JOPLIN, Mo. — For the third time in head coach Bryce Darnell’s career, the Missouri Southern baseball team has qualified for the NCAA Baseball Tournament as the Lions will head to Warrensburg to take on Central Missouri in the opening round this Thursday, May 16.
Times and a complete schedule have yet to be announced, but will be posted on this site as soon as they are. This will be the third game in a row the Lions have faced off with the Mules and the fifth time this year the two teams have faced each other. Southern is 2-3 against the Mules after losing a heartbreaking 5-4 game to Central in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament.
The Lions will be the No. 7 seed in the the tournament as Central Missouri is the No. 2 seed and will host one four-team tournament as part of the Central Region. St. Cloud State is the No. 3 seed and will face off with No. 6 seed Central Oklahoma. All games will be played at Crane Stadium/Tompkins on the campus of UCM.
Southern is 3-1 against Central Oklahoma this year, 2-3 against UCM and did not play St. Cloud State. The winner of the tournament being played in Warrensburg will go on to face the winner of the other regional tournament in a super-regional which will be a best-of-three series at the highest seed.
The other region will be hosted by No. 1 seed and defending National Champion Augustana. The Vikings will take on No. 8 seed Oklahoma Baptist. No. 4 seed Minnesota State will take on No. 5 seed Arkansas-Monticello. The complete regional field is listed below.
2019 NCAA Central Region Championship Qualifiers
1. Augustana (40-14)
2. Central Missouri (38-14)
3. St. Cloud State (39-12)
4. Minnesota State (39-13)
5. Arkansas-Monticello (33-14)
6. Central Oklahoma (36-18)
7. Missouri Southern (35-19)
8. Oklahoma Baptist (33-19)
