PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University softball program will open play in the 2017 NCAA Division II National Tournament Thursday (May 11) at Mankato, Minn.
 
Pitt State earned the No. 6 seed in the Central Region and will meet MIAA champion and No. 3 seed Central Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. (CDT) in opening-round action.
 
Four teams participate at each of 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments held May 11-13. Winners will advance to super regionals slated for May 18-19. The finals will be held May 25-29 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.
 
No. 2 seed Minnesota State (54-6) meets No. 7 seed Augustana (38-14) in the other half of PSU's bracket at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Harding (54-6) is the Central Region's No. 1 seed. The Lady Bisons will host a four-team pod and meet No. 8 seed Missouri Western (38-18) in the opening round Thursday at Searcy, Ark. Winona State (49-11) will face Southern Arkansas (45-16) in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed contest.
 
The Gorillas, under sixth-year head coach Elizabeth Economon, are making their first NCAA postseason appearance since 1995. Pitt State (42-17) posted the program's fourth all-time 40-win season in 2017.
 
The Gorillas won 125 combined games between 1993-95, qualifying for the 16-team NCAA Division II National Tournament in 1993 and 1994 and an expanded 32-team NCAA Division II National Tournament in 1995.
 
Pitt State is 1-6 in NCAA postseason games all-time.
 
The Gorillas enter the national tournament batting .286 as a team and scoring 4.8 runs per game. Pitt State has a 1.89 team ERA. The Gorillas opponents are hitting .221 and scoring 2.4 runs per game while Pitt State's opponents have a 3.88 team ERA.
 
Junior pitcher Emmie Robertson and freshman utility player Kala Holder both garnered All-Central Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Wednesday.
 
Robertson was selected the MIAA Pitcher of the Year for a third consecutive season in 2017. The Lamar, Mo., native has compiled a 29-8 record and an 0.84 ERA heading into Thursday's action She has recorded 10 shutouts on the season and registered 303 strikeouts in 250.0 innings of work.
 
Holder, the 2017 MIAA Freshman of the Year, is hitting .347 with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs. The Olathe, Kan., native has scored 37 runs while starting 58 of 59 games played for the Gorillas.
 
Pitt State's NCAA National Tournament games can be heard in the Four States region on 100.7 FM radio with Eddie Lomshek describing the play-by-play action. Follow links above for live audio, live stats and live video of the 2017 NCAA Central Regional action at Mankato, Minn.