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NCAA Central Regional Elimination Game (4) #24 Arkansas-Monticello (37-15) vs. (7) SWOSU (34-16) Saturday, May 21, 11:00 am St. Cloud, Minn. (Joe Faber Field) Live Stats  |  Watch Live  |  Live Audio Tournament Homepage

Setting the Scene
- For the second straight day, SWOSU Baseball has their backs up against the wall when they face No. 24-ranked Arkansas-Monticello in an elimination game at the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament
- First pitch between the Bulldogs and Boll Weevils will be at 11:00 am on Saturday morning from Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minnesota
- It will be the first meeting between SWOSU and Arkansas-Monticello this season after the scheduled series on March 11-12 was rained out
- SWOSU won the Great American Conference regular season championship by one game over UAM while the Weevils claimed the GAC Tournament Championship last weekend in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
- UAM leads the series against SWOSU 9-5 since the teams became members of the Great American Conference, including a 2-0 advantage in the postseason with both wins at the GAC Tournament in Enid
- The Bulldogs will be facing a ranked team for the third consecutive day after previously playing No. 9 Central Missouri and No. 20 Minnesota Duluth
 
The Opponent
(4) #24 Arkansas-Monticello (37-15)
- GAC Tournament Champions and conference regular season runners-up, UAM suffered their first postseason defeat in a 7-6 setback against Minnesota State on Friday
- The Boll Weevils earned their first NCAA postseason victory with a dominating 15-0 win over No. 5-seed Missouri Western in the regionals opening round
- UAM's win over Missouri Western was their 37th of the season, securing a new program record for single-season victories
- Leading the Boll Weevils is GAC Player of the Year and GAC Tournament MVP Corey Wood, who is one of the top hitters in the nation and a finalist for the Josh Willingham Award
- Second-best hitting team in the GAC, hitting .299 as a team with 512 hits, 49 home runs and 380 runs scored to their credit
- UAM's pitching staff is the fourth-best in the conference with a 4.10 earned run average, allowing 228 runs in 414.0 innings this season
- Three UAM players earned All-Central Region honors from NCBWA with Wood and starting pitcher Braden Chambers named to the first team and relief pitcher Dawson Moser listed on the honorable mention list
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (136-101, 5th season)
- Two-time Great American Conference Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2013 and 2016
- In the midst of his second 30-win season as the head coach of the Bulldogs, where he has led SWOSU to four winning seasons while tutoring 24 all-conference players
- Earned his 100th career victory at SWOSU against Northwestern Oklahoma State on April 24, 2015
- Was named the GAC Coach of the Year in 2013 and he has tutored 14 players who have earned All-GAC status, including four first-team selections, five All-Central Region honorees, one regional gold glove award winner and one MLB draftee
- Previously served as an assistant at SWOSU for six seasons under former Bulldog coaches Charles Teasley and Scott Selby
- Played collegiately at Kansas State following two seasons at Connors State playing on nationally-ranked junior college teams
- Has a record of 136-101 while leading the Bulldogs, including a mark of 5-9 against Arkansas-Monticello
 
Arkansas-Monticello: John Harvey (157-124, 6th season)
- Has led UAM to their second Central Regional appearance in his sixth year as the head coach of the Boll Weevils
- Previously spent six seasons as the head coach at fellow GAC member Henderson State when the Reddies were members of the Gulf South Conference
- Under his direction, UAM has had three 30-win seasons including a single-season record 37 victories this season
 
Postseason Honors
- Three different SWOSU players have earned All-Central Region accolades this week, led by Jon Chidester, a second team selection by both the NCBWA and D2CCA
- SWOSU outfielders Korbin Polston and Jacob Spring have also earned all-region honors, with Polston an honorable mention choice by NCBWA and Spring a second team selection by D2CCA
- SWOSU had eight players named to the 2016 All-GAC Baseball team, while head coach Zack Saunders was named the GAC Coach of the Year for the second time (2013)
- Earning First Team All-GAC honors were starting pitcher Jon Chidester, outfielders Korbin Polston & Jacob Spring and designated hitter Zach Barton
- Second Team All-GAC selections included starting pitcher Gunnar Cook and outfielder Tanner Dearman while relief pitcher Quintin Dougherty and second baseman CJ Faddis received honorable mention
- Polston and Barton added selections to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams, becoming the first such honorees from SWOSU Baseball since 2004
 
SWOSU in the Postseason
- Friday's 6-3 victory over No. 20 Minnesota Duluth was the first NCAA postseason victory in SWOSU Baseball's program history
- SWOSU has been an NCAA Division II program since 1998 and they are making the programs first-ever appearance in the Division II Baseball Championship tournament
- Since joining NCAA Division II, SWOSU is 2-15 in postseason baseball with the lone win prior to this season coming against Texas A&M-Kingsville in the 2011 Lone Star Conference Tournament
- Under head coach Zack Saunders, SWOSU is now 1-9 in postseason play with a 1-1 mark in NCAA Regional competition
 
NCAA Central Regional Recap
- Thursday Results
   (8) Minnesota State def. (1) St. Cloud State 1-0
   (4) Arkansas-Monticello def. (5) Missouri Western 15-0
   (2) Central Missouri def. (7) SWOSU 3-1
   (6) Emporia State def. (3) Minnesota Duluth 4-0
 
- Friday Results
   (1) St. Cloud State def. (5) Missouri Western 10-4 (Missouri Western eliminated)
   (7) SWOSU def. (3) Minnesota Duluth 6-3 (Minnesota Duluth eliminated)
   (8) Minnesota State def. (4) Arkansas-Monticello 7-6
   (2) Central Missouri def. (6) Emporia State 6-3
 
- Saturday Schedule
   11:00 am: (4) Arkansas-Monticello vs. (7) SWOSU (Elimination Game)
   3:30 pm: (1) St. Cloud State vs. (6) Emporia State (Elimination Game)
   7:00 pm (8) Minnesota State vs. (2) Central Missouri
 
Looking Ahead
- The winner of Saturday's contest will return to action at 12:00 pm on Sunday, facing the winner of the elimination game between Emporia State and St. Cloud State