After winning the state and district championships earlier this month, the St. Johns River State Vikings secured their third consecutive trip to the NJCAA Division II Softball World Series and will open tournament play May 20 in Spartanburg, South Carolina at Tyger River Park. The River State Vikings enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed and will face the No. 11 South Mountain Cougars at 1:30 PM. The double-elimination tournament runs through May 23 and features many of the nation’s top Division II junior college softball programs.
For the Vikings, however, competing on a scale this large no longer feels unfamiliar. The team has transformed from an emerging contender into a nationally respected softball powerhouse in just three seasons.
Head coach Joe Pound has guided that transformation from the dugout. Under his leadership, the Vikings have built a team culture based on consistency and aggressive play. The results have followed quickly. His efforts have seen him win the FCSAA Division II regional coach of the year award.
“It is an honor to receive it, but it means that we have a good team,” said Pound. “Anytime a coach is recognized, it is because you have pretty good players that had a successful season. We have broken a lot of records from the win percentage to home runs. For us, it is bigger than breaking the records. We are trying to set a new standard.”
In 2024, the Vikings delivered one of the greatest seasons in their program’s history. They finished the season with 55 wins and 79 home runs, establishing themselves as one of the nation’s most dangerous and capable offensive teams. The team captured its first-ever Sun-Lakes Conference Championship and first FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Championship before advancing to the NJCAA Division II Softball World Series for the first time. Rather than simply showing up, the Vikings dominated the tournament and captured the 2024 NJCAA Division II National Championship.
Their first ever in program history.
Instead of slowing down after the title run, the Vikings kept that momentum going into 2025.The team repeated as state and district champions and returned to the World Series for a second consecutive season. The Vikings finished third nationally and recorded a program-best 56 victories. The back-to-back deep postseason runs confirmed that the success in Palatka didn’t represent a one-year breakthrough. The Vikings were building something sustainable.
The upcoming World Series appearance represents more than another postseason opportunity. It reflects years of steady growth and player development. Few junior college softball programs have matched the Vikings’ sustained success over the past three seasons.
The Vikings now return to Spartanburg carrying both confidence and expectations. If the team can defeat South Mountain in their opening game, they will advance to play again May 21 at 4:30 p.m. A loss would move the team into an elimination game earlier that day.
As the team prepares for another run at the World Series trophy, the Vikings continue to elevate the reputation of St. Johns River State College athletics across not just the county or state- but the entire country. What began as a breakthrough season in 2024 has evolved into the most successful stretch in program history.
