With its 3-1 record this past week, the Missouri Western softball team held on to the No. 6 spot in the most recent NCAA Central Region Rankings.

The NCAA Central Region consists of teams from the the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and the Great American Conference (GAC).

The top eight teams in each region will advance to the NCAA Tournament, with the top two seeds in each region hosting postseason games.

The NCAA DII Softball Selection Show is set to air via webcast on NCAA.com on Monday, at 9 a.m. Automatic bids will be awarded to the three conference tournament winners with the final five spots awarded on an at-large basis.

MWSU is joined in the poll by fellow MIAA members Emporia State, Central Oklahoma and Fort Hays State, which ranked second, fifth and ninth in the regional rankings, respectively.

The Griffons travel to Overland Park, Kan., to take part in the MIAA Tournament beginning Thursday, at 6 p.m. MWSU’s first round opponent will be Northwest Missouri State.

NCAA Central Region Rankings

Team                        Overall Record    In-Region Record
1. Winona State (NSIC)    38-6    28-6
2. Emporia State (MIAA)    43-10    42-10
3. Minnesota State (NSIC)    41-9    36-7
4. Augustana (NSIC)    40-11    34-11
5. Central Oklahoma (MIAA)    39-13    39-13
6. Missouri Western State (MIAA)    34-16    34-16
7. Southeastern Oklahoma (GAC)    35-15    35-15
8. Arkansas Tech (GAC)    31-25    31-25
9. Fort Hays State (MIAA)    28-18    26-17
10. Southern Arkansas (GAC)    31-23    28-21

— MWSU Sports Information —