ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western Baseball team has qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history as the Griffons received an at-large bid and will be the No. 5 seed in the Central Region Tournament.

Missouri Western is 38-18 after finishing second in the MIAA Tournament and they’ll open Central Regional play on Thursday as the five seed, taking on fourth seeded Arkansas-Monticello (35-14). The game will be played at 1:30 p.m. and the regional tournament will be played at top seeded St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

The 38 wins for Missouri Western this season are the second most for head coach Buzz Verduzco in his 17 years and the third most all-time for the program.

Arkansas-Monticello is one win from a program record and won its first ever GAC Tournament Championship this year.

Missouri Western will be one of three MIAA teams in the regional along with second seeded Central Missouri and sixth seeded Emporia State. The Griffons also qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2013.

NCAA Central Region
1. St. Cloud St. (35-8)
2. Central Missouri (38-13)
3. Minnesota Duluth (39-14)
4. Arkansas-Monticello (35-14)
5. Missouri Western (38-18)
6. Emporia State (37-17)
7. Southwestern Oklahoma (29-14)
8. Minnesota State (33-16)

— MWSU Athletics —