UIS Baseball to Host NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Amidst Conference Final Exit
The University of Illinois Springfield will open its regional campaign against Indianapolis, while Wayne State and Missouri St. Louis clash in the other bracket match-up.
The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) baseball team has secured the right to host the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional tournament, marking the Prairie Stars’ first appearance in the national postseason since 2023. Seeded second with a 34-18 record, UIS will open play at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, against seventh-seeded Indianapolis (33-21).
The double-elimination event takes place at UIS Baseball Fields, with daily games scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Saturday. A potential if-necessary game is slated for Sunday at 11 a.m. The winner of the regional will advance to a best-of-three super regional series, with the other Midwest Regional host being Grand Valley State, the top seed in the bracket.
In the second regional contest, third-seeded Wayne State (37-14) will face sixth-seeded Missouri St. Louis (33-20). Missouri St. Louis earned its spot by winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) tournament, defeating Missouri S&T 13-8 on Saturday, May 9. UIS, which entered the conference tournament as the fifth seed, advanced to the final after defeating Rockhurst 20-1 before falling 8-5 to fourth-seeded Drury in the single-elimination championship game.
The Prairie Stars’ path to the regional was bolstered by strong individual performances under coach Chris Rodriguez. Three players were named to the all-GLVC first team: junior outfielder Tommy Atkinson, senior outfielder Corey Boyette, and junior designated hitter Kaden Griffitts. Atkinson and Boyette both posted a .385 batting average, while Griffitts led the team with 71 RBIs.
In a separate development within the university’s athletic department, senior pitcher Rosie Bartletti of the UIS softball team also received all-GLVC first team honours. Bartletti led the softball squad with a 12-9 record and a 2.07 earned run average, while also setting school records for stolen bases in a season and career. The softball team concluded its season with a 32-20 record.
Access to the regional tournament is restricted to ticketed and credentialed attendees. Tickets are available for purchase online, and games may be streamed via NCAA.com. The event represents the sixth NCAA Division II tournament appearance for UIS baseball.
