Softball 4/29/2025 2:00:00 PM

Bronchos Ready For Conference Tournament

Regular Season Champion UCO Looking For Fourth MIAA Tournament Title

HAYS, Kan. – Regular season champion Central Oklahoma looks to add the MIAA Softball Championship title to its resume this week when that four-day tournament opens Wednesday at Fort Hays State's Fleharty Family Field.

The Bronchos, who moved up to No. 4 in the country in this week's NFCA Top 25, are 43-8 on the season and finished 20-4 in the conference to claim the regular season crown for the sixth time. UCO won titles in its inaugural season in the MIAA, 2013, and again in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and now 2025.

"It should be a great tournament," said head coach Cody White, who has led UCO to five MIAA regular season titles and a 489-168 record in his 12 years at the helm. "We have a lot of really good teams in our conference and you can't overlook anybody.

"We're excited about winning the regular season championship, but that has nothing to do with what happens in this tournament. Our girls realize we'll have to play extremely well this week and we're looking forward to the challenge."

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: Ten teams qualified for the single-elimination tournament that will be held at Fleharty Family Field on the Fort Hays State campus.

Two games will be held Wednesday, with eighth-seeded Emporia State (30-22) going against the host and No. 9 Tigers (24-20) at 3 p.m. before seventh-seeded Missouri Western (31-20) plays No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney (24-25) at 5:30.

Top-seeded UCO takes on the ESU-FHSU winner at 11 a.m. Thursday. Fourth-seeded Missouri Southern (36-16) meets No. 5 Central Missouri (29-17) at 1:30 p.m., with No. 3 Rogers State (35-12) playing No. 6 Washburn (31-20) at 4 and second-seeded Pittsburg State (37-13) going against the MWSU-UNK winner at 6:30.

The semifinals are set for 12 and 2:30 p.m. Friday, with the finals at noon Saturday.

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

UCO IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT: The Bronchos have appeared in every MIAA Tournament since joining the league in 2013 and have a 28-15 all-time record with three titles (2017, '19, '23) and one runner-up finish (2018).

UCO went 1-2 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, 4-0 in 2023 and 1-1 last year. The 2020 tournament was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BRONCHOS AGAINST THE FIELD: UCO went 15-3 during the regular season league schedule against teams that qualified for the MIAA Softball Championship.

The Bronchos swept doubleheaders from Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Missouri Western, Nebraska-Kearney, Rogers State and Pittsburg state while splitting with Central Missouri, Missouri Southern and Washburn.

ABOUT THE BRONCHO OFFENSE: UCO enters the league tournament averaging 8.47 hits and 6.94 runs a game behind a .330 team average.

The Bronchos rank in the top 20 nationally in eight offensive categories – fifth in sacrifice flies (23), fifth in hit by pitch (53), ninth in total runs (354), ninth in total runs batted in (324), 10th in on base percentage (.419), 10th in RBI per game (6.39), 11th in runs per game (6.94) and 11th in slugging percentage (.523).

Eight players are hitting .313 or better, led by senior star Terin Ritz.

The two-time All-American is batting .414 with 16 doubles, 15 home runs and 64 RBI with 19 multi-RBI games. She has an .862 slugging percentage and .511 on base percentage.

Ritz ranks seventh in Division II in RBI,14th in homers and 18th in total bases (125). She's sixth on UCO's single-season list for homers and RBI and tied for 10th in doubles.

Junior standout Rylee Lemos is right behind with a .396 average that includes 12 doubles, 10 homers, six triples, 40 RBI, 19 stolen bases and 61 runs scored, which ranks fifth nationally. That number is seventh on the school single-season chart and she's fifth in single-season triples at UCO.

Ariah Mitchell is batting .362 with seven doubles and 32 RBI, while Brooklyn Ryan is hitting .336 with seven doubles, three triples, three homers, 19 RBI and seven steals.

Kennedy Clark has seven doubles, 37 RBI and a team-high 26 walks along with a .329 average. Emily Deramus has 15 doubles, eight homers, 47 RBI and a .317 average, while Rylee Anglen is hitting .313 with seven doubles, 26 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

ABOUT THE BRONCHO PITCHING: UCO is giving up just 5.71 hits and 2.47 runs a game behind a 2.17 team earned run average.

The Bronchos are fifth nationally in team shutouts with 16 while ranking 18th in ERA.

Ritz tops the pitching staff as well, entering the league tournament with a 15-3 record and 1.78 ERA. She's appeared in 21 games with 19 starts and has five shutouts in 12 complete games. The right-hander has struck out 95 and walked just 20 in 117.2 innings with a perfect game and one-hitter to her credit this season.

Shelby Beard is 12-3 with a 2.18 ERA in 18 games with 12 starts, including five complete games. She's fanned 68 batters in 70.2 innings.

Sydney Ward has a 10-2 record and 2.52 ERA in 21 games with 15 starts. She's tossed six complete games with four shutouts and has struck out 68 in 83.1 innings.

Jordyn Pipkin adds more depth with a 6-0 record and 2.33 ERA in 16 games. She's made five starts and has three complete games with two shutouts in 42.0 innings.

ABOUT THE BRONCHO DEFENSE: UCO leads Division II in fielding percentage at .980, having made just 26 errors in 1,382 chances over the 51-game regular season.

The Bronchos haven't committed an error in 30 games this season, including one streak of 11 straight.

From shortstoph, Deramus leads the team in assists with 94, just one ahead of Anglen at second base.

CAREER RECORD LOOK: A trio of UCO players have moved into the top 10 of the school career record book in a variety of categories.

Ritz leads that list, ranking in the top 10 in four hitting and four pitching areas. She is second in homers with 48, seven behind the record of 55 set by Kacie Edwards from 2010-13, while ranking fourth in RBI (198), eighth in runs (157) and ninth in hits (214).

She's also second in pitching wins with 69, eight behind the career mark of 77 held by Gladys Griffin from 1985-88, while ranking fourth in shutouts (16), fifth in innings (519.1) and tied for seventh in strikeouts (339).

Lemos ranks second in career triples with 15, just two off the record of 17 held by Ally Dziadula (2013-16). She's also third in hit by pitch (29), fourth in steals (61) and sixth in runs (179).

Deramus ranks in the top 10 in four categories – fifth in doubles (50), ninth in homers (30), 10th in runs (146) and 10th in assists (314).

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Players Mentioned

#9 Rylee Anglen: IF; 5' 3"; Junior; L/R

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

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

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

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

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

#7 Brooklyn Ryan: OF; 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#13 Sydney Ward: P; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#14 Kennedy Clark: C/1B; 5' 7"; Junior; L/L

#22 Ariah Mitchell: UT; 5' 4"; Freshman; L/R

Players Mentioned

#9 Rylee Anglen
: 5' 3"; Junior; L/R
: IF

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

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

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

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

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

#7 Brooklyn Ryan
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#13 Sydney Ward
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: P

#14 Kennedy Clark
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/L
: C/1B

#22 Ariah Mitchell
: 5' 4"; Freshman; L/R
: UT