The University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The Boll Weevils (32-21), who reached their first-ever Super Regional in program history last year, are seeded seventh in the Central Region and will play host team Minnesota State University, Mankato (49-6), in the first game of a four-team regional tournament at 2 p.m. Thursday. That game will be followed by third-seeded Pittsburg (Kan.) State University (39-10) vs. sixth-seeded Henderson State University (32-22) at 6 p.m.
Henderson State lost to Harding University in the third and deciding game of the Great American Conference tournament championship series in Searcy on Sunday. Henderson earned its spot in the NCAA tournament after beating UAM twice in the GAC tourney.
Harding earned an automatic bid by winning the GAC, but is seeded eighth and will play top-seed and host University of Central Missouri at 1 p.m. Thursday in Warrensburg, Mo. The other first-round game in the Warrensburg regional is fourth-seeded University of Central Oklahoma vs. fifth-seeded Arkansas Tech University at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Each regional is double-elimination, with the two champions squaring off in a best-of-three Super Regional next week for the right to play in the eight-team national finals in Cary, N.C. UAM won its first-ever NCAA regional title last year at Missouri Southern State University before losing two straight at Central Missouri in the Super Regional.
UAM is playing in a regional for the sixth time in program history. The other appearances were in 2014 (0-2), 2016 (4-2, regional runner-up), 2017 (1-2), 2019 (1-2) and 2024 (3-0, won regional).
NCAA Division II baseball Central regionals
At Warrensburg, Mo.
(1) Central Missouri (38-11) vs. (8) Harding (39-17), 1 p.m. Thursday
(4) Central Oklahoma (36-15) vs. (5) Arkansas Tech (31-21), 6 p.m. Thursday
Elimination: UCM/Harding loser vs. UCO/Arkansas Tech loser, 2 p.m. Friday
Winners’ bracket: UCM/Harding winner vs. UCO/Arkansas Tech winner, 6 p.m. Friday
Elimination II: Winners’ bracket loser vs. elimination winner, 2 p.m. Saturday
Championship: 6 p.m. Saturday (second game, if necessary, at 2 p.m. Sunday)
At Mankato, Minn.
(2) Minnesota State (49-6) vs. (7) Arkansas-Monticello (32-21), 2 p.m. Thursday
(3) Pittsburg State (39-10) vs. (6) Henderson State (32-22), 6 p.m. Thursday
Elimination: Minn. State/UAM loser vs. Pitt State/Henderson loser, 2 p.m. Friday
Winners’ bracket: Minn. State/UAM winner vs. Pitt State/Henderson winner, 6 p.m. Friday
Elimination II: Winners’ bracket loser vs. elimination winner, 2 p.m. Saturday
Championship: 6 p.m. Saturday (second game, if necessary, at 2 p.m. Sunday)
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