ESU Sports
Don Weast, Sports Information Director
For the fourth time in school history and first time since 2008 the Emporia State baseball team will be hosting the NCAA Central Regional Tournament. The Hornets will welcome in seven other teams to the Trusler Sports Complex. Teams will have a practice day on Wednesday May 17 with games beginning on Thursday May 18 and running through a championship game on Monday, May 22.
Emporia State will take on Arkansas-Monticello in a rematch of last year’s elimination game in the Central Region that the Boll Weevils won, 18-7, in St. Cloud, Minn.
The Hornets are the top seed in the region and went 41-11 on the season with one of the tougher strengths of schedule in the region. They won the MIAA regular season championship and went 1-2 in the MIAA tournament.
Minnesota State is the No. 2 seed and went 44-9 on the season, winning the NSIC regular season and tournament championships.
St. Cloud State was the runner-up in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament and finished third in the regular season. They went 39-16 to earn the xxth seed.
Lindenwood is the fourth seed after going 35-18 on the season and capturing the MIAA’s automatic bid with a win in the Tournament championship game.
Southern Arkansas is the fifth seed after winning the Great American Conference regular season title and going 39-14 on the year.
Missouri Western was 32-20 on the year and earned the sixth seed after finishing second in the MIAA regular season.
Central Oklahoma jumped up to the seventh seed after not appearing in the final regular season regional rankings. They were the runners-up in the MIAA tournament and went 33-19-1 on the season
Arkansas Monticello is the eighth seed and the automatic qualifier out of the Great American Conference. They went 32-19 on the season and won five straight games to capture the GAC Tournament title.
This is Emporia State’s 13th trip all-time to the NCAA Tournament, the fourth straight year, and the 12th tourney berth in the last 14 years. They are 22-24 in their previous 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21-22 under Bob Fornelli. The Hornets have made two trips to the NCAA Division II National Championship Finals and were the 2009 National Runners-up. They won the NAIA National Championship in 1978, finished second in 1987 and were third in 1976.
Thursday, May 18 –
Game #3 (on bracket) Minnesota State vs. Central Oklahoma
Game #2 (on bracket) Lindenwood vs. Southern Arkansas
Game #1 (on bracket) Emporia State vs. Ark.-Monticello
Game #4 (on bracket) St. Cloud State vs. Missouri Western
Friday, May 19 –
Game #5 Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2
Game #6 Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 4
Game #7 Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Game #8 Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
Saturday, May 20 –
Game #9 Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7
Game #10 Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 8
7:00 p.m. Game #11 Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8
Sunday, May 21 –
Game #12 Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10
Game #13 Winner of Game 12 vs. Loser of Game 11
Monday, May 22 –
11:00 a.m. Game #14 Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 13
1:15 p.m. Game #15 If needed