Bronchos Ready For Super Regional

CLAREMORE, Okla. - No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma continues its quest for the NCAA Division II national championship Thursday when the Bronchos travel to Claremore, Okla. to take on conference rival and No. 4-rated Rogers State in the Central Super Regional Tournament.

The best-of-three series opens Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex on the Rogers State campus. Game two is set for 2:30 p.m. Friday, with the "if necessary" contest to follow at 5 p.m.

The winner claims the Central Region title and joins seven other regional champions in the Division II World Series, which will be May 26-31 in Denver, Colo.

UCO is 48-11 on the season and the Hillcats are 51-10. Rogers captured the Central Regional I Tournament crown last week in Claremore, while the Bronchos claimed the Central Regional II Tournament title in Edmond.

"It's excited to still be one of just 16 teams left playing and I think it's great that the two teams left in our region are from the MIAA," head coach Cody White said. "Rogers has a fantastic team, so we realize how big a challenge is ahead of us.

"I'm proud of what we've done to get to this point. Our players showed a lot of heart and determination last weekend to get to the Super Regional, but they're not done yet."

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Bronchos own a 10-4 lead over Rogers in a series that didn't start until 2014.

UCO swept the regular-season doubleheader this season, winning 6-2 and 1-0 in Edmond on April 16.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: UCO and Rogers both had to win the "if necessary" game in the regional tournaments they hosted to set up this Super Regional showdown.

The Bronchos clipped Southern Arkansas 3-2 in their first game on Jacee Minter's run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning, then beat No. 9 Augustana 3-0 in 11 innings to make the finals as Lexy Dobson had a three-run double in the top of that frame.

The Vikings came back to down UCO 3-1 in Saturday's finals to force the do-or-die contest, which the Bronchos won 4-3 on Terin Ritz's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.

Rogers had just as much drama. The Hillcats blanked Winona State 1-0 to open their regional, then fell to Minnesota State-Mankato 3-0 to fall into the loser's bracket.

The Hillcats rebounded to eliminate Winona 10-3 before beating MSU-Mankato 8-2 in 15 innings to force the "if necessary" game. Rogers completed the comeback with a 4-0 shutout of the Mavericks.

UCO IN THE NATIONAL TOURNEY: The Bronchos are making their 17th national tournament appearance, including the 14th in Division II.

Central is 36-28 in the Division II playoffs, highlighted by a 9-0 run to the national championship in 2013. The Bronchos won regional titles in 2006, '12 and '13 to advance to the Division II Championship Finals.

This will be UCO's fourth Super Regional appearance.

UCO's Division II playoff record by season:
2002 (1-2)
2005 (2-2)
2006 (5-2 – 4-0 in South Central Regional, 1-2 in World Series)
2008 (1-2)
2010 (0-2)
2012 (7-4 – 5-2 in South Central Regional, 2-2 in World Series)
2013 (9-0 – 5-0 in Central Regional, 4-0 in World Series)
2014 (1-2)
2015 (1-2)
2016 (1-2)
2017 (1-2)
2019 (3-3) – lost in Super Regional
2021 (1-2)
2022 (3-1)

SEASON RECAP: UCO has been ranked in the NFCA Division II top-25 all season. The Bronchos were No. 20 in the preseason poll and made it as high as No. 4.

Central finished runner-up in the MIAA regular season standings, then went 1-2 with a pair of one-run losses in the conference tournament.

UCO had 10 players earn All-MIAA recognition, led by four first-team selections in pitcher Kylee Lynch, outfielder Jacee Minter, catcher Amelya Huggins and shortstop Brighton Gilbert.

Third baseman Shayla Harper, outfielder Lexy Dobson and utility/non-pitcher Shayleigh Odom were second-team picks, while second baseman Tarin Dubler, first baseman Mikayla Rutland and outfielder Korbyn Skipworth were honorable mention choices.

Gilbert was named Defensive Player of the Year and was joined on the Gold Glove team by Dubler, Huggins, Minter and Dobson.

Three players made the All-Central Region team, with Minter a first-team selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Conference Commissioner's Association (CCA). Lynch was a second-team pick by both organizations, while Gilbert was a second-team CCA selection.

ABOUT UCO'S OFFENSE: The Bronchos are batting .323 as a team while averaging 8.7 hits and 6.9 runs per game.

UCO ranks in the top 10 nationally in total runs (408) and walks (209).

Nine players are hitting .300 or better for a balanced offensive attack, led by Jacee Minter.

The sophomore standout is batting .414 with 24 doubles, 12 home runs and 69 runs batted in along with a .758 slugging percentage. She has a .468 average (29-for-62) with 35 RBIs when batting with two outs.

Minter leads Division II in doubles, is fourth in RBIs and ninth in total bases (141). She's tied for the UCO single-season lead in doubles with JoBi Heath while also ranking fourth in RBIs, seventh in runs (58) and 10th in hits (77).

Junior Amelya Huggins has a .363 average with 14 doubles, nine homers and 42 RBIs. She's drawn a school-record 49 walks, ranking fifth nationally in walks per game (0.83), and has a .528 on-base percentage.

Junior Shayla Harper is batting .328, while senior Tarin Dubler and sophomore Shayleigh Odom are both at .324. Harper has 11 doubles, 10 homers, eight triples and 49 RBIs to go along with 15 stolen bases, while Dubler has six doubles and 33 RBIs and Odom six doubles, four homers and 32 RBIs.

Harper ranks fourth nationally in triples, which is second on UCO's single-season list and just one behind the record of nine set by April Bradley in 1993. She's also moved into 10th place in season at bats at UCO with 198 and is ninth in career homers with 25.

Central's other .300-plus hitters are freshman Korbyn Skipworth (.314, four homers, 28 RBIs), senior Brighton Gilbert (.309, 11 steals), freshman Terin Ritz (.305, 24 RBIs) and senior Lexy Dobson (.301, 12 doubles, six homers, 41 RBIs).

Dobson has played in a UCO career-record 244 games while also ranking in the top 10 in five other all-time categories – fourth in at bats (759), fifth in doubles (45), sixth in runs (142) and hits (247) and 10th in RBIs (123).

Junior Mikayla Rutland ranks fifth nationally in hit by pitch with 18, which is second on the school's single-season behind the record of 21 set by Emily Ditmore in 2015. Rutland has reached base in 31 consecutive games.

ABOUT UCO'S PITCHING: The Bronchos own a team earned run average of 2.25. UCO allows 5.8 hits and 2.6 runs a game.

Sophomore Kylee Lynch is the team ace, having appeared in 40 games with 32 starts. The left-hander is 26-4 with three saves and a 1.85 ERA and has 21 complete games to her credit.

Lynch ranks fifth nationally in wins and seventh in games started (32). On the school single-season list she is third in wins, fifth in innings pitched (212 1/3), eighth in shutouts (eight) and 10th in saves (three).

With two seasons remaining, Lynch is already in the top 10 in three UCO career categories -- wins (sixth with 51), innings pitched (seventh with 427 1/3) and shutouts (ninth with 12).

Senior Bailey McKittrick has provided UCO key innings down the stretch after coming back from off-season back surgery. The senior is 6-1 with one save and a 1.14 ERA in 55 1/3 innings.

Sophomore Isie Cox has also seen extensive action in the circle and is 10-4 with a 3.52 ERA.

ABOUT UCO'S DEFENSE: The Bronchos are third in Division II in team defense with a stellar .981 fielding percentage. UCO has committed just 32 errors in 59 games and also ranks sixth in double plays with 26.

Harper has tied the single-season record for assists with 154, a mark set by Hannah Justus in 2012. Gilbert is third on that list with 146 and has also moved into third place on the career charts with 414.

ABOUT THE COACH: In his ninth season as UCO's head coach is Cody White, who has a 349-135 record with the Bronchos.

White has led UCO to seven Division II national tournament appearances, six 40-win seasons and three regular-season MIAA titles. He has three of the four winningest seasons in school history (48 in 2017, '19 and '22).

White has coached 52 All-MIAA players, 25 All-Region players and eight All-Americans.

ABOUT ROGERS STATE: The Hillcats finished third in the MIAA regular season standings, then captured their first-ever MIAA Tournament title in Edmond with a 4-2 finals win over Washburn.

Rogers averages 7.0 hits and 5.1 runs a game behind a .269 team average. The Hillcats allow just 4.6 hits and 1.7 runs a contest with a team earned run average (1.42) that ranks fifth-best in Division II.

RSU is also second nationally in shutouts (23), third in winning percentage (.836) and fifth in fielding percentage (.979).

MIAA Pitcher of the Year Andrea Morales is the ace with a 31-4 record and 1.09 ERA. She's struck out 321 batters in 236 2/3 innings and ranks in the top-five nationally in four categories – first in wins, third in games started (35), fourth in strikeouts and fifth in complete games (27).

M'Kayla Hillman has also seen extensive action in the circle. The second-team All-MIAA pick is 15-6 with a 1.70 ERA in 140 1/3 innings pitched.

Second-team All-MIAA first baseman Elexis Watson leads the offense with a .344 average, 13 homers, seven doubles and 28 RBIs. Bridgett Morales (.315, seven homers, 28 RBIs) and Abbey Rogers (.309, 10 homers, 46 RBIs) were also second-team All-MIAA selections.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson: OF; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

#5 Brighton Gilbert: IF; 5' 5"; Junior; L/R

#27 Bailey McKittrick: P; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

#4 Tarin Dubler: IF; 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"; Junior; R/R

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

#6 Shayleigh Odom: OF; 5' 1"; Sophomore; L/R

#99 Terin Ritz: P/1B; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#8 Lexy Dobson
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#5 Brighton Gilbert
: 5' 5"; Junior; L/R
: IF

#27 Bailey McKittrick
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

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

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

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

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

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

#6 Shayleigh Odom
: 5' 1"; Sophomore; L/R
: OF

#99 Terin Ritz
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: P/1B