Softball 5/8/2023 10:05:00 AM

UCO Back In National Tourney, Will Host Regional

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 8) – MIAA regular season and tournament champion Central Oklahoma is back in the NCAA Division II playoffs and will be hosting a regional tournament for the fourth straight time.

The 64-team tournament – with eight teams from each of eight regions around the country – was announced Monday morning and the No. 4-ranked Bronchos are the top overall seed for the Central Region.

It will be UCO's 15th appearance in the Division II national tournament, including 10 of the last 12 years. The Bronchos have a 36-30 record in the playoffs, winning the 2013 national championship.

"We're happy to be back in the national tournament and look forward to being home this weekend for what will be an extremely tough regional," said 10th-year head coach Cody White, who is 396-143 at the helm. "We've played well this season, but everyone is 0-0 at this point and every game from here on out with be a battle."

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

The Bronchos will host three GAC teams – including two in-state rivals -- in the Central Regional I Tournament this weekend at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.

UCO will open against GAC tournament champion and No. 8 seed Southeastern Oklahoma (33-26) at 1 p.m. Thursday. No. 16-ranked and fourth-seeded Harding (44-12) meets regular season league champion and No. 18 Oklahoma Baptist (43-10) at 3:30.

The double-elimination tournament continues Friday with three games. The two first-round winners play at 1 p.m. and the losers at 3:30 before another elimination contest at 6 p.m.

The finals are set for 1 p.m. Saturday, with the "if necessary" game at 3:30.

MIAA runner-up Missouri Southern (40-14) is the No. 2 seed for the region and will also host a four-team tournament this weekend. The Lions take on No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth (40-11) of the NSIC, while third-seeded Rogers State (43-12) of the MIAA plays GAC member Southern Arkansas (41-13).

The two sub-regional tournament winners meet in the best-of-three Central Super Regional on May 18-19. The champion joins seven other regional winners in the Division II World Series, which is set for May 25-31 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

UCO won regional titles in 2006, '12 and '13 in advancing to the World Series and lost in the Super Regional finals in 2019 and '22 to the eventual national champions.

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