INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburg State University baseball team earned the No. 1 seed in the Central Regional today (May 10) when the NCAA released its 56-team Division II bracket.
 
The Gorillas will host a four-team regional pod from May 14-17 at Al Ortolani Field. Pitt State (43-9) will face No. 8 seed Arkansas Tech University (35-20) in its opening action Thursday (May 14). ATU claimed the 2026 Great American Conference tournament crown.

Northwest Missouri State University, will open play as the No. 4 seed in the Pittsburg pod against fifth-seeded Augustana (S.D.), the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and tournament champion.
 
The Gorillas are making the program's seventh trip to the NCAA-II National Tournament – their second straight appearance in the NCAA postseason after the 2025 squad claimed a Central Region crown and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. Pitt State made three straight trips to the Central Regional from 1997-99 as well as berths in 2002 and 2018.
 
The Gorillas claimed the program's first ever MIAA Regular Season Championship earlier this season. Pitt State outscored its opposition 45-14 while sweeping through its MIAA competition in the 2026 MIAA Baseball Championship at Edmond, Okla., this past week. The Gorillas posted run-rule wins over the University of Central Oklahoma (13-2) Thursday, NWMSU (21-11) Friday and Emporia State University (11-1) Saturday in the tournament Final.
 
No. 2 seed Rogers State University, the MIAA regular season runner-up and a quarterfinal round exit from the postseason tournament, will serve as the host of a Claremore, Okla., regional pod. The Hillcats will match up against No. 7 seed Missouri Southern State University in opening-round action. No. 3 seed University of Central Missouri will face off against No. 6 seed Minnesota State University, the NSIC regular season and postseason tournament runner-up, in the other half of the bracket.
 
The winner of the Pittsburg and Claremore regional pods will advance to face one another in a best-of-three Super Regional Series, May 22-23, at the site of the highest advancing seed. The winner of the Super Regional will qualify for the eight-team 2026 Division II World Series to be played in Cary, N.C., at the USA Baseball Complex, May 30-June 6.
 
Stay tuned to www.pittstategorillas.com for additional information about the 2026 NCAA Central Regional.

 
2026 NCAA Division II National Tournament
 
Central Regional, Pittsburg, Kan. Pod, May 14-17
No. 1 Pittsburg State (43-9) vs. No. 8 Arkansas Tech (35-20)
No. 4 Northwest Missouri (36-16) vs. No. 5 Augustana (41-13)
 
Central Regional, Claremore, Okla. Pod, May 14-17
No. 2 Rogers State (38-13) vs. No. 7 Missouri Southern (33-17)
No. 3 Central Missouri (35-15) vs. No. 6 Minnesota State (40-14)