on May 14. Stockton (N.J.) and UMass Dartmouth square off in the other first-round matchup.

Ross, who has been battling cancer with remarkable strength, couldn't be prouder of her squad. "I'm proud of the people we have on our team, their work ethic, and their sacrifice since the beginning of the year," she said. "Because of their bond, we're all on the same page with what we want to accomplish. That's how we're able to be where we're at."

For a team that turned a tough loss into a rallying cry, the message is clear: don't let them get comfortable on their home field. This record-setting run is far from over.