JOPLIN, Mo. – For the first time in MIAA Baseball Championship history, Central Oklahoma have been crowned champions. The Bronchos took the 2025 title with a 11-4 win over No. 6 Northwest Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Warren Turner Field in Joplin, Missouri. 

The top ten teams from the regular season split opening round action between Joplin, Missouri, and Pittsburg, Kansas, from May 7-10, with the final four teams all reconvening in Joplin for the semifinal and championship rounds. No. 4 seeded Central Oklahoma won three straight games in three days for the Association’s tournament title and automatic bid into the NCAA Division II tournament. 

UCO made its way to the championship after posting a 6-4 win over last year’s tournament champions No. 8 seeded Missouri Southern in the semifinals and defeating No. 5 Rogers State 10-4 in quarterfinals. 

Every round was a close battle as No. 6 Northwest Missouri emerged into the championship game with one run victories in both quarterfinal and semifinal play. The Bearcats took down No. 3 Fort Hays in a 6-5 extra inning win on Thursday before turning around for a 9-8 victory over No. 7 Washburn on Friday. 

It was the first time these two teams have faced off in the title game.

The Bronchos got on the board first behind a three-run homer from Aiden Procter in the bottom of the second and added another insurance run to push its advantage to 4-0. The Bearcats responded the following inning with two runs of their own to dig into the deficit, but UCO tallied another score to lead, 5-2, heading into the top of the fourth. 

After a pair of scoreless innings from both squads, UCO added another point to create a four run edge at 6-2 with two innings to play. 

The Bearcats fought back to cut the Broncho lead by half behind a Chester Brooks two-run homer in the top of the eighth before UCO stretched it back out with five more runs for the eventual championship score of 11-4. 

UCO out hit NWMSU 15-to-8 and was led by Ty Chapman’s 4-of-5 performance at the plate while Procter had a team high three RBI. On the mound, Dax Sharp was credit with the win as he tallied four strikeouts in six innings pitched while giving up six hits and two runs. 

With the Central Oklahoma win, it marks the third time in MIAA history that a baseball and softball program from the same university has won their respective tournaments. The two previous occurrences came in 2021 with Central Missouri and in 2007 with Emporia State. 

Orlando Gonzalez was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament as he posted five hits acrossed three games along with an RBI and hit in all three contests. Central Oklahoma and Washburn led with four selections, while Northwest Missouri had three and Missouri Southern rounded out with two.

The complete All-Tournament Team is listed below. To view the final results from each game of the 2025 MIAA Baseball Championship, visit theMIAA.com/baseballchampionship. 
 
Central Oklahoma and other advancing MIAA baseball teams will find out their postseason destinations during the NCAA Division II baseball selection show, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 11. MIAA fans can watch the selection show live on NCAA.com.