ST. JOSEPH – For the eighth time since 2005, the Missouri Western softball team will compete in the NCAA Division II Regional tournament. Missouri Western was selected as the seven seed Monday morning and will travel to Warrensburg, Missouri for regional play this weekend.

MWSU opens play Friday at 2 p.m. against host school Central Missouri. It will be the third matchup between the two teams this season. Central Missouri has won all three games, including an elimination game this past Friday in the MIAA tournament. The winner of Friday’s game will play the winner of the No. 3 Henderson State versus No. 6 Arkansas Tech game on Saturday at 1 p.m. The teams that lose their Friday games will play each other on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Augustana is the top seed in the Central Region and will host No. 4 Central Oklahoma, No .5 Winona State and No. 8 East Central University this weekend. The winners of the two regional brackets will advance to the super regional to be played May 15-16 at a location to be determined.

Missouri Western enters regional play with a 36-19 record after a fourth place finish in the MIAA. The Griffons went 3-2 in the MIAA tournament with losses to Northwest Missouri State and Central Missouri. MWSU eliminated Fort Hays State, Emporia State and Northwest Missouri State and were one win away from advancing to the championship series for the second straight year.

The Griffons are very familiar with the other teams in the regional field. Overall, MWSU was 4-6 against teams that made the regional tournament. The Griffons went 2-0 against top-seeded Augustana with a split against third seeded Henderson State. MWSU defeated Winona State in the Apple Market Classic and was swept in MIAA doubleheaders against Central Oklahoma and Central Missouri. The Griffons also lost to Central Missouri in the MIAA tournament.

Missouri Western’s game with Central Missouri will be broadcast on ESPN 1550 AM and here on StJosephPost.com.

— MWSU Sports Information —