Softball 5/11/2021 1:23:00 PM

Bronchos Host MIAA Tournament Final Four

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No. 14-ranked Central Oklahoma continues its quest for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Tournament title Thursday when the regular season champion Bronchos host the final two rounds.

Top-seeded UCO, 34-10 on the season, takes on No. 4 seed Rogers State (32-13-1) at 2 p.m. Thursday before second-seeded Central Missouri (33-12) plays No. 3 Missouri Southern (30-13-1) at 5 p.m.

Game three of the double-elimination tournament is at 11 a.m. Friday between Thursday's two winners, while game four pits Thursday's losers in a 2 p.m. elimination contest. The game three loser and game four winner meet at 5 p.m.

Saturday's finals are set for 12 p.m., with the "in necessary" contest to follow.

"There are four really good teams left and it should be a great tournament," UCO head coach Cody White said. "We'll have to be at our best, there's no doubt about that. Our players are looking forward to the challenge and we're ready to go."

WHAT'S AT STAKE: The MIAA Tournament champion earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament, which starts with Central Region play May 19-21.

Six teams will qualify for the Central Regional Tournament – tournament champions from the MIAA, Great American Conference and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference plus three wildcard picks as decided by the regional selection committee.

UCO has already been chosen to host the Central Regional, though that doesn't guarantee the Bronchos a spot in the six-team field.

Augustana of the NSIC tops this week's regional rankings, followed by UCO, Minnesota State-Mankato (NSIC), Southern Arkansas (GAC), Rogers State, Central Missouri, Winona State (NSIC) and Missouri Southern.

The 48-team national tournament field – eight regionals with six teams apiece – will be announced May 16.

UCO IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT: Central has appeared in all eight MIAA Tournaments since joining the league in 2013. Last year's event wasn't held after the season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bronchos are 22-10 in tournament games, winning titles in 2017 and '19.

UCO's tournament record by season: 2013 (2-2), 2014 (1-2), 2015 (1-2), 2016 (3-2), 2017 (4-0), 2018 (5-2), 2019 (4-0), 2021 (2-0).

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO opened MIAA Tournament play last weekend with a two-game sweep of Northwest Missouri and is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

The Bronchos – 21-1 at home this season -- pulled out a 3-2 first-game win on Allie Eicher's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, then took the nightcap 2-0 as Kylee Lynch threw a three-hit shutout.

Central leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in team defense with a .979 fielding percentage, having committed just 26 errors in 44 games.

The Bronchos are third in team batting (.303) and fourth in team earned run average (2.54). UCO averages 8.1 hits and 5.8 runs per game while giving up 6.6 hits and 2.8 runs.

Seven players are hitting between .305 and .348 to lead a balanced offensive attack. Nine players have at least 15 runs batted in.

First-team All-MIAA outfielder Hazel Puempel tops the team with a .348 average to go with nine doubles, six home runs, four triples and 25 RBI.

Taylor McKittrick (.347), Eicher (.325), Shayla Harper (.325), Jacee Minter (.321), Tarin Dubler (.309) and Amelya Huggins (.305) are also over the .300 mark.

Eicher, Minter and Dubler were all second-team All-MIAA selections, while McKittrick, Harper and Huggins were honorable mention picks.

Harper leads the MIAA and ranks 11th nationally in homers with 15 and she also tops UCO in RBI (36). Minter has 35 RBI and is tied for third in the league with 12 homers, needing two more to tie the UCO freshman record of 14 that was set by JoBi Heath in 2016.

Lynch and Corrina Rivas have handled the bulk of Central's pitching duties this season, having thrown all but 41 1/3 innings while earning 32 of the team's 34 wins.

Rivas, a second-team All-MIAA honoree, is 15-6 with a 2.24 ERA in a team-high 131 1/3 innings. She has 11 complete games with three shutouts.

Lynch is 17-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 121 2/3 innings with 11 complete games and four shutouts. The MIAA honorable mention pick was walked just 24 batters.

ABOUT THE COACH: Cody White needs one win to reach the 300 mark is in his eighth year as UCO's head coach, owning a 299-120 record. He's led the Bronchos to five national tournament appearances, seven 30-win seasons and five 40-win campaigns, including a 48-8 finish in 2019 for the second-most wins in school history.

White has also guided UCO to three regular-season conference titles (2017, '19, '21), earning MIAA Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and '19.

ABOUT THE HILLCATS: Rogers State is riding an eight-game winning streak and is 9-1 over its last 10 games. The Hillcats swept Fort Hays State in a best-of-three series to open MIAA Tournament play.

RSU tops the MIAA in team ERA at 2.09 while giving up 5.4 hits and 2.3 runs a game. The Hillcats are fifth in team batting average at .299, averaging 7.8 hits and 5.1 runs per contest.

MIAA Pitcher of the Year Andrea Morales leads the way. She's 22-5 with a 1.63 ERA and 215 strikeouts in 167 innings, ranking third in Division II in wins and fourth in strikeouts.

RSU had two other first-team All-MIAA selections in first baseman Elexis Watson and catcher Abigail Taylor. Watson is hitting .341 with 11 homers, nine doubles and 43 RBI, while Taylor has a .321 average with eight doubles, four homers and 26 RBI.

UCO has a 7-3 lead in a series that started in 2014, including a 3-1 advantage as MIAA rivals. The two split the regular season doubleheader in Claremore back on March 11, with the Bronchos winning the first game 5-1 before RSU prevailed 1-0 in the nightcap.

ABOUT THE JENNIES: Central Missouri finished one game behind UCO in the regular season league standings at 20-6. The Jennies are 8-2 in their last 10 games and beat Washburn 2-1 in their best-of-three MIAA Tournament first-round series last weekend.

UCM averages 8.2 hits and 5.0 runs a game and is batting a conference-best .311. The Jennies are second in team ERA at 2.26 while allowing 5.7 hits and 2.7 runs per outing.

A trio of first-team All-MIAA selections – outfielders Ashlyn Cook and Bailey Fowler and pitcher Paige Petefish – lead the team.

Fowler is hitting a team-high .374 with 20 doubles (second-best in Division II), three homers and 34 RBI. Cook is batting .365 with seven doubles, seven homers and 29 RBI.

Petefish has a 15-3 record and 1.84 ERA. She's struck out 102 and walked just 17 in 114 innings this season.

The Bronchos own a narrow 21-18 lead in a series that started in 1989, though it's a 14-4 advantage in MIAA meetings. UCO swept the regular season doubleheader, winning 2-1 and 5-0 at home on March 27.

ABOUT THE LIONS: Missouri Southern is the hottest team in the MIAA, having won 10 straight. The Lions swept Missouri Western in their best-of-three first-round MIAA Tournament series last weekend.

MSSU ranks sixth in the conference in both team average (.297) and ERA (3.02). The Lions -- who lead Division II in triples with 24 -- average 7.7 hits and 5.1 runs a game while giving up 7.1 hits and 3.9 runs per contest.

First-team All-MIAA shortstop Josie Tofpi paces the offense with a .400 average, 13 doubles, three homers and 32 RBI. Second-team All-MIAA Utility/Pitcher Kara Amos is hitting .345 with four homers and 25 RBI.

Amos is also 10-4 with a 2.64 ERA in the circle. Abby Atkin has thrown a team-high 104 innings and is 9-5 with a 2.96 ERA.

UCO and MSSU first met in 1985 and the Bronchos have a 30-7 lead in the series, including 15-1 as MIAA rivals. Central opened league play with 5-4 and 9-0 home wins over the Lions back on March 9.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Allie Eicher: IF; 5' 7"; Junior; L/R

#28 Hazel Puempel: OF; 5' 9"; Senior; L/R

#4 Tarin Dubler: IF; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

#13 Corrina Rivas: P; 5' 7"; Junior; R/R

#22 Kylee Lynch: P; 5' 8"; Freshman; L/R

#25 Amelya Huggins: IF/C; 5' 5"; Sophomore; R/R

#11 Shayla Harper: IF; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

#12 Jacee Minter: OF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

#23 Taylor McKittrick: IF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#10 Allie Eicher
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/R
: IF

#28 Hazel Puempel
: 5' 9"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#4 Tarin Dubler
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#13 Corrina Rivas
: 5' 7"; Junior; R/R
: P

#22 Kylee Lynch
: 5' 8"; Freshman; L/R
: P

#25 Amelya Huggins
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF/C

#11 Shayla Harper
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

#12 Jacee Minter
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#23 Taylor McKittrick
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: IF