Softball 5/9/2022 9:01:00 AM

Bronchos Make National Tourney, Will Host Regional

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (April 9) – Central Oklahoma is making another trip to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships.

The No. 5-ranked Bronchos received an at-large bid to the national tournament Monday morning and will host the Central Regional II Tournament Thursday-Saturday at Gerry Pinkston Stadium. It will be UCO's 14th appearance in the Division II playoffs, including the ninth in the last 11 years.

"We're excited to be back in the national tournament and having the opportunity to host is a bonus," said head coach Cody White, who is 346-134 in his ninth year at the helm. "This is undoubtedly one of the toughest regions in the country, so we have our work cut out for us this week."

The Central Region is made up of teams from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, the Great American Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

UCO (45-10) will host No. 11-ranked Augustana (47-8) of the NSIC along with Arkansas Tech (39-17) and Southern Arkansas (37-16) of the GAC in the Central Regional II Tournament. Thursday's first-round meetings have the Bronchos taking on the Muleriders at 1 p.m. while Augie meets the Golden Sun at 3:30 p.m.

Two games will be played Thursday, three Friday and the tournament concludes with Saturday's finals.

Rogers State will host the Central Regional I Tournament, with Minnesota State-Mankato, Washburn and Winona State rounding out the field.

The two sub-regional winners meeting in the best-of-three Central Super Regional series May 20-21, with the champion joining seven other regional winners in the Division II World Series that will be held May 26-31 in Denver, Colo.

This will be UCO's third straight Division II national tournament appearance (the 2020 playoffs were canceled by COVID-19) and the seventh under White. The Bronchos have a 33-27 record in the playoffs, won regional titles in 2006, '12 and '13 in advancing to the World Series and captured the national championship in 2013.

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