EDMOND, Okla. – Pittsburg State University claimed its second-ever MIAA tournament title with a dominating performance in the 2026 MIAA Baseball Championship. The top-seeded Gorillas defeated No. 6 seed Emporia State 11-1 (7 innings) in the championship finale to earn the program’s first MIAA tournament title since 1999.
 
The top ten teams from the regular season advanced to the Association’s annual postseason baseball championship, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma, May 6-9 on the Bronchos’ Wendell Simmons Field.
 
The No. 1-seeded Gorillas posted three straight run-rule victories in the 10-team tournament, outscoring their opponents, 45-14, over three days after downing Central Oklahoma, 13-2, in the quarterfinals and Northwest Missouri, 21-11, in the semifinals. Pitt State (43-9) set a new school record for victories by defeating the Hornets. The 2026 tournament title is the Gorillas’ second all-time MIAA Tournament crown and the first since 1999, ending a 27-year drought.
 
Pitt State scored in each of the first four innings against the Hornets, including a three-run second frame, to quickly establish itself as the rabbit in the race. Cooper Wesslund, who was voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, ended the game with a two-run single in the seventh. Wesslund had seven hits over the tournament, including three doubles and two home runs, and he drove in 14 runs.
 
Seven total Gorillas were named to the 2026 All-Tournament Team. Emporia State had four All-Tournament Team selections and Northwest Missouri received one All-Tournament Team selection.
 
The victory awards Pitt State with the Association’s automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division II postseason. The NCAA will announce the complete field of teams advancing to the NCAA postseason during the Division II Selection Show, scheduled for 9 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 10. MIAA fans can watch the selection show live on NCAA.com.
 
To view game-by-game results and find more information on the 2026 MIAA Baseball Championship hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma, visit theMIAA.com/baseballchampionship.