ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team will make its 11th NCAA Division II Regional Championship appearance later this week when Missouri Western travels to Winona, Minnesota for the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships.

The No. 6 seed Griffons will face No. 3 seed Augustana (S.D.) on Thursday at Winona State University. After not making it to the NCAA postseason last year, Missouri Western will return for the seventh time in the past nine years. The Griffons are in the Central Region 2 bracket with three teams MWSU faced in the regular season. Missouri Western lost 10-2 to Augustana on March 22, but defeated the No. 2 seed and sub-regional host Winona State, 1-0, the next day. The Griffons defeated No. 7 seed St. Cloud State 9-8 on Feb. 2 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Final game times and a complete schedule will be announced later Monday afternoon, but for now the Griffons are scheduled to face Augustana at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The winner will advance to play the winner of the Winona State, St. Cloud State game on Friday at 1 p.m. with the loser facing elimination against either Winona State or St. Cloud State on Friday at 6 p.m.

Missouri Western finished second in the MIAA regular season standings and as runner-up in the MIAA Championships to No. 1 Central Oklahoma. No. 16 Augustana enters the regional 51-9 after claiming the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference postseason championship.

— MWSU Athletics —