INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For the 15th time in program history and for the third consecutive season, Southern Arkansas Baseball is headed to the NCAA postseason. The Muleriders (39-16), regular season and tournament champions of the Great American Conference, earned the Central Region's No. 3 seed and will head to Joplin, Missouri to join host (2) Missouri Southern, (6) Minnesota State and fellow league foe (7) Arkansas Tech in a four-team, double-elimination sub-regional. The winner advances to the Central Super Regional for a best-of-3 series against the last team standing in the Warrensburg Regional which consists of top seed Central Missouri, (4) Ouachita Baptist, (5) Augustana and (8) St. Cloud State. Action in Joplin begins Thursday, May 18 from Warren Turner Field.

First pitch for the Muleriders' opening round game vs. (6) Minnesota State (39-15) is scheduled for 2 p.m. It will be the fifth matchup all-time between the Muleriders and the Mavericks with the previous four meetings all coming in the Central Region Tournament (2014, 2015, 2021-twice). The series is tied at 2-2 with SAU winning both of the contests in the 2021 Warrensburg Regional. Minnesota State is in an NCAA regional for the 40th time overall and carries an all-time NCAA postseason record of 78-82. Live coverage links for the tournament will be available at 2023 NCAA Central Regional Tournament (mssulions.com).

Southern Arkansas adds Sunday night's regional tournament selection to berths earned in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and now in nine of the previous 12 seasons that it has been a member of the Great American Conference. The Muleriders will open NCAA postseason play in the Show Me State for the third time after playing in the 2012 and 2021 regionals hosted by Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

The Muleriders claimed the Great American Conference regular season championship outright, the program's seventh as a league member and then carried the top seed into the GAC Tournament where it took two of three from (8) Southeastern Oklahoma State in the opening round. SAU then went on to win three-straight games from inside Arvest Ballpark in Springdale to earn its seventh league tournament title and claim the GAC's automatic bid to the NCAA postseason.

Missouri Southern (42-15), in an NCAA regional for the ninth time in program history, plays host for the third time overall and for the first time since 1992. The Lions finished as MIAA regular season and tournament runner-up. Arkansas Tech (32-20), who played the Muleriders four times this season, makes its third regional appearance since 2014 and second in the past three seasons.

Game times are set for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Sunday's "if-necessary" game set for 2 p.m. Tickets will be available both in advance at Tickets - Missouri Southern State University Athletics (mssulions.com) and at the gate daily.

Mulerider Baseball NCAA Postseason History
*Games are listed from first played to last in each year
NCAA Postseason Record (All-time): 31-29
NCAA Postseason Record (Since 2012): 19-16

2022 | NCAA DII Baseball Championship | USA Baseball National Training Complex | Cary, North Carolina
National No. 3 seed
#5 (6) Rollins (W, 3-1)
#2 (2) Point Loma (L, 3-11)
#5 (6) Rollins (L, 5-7)

2022 | Central Region Tournament | @ Southern Arkansas | Magnolia, Ark.
No. 2 seed (Central Region Champions)
Washburn (W, 12-11)
#17 Henderson State (W, 28-5)
#17 Henderson State (W, 12-11)
(RV) Augustana (W, 8-7)
(RV) Augustana (W, 13-11)

2021 | Central Region Tournament | @ Central Missouri | Warrensburg, Mo.
No. 5 seed (Regional Finalist)
#12 Augustana (W, 8-6)
#17 Minnesota State (W, 2-1)
#2 Central Missouri (L, 2-4)
#17 Minnesota State (W, 5-1)
#2 Central Missouri (L, 5-12)

2018 | Central Region Tournament | @ Southern Arkansas | Magnolia, Ark.
No. 1 seed (Regional Finalist)
Emporia State (L, 6-8)
Pittsburg State (W, 5-1)
St. Cloud State (W, 11-5)
#25 Central Oklahoma (W, 10-5)
#12 Central Missouri (W, 11-6)
#11 Augustana (W, 5-3)
#11 Augustana (L, 3-6)

2017 | Central Region Tournament | @ Emporia State | Emporia, Kan.
No. 5 seed (Second Round)
Lindenwood (L, 7-14)
Arkansas-Monticello (L, 4-5)

2015 | Central Region Tournament | @ St. Cloud State | St. Cloud, Minn.
No. 4 seed (Regional Quarterfinalist)
#16 Emporia State (W, 9-2)
#5 Minnesota State-Mankato (L, 2-7)
#1 St. Cloud State (L, 0-4)

2014 | Central Region Tournament | @ Arkansas Tech | Russellville, Ark.
No. 2 seed (Regional Quarterfinalist)
#17 Arkansas-Monticello (W, 11-4)
#4 Minnesota State-Mankato (L, 3-6)
#3 Arkansas Tech (L, 0-5)

2013 | Central Region Tournament | @ Minnesota State-Mankato | Mankato, Minn.
No. 3 Seed (Regional Semifinalist)
#5 Missouri Western (W, 6-1)
#9 St. Cloud State (L, 1-2)
#7 Central Missouri (W, 4-1)
#9 St. Cloud State (L, 4-5)

2012 | South Central Region Tournament | @ Central Missouri | Warrensburg, Mo.
No. 4 Seed (Regional Quarterfinalist)
#14 Angelo State (W, 7-2)
#3 St. Mary's (TX) (L, 2-5)
#5 Central Missouri (L, 3-4)

2011 | South Region Tournament | @ West Florida | Pensacola, Fla.
No. 2 Seed (Second Round)
North Alabama (L, 3-8)
#13 Tampa (L, 3-4)

2010 | South Region Tournament | @ Tampa | Tampa, Fla.
No. 1 Seed (Regional Finalist)
Albany State (W, 6-1)
#20 Florida Southern (W, 7-0)
#2 Tampa (L, 5-20)
#16 Rollins (W, 7-1)
#2 Tampa (W, 10-7)
#2 Tampa (L, 3-20)

2009 | South Region Tournament | @ Southern Arkansas | Magnolia, Ark.
No. 1 Seed (Regional Semifinalist)
Stillman (W, 14-1)
Lynn (L, 4-5)
#7 West Alabama (W, 13-9)
#19 Valdosta State (W, 12-5)
#14 Florida Southern (L, 1-3)

2008 | South Central Region Tournament | @ Delta State | Cleveland, Miss.
No. 2 Seed (Regional Semifinalist)
#26 Ouachita Baptist (L, 2-5)
Texas A&M-Kingsville (W, 15-3)
#6 Abilene Christian (W, 9-8)
#1 Delta State (L, 3-5)

2006 | South Central Region Tournament | @ Abilene Christian | Abilene, Texas
No. 2 Seed (Regional Semifinalist)
#13 Central Oklahoma (W, 4-3)
#22 Montevallo (L, 2-22)
#7 Abilene Christian (W, 5-4)
#22 Montevallo (L, 4-18)

2004 | South Central Region Tournament | @ Delta State | Cleveland, Miss.
No. 3 Seed (Regional Finalist)
#15 St. Mary's (W, 10-7)
#2 Delta State (L, 5-6)
#18 Incarnate Word (W, 17-14)
#2 Delta State (L, 2-24)