JOPLIN, Mo. – The postseason begins Thursday for Central Oklahoma as the Bronchos open the MIAA Baseball Championship in the quarterfinals against Rogers State.
The 10-team, single elimination tournament began with two first-round games Wednesday. Washburn eliminated Northeastern State and host Missouri Southern beat Emporia State. Wednesday's WU-NSU game and two quarterfinals on Thursday are being played at Pittsburg State due to weather.
UCO is the No. 4 seed in the championship and Rogers State the No. 5 seed. Regular season champion and No. 1 seed Central Missouri will play Missouri Southern before UCO and Rogers State play in Joplin. No. 2 seed Pitt State plays Washburn in Pittsburg, Kansas before No. 3 Fort Hays State takes on No. 6 Northwest Missouri.
The semifinals are scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. in Joplin. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. and the winner receives an automatic spot in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Central Regional.
The NCAA released its final regional rankings of the season on Wednesday and Central Oklahoma was ranked fifth. UCM, Minnesota State, Pitt, and Arkansas Tech were in front of the Bronchos. Arkansas Monticello, Southern Arkansas, Henderson State, Augustana, and Harding are ranked 6-10. The top eight teams, three conference champions and five at-large bids, will play for the Central Region title over the next two weeks. Two, four-team regionals will be played May 15-18 and the two winners will meet in a Super Regional May 23-24. Eight regional winners meet in Cary, North Carolina for the national championship.
Central Oklahoma went 33-15 this season, with a 23-13 record in the MIAA. The Bronchos opened the season with back-to-back home losses, but didn't lose another non-conference game. UCO was 7-0 against the Great American Conference, including 4-0 against teams in the regional rankings. The Bronchos also swept a three-game non-con with Colorado Christian to go 3-2 against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams. MSU Denver, which beat UCO on opening day, is No. 8 in the South Central Region rankings. In MIAA play, Central Oklahoma won 9 of 12 league series this season and the Bronchos swept opponents four times.
UCO played Rogers State as a midweek MIAA matchup, with three games March 18, April 1, and April 15. Central Oklahoma won the first game in Claremore and the second game in Edmond before dropping the finale back in Claremore. UCO is 11-5 against Rogers State since the Hillcats joined the league in 2021. The teams have met once in the postseason, 2021, when the Bronchos beat the Hillcats 19-6 in the second round in Pittsburg.
UCO's pitching staff this season has a 5.02 ERA after 48 games. The Bronchos rank third in the MIAA in earned run average. Central ranks first in shutouts (five) and second in strikeouts per nine innings (8.6).
Central Oklahoma ranks fourth in the MIAA with 376 runs scored, 7.8 per game. While the Bronchos rank ninth in hits (448), UCO ranks third in triples (19), and fourth in doubles (101) and home runs (68).
Central Oklahoma plays the winner of Central Missouri and Missouri Southern. UCM swept MSSU in Joplin three weeks ago.
