UCO Ready For MIAA Softball Championship

Bronchos Open In Quarterfinals Against Emporia State

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma will look to defend its MIAA Softball Championship title this week when the Bronchos host that 10-team, single-elimination tournament Wednesday-Saturday at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.

No. 9-ranked UCO, 41-11 on the season, finished third in the conference at 21-5 and is the No. 3 seed. No. 4 Pittsburg State and No. 12 Rogers State shared the league crown, with the Hillcats earning the No. 1 seed.

First-round play starts Wednesday when eighth-seeded Central Missouri (23-26) takes on No. 9 Missouri Southern (32-21) at 3 p.m. and No. 7 Missouri Western (31-19) meets 10th-seeded Fort Hays State (26-24) at 5:30.

Thursday's quarterfinals have the UCM-MSSU winner going against RSU (40-10) at 11 a.m., No. 4 Washburn (36-13) facing fifth-seeded Northwest Missouri (28-24) at 1:30, UCO playing sixth-seeded Emporia State (31-19) at 4 and PSU (49-5) taking on the MWSU-FHSU winner at 6:30.

Friday's semifinals are set for noon and 2:30 p.m., with the championship game at noon Saturday.

"It should be a great tournament," said head coach Cody White, who has led UCO to four MIAA regular season and three tournament titles in his 11 years at the helm. "We have a bunch of really good teams in our league and I think there are several that have a chance to win this week, especially since it's a single-elimination format for the first time.

"We're looking forward to the challenge. Our girls realize we haven't played very well lately, but this is the postseason and there's a lot on the line this week. I like our chances if we play like I know we're capable of."

The tournament champion earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament, with that 64-team field – which is split into eight regions – to be announced next Monday.

The MIAA, Great American Conference and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament champions earn automatic bids to the Central Regional, leaving five at-large bids available. Wednesday, the NCAA announced its latest regional rankings and Central Oklahoma was second in the Central, putting the Bronchos in line to host a fifth consecutive regional postseason tournament.

UCO IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT: The Bronchos have appeared in every MIAA Tournament since joining the league in 2013 and have a 28-14 all-time record with three titles (2017, '19, '23) and one runner-up finish (2018).

UCO went 2-2 in 2013, 1-2 in 2014, 1-2 in 2015, 3-2 in 2016, 4-0 in 2017, 5-2 in 2018, 4-0 in 2019, 3-2 in 2021, 1-2 in 2022 and 4-0 last year. The 2020 tournament was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bronchos beat Fort Hays State (8-2), Central Missouri (8-0), Rogers State (9-5) and Missouri Southern (11-4) in claiming last year's championship in Topeka, Kan.

UCO's MIAA Tournament record against teams in the field this week:

No. 1 Rogers State: 2-1
No. 2 Pittsburg State: 1-0
No. 4 Washburn: 1-0
No. 5 Northwest Missouri: 6-1
No. 6 Emporia State: 4-4
No. 7 Missouri Western: 4-4
No. 8 Central Missouri: 3-1
No. 9 Missouri Southern: 2-0
No. 10 Fort Hays State: 1-1

UCO AT HOME: The Bronchos are 22-1 at Gerry Pinkston Stadium this season and riding an 18-game winning streak

UCO has a 455-151-1 home record since the facility opened in 1994, including a 209-42 mark under 11th-year head coach Cody White.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO has finished in the top three in the MIAA standings every year since joining the conference in 2013. The Bronchos have won five titles (2013, '17, '19, '21, '23), been runner-up four times (2014, '15, '16, '22) and third twice (2018, '24).

Central went 13-5 during the regular season against MIAA Tournament qualifiers: 2-0 vs. Emporia State (6-0, 10-1), Missouri Western (9-3, 6-5), Northwest Missouri (4-0, 11-6), Rogers State (8-2, 5-4) and Washburn (6-2, 2-1); 1-1 vs. Central Missouri (2-4, 3-0), Fort Hays State (7-0, 1-2) and Missouri Southern (3-5, 6-0) and 0-2 vs. Pittsburg State (2-10, 2-5).

The Bronchos are averaging 8.34 hits and 6.12 runs a game behind a .317 team average. Seven players are hitting above .300, with Rylee Lemos (.393), Terin Ritz (.381) and Jacee Minter (.369) leading that group.

Lemos tops the team in at bats (168), runs (62), hits (66), triples (five) and stolen bases (23) to go along with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 29 runs batted in.

The first-team All-MIAA outfielder ranks sixth in runs and eighth in steals on UCO's single-season lists.

Ritz has belted a league-leading 17 homers – fourth-best on the school's single-season chart -- while having added 11 doubles and 54 RBIs. The MIAA Co-Player of the Year also leads UCO slugging percentage (.830), walks (32) and on base percentage (.495).

Minter has 10 homers, nine doubles, four triples and a team-high 61 RBIs. A four-time All-MIAA selection after earning second-team honors this season, Minter is seventh on UCO's single-season RBI list and third on the career chart with 216, needing 10 to equal JoBi Heath's record.

First-team All-MIAA shortstop Emily Deramus is batting .338 with 14 doubles, eight homers and 30 RBIs.

The Bronchos have a 1.89 team earned run average. Five pitchers have combined to give up just 5.4 hits and 2.38 runs a game.

Ritz has been UCO's workhorse. The junior right-hander is 19-6 with an MIAA-best 1.35 ERA in 25 starts with 13 complete games and has walked just 22 batters in 145.2 innings.

Jordyn Pipkin has also enjoyed a stellar season. A second-team All-MIAA pick, the junior right-hander is 15-4 with nine complete games in 24 starts and 119 innings.

Freshman Shelby Beard has been a key addition in the circle. She's 6-0 with two saves and a 1.40 ERA in 50 innings.

ABOUT EMPORIA STATE: The Hornets from Emporia, Kan. enter the MIAA Tournament with a three-game winning streak and secured the sixth seed with a final weekend sweep of Washburn.

ESU is hitting .311 as a team while averaging 8.38 hits and 5.74 runs a game. The Hornets give up 7.86 hits and 4.48 runs per contest with a 3.96 team ERA.

First-team All-MIAA picks Josie Harrison and Alexis Dial lead Emporia.

Dial is hitting .432 with a league-leading 20 doubles, eight homers, five triples and 60 RBIs. Harrison has a .355 average with seven doubles, five homers and 28 RBIs.

Lexi Williams (.362, 21 steals) and Bailey Flewelling (.361, 14 doubles) are also batting above .350.

Gracie Rabe tops the pitching staff with a 9-9 record and 2.71 ERA. She's walked just 24 batters in 113.2 innings.

UCO owns a 46-30 lead in the series.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Emily Deramus: IF; 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R

#8 Rylee Lemos: OF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R

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

#15 Jordyn Pipkin: P; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

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

#11 Shelby Beard: P; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#5 Emily Deramus
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

#8 Rylee Lemos
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; L/R
: OF

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

#15 Jordyn Pipkin
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: P

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

#11 Shelby Beard
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: P