Pittsburg State first baseman Paxtyn Hayes is a second-team selection on the all-Central Region team, which was announced Wednesday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Hayes, who was a first-team all-MIAA choice, batted .357 with 31 runs scored, 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 58 runs batted in. She also had a team-high .701 slugging percentage.
Hayes, from Greenwood, Ark., led the MIAA in RBI and ranked sixth in homers and slugging percentage.
SOFTBALL REGIONAL
MIAA teams occupy the top three seeds for this week's Central Region softball tournament that begins Thursday.
The eight-team bracket is split into two double-elimination tournaments.
Central Oklahoma (47-6 and riding a 16-game winning streak) is the top seed and will play host to three Great American Conference teams in Edmond. The Bronchos play Southeastern Oklahoma (33-25) in the first game, followed by fourth-seeded Harding (44-12) vs. Oklahoma Baptist (43-10).
UCO won the conference and postseason tournament. OBU and Harding finished 1-2 in the GAC regular season, but Southeastern Oklahoma won the tournament.
There are four 40-win teams in the other half of the bracket, which will be played at Missouri Southern's Pat Lipira Softball Complex.
The second-seeded Lions (40-13) play Minnesota-Duluth (40-11) at 2 p.m. Thursday, and third-seeded and defending national champion Rogers State (43-12) faces Southern Arkansas (41-13) at 4:30.
Ironically, Minnesota-Duluth beat MSSU in the women's basketball regional championship game in Duluth.
This is the first time in 30 years that Missouri Southern has been a regional host. The Lions played the regional at home in 1992 — their national championship season — and 1993. Both teams were coached by Pat Lipira.
The winner of each half of the bracket advances to a best-of-3 series next week for a spot in the eight-team World Series.
TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Northwest Missouri and Washburn are among the 16 teams in this week's Division II Men's Tennis National Championship in Orlando, Fla.
The Bearcats and Ichabods are in action Thursday, the first day of the tournament.
Northwest Missouri (15-6) is the No. 8 seed and plays ninth-seeded Cameron (16-3) at 7 p.m.
Washburn (17-7) is seeded 12th and plays No. 5 Wayne State (22-9) at 11 a.m.
Valdosta State is the top seed. The championship match is at 6 p.m. Monday.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Nebraska-Kearney's team along with Yasmin Hang of Northeastern State and Paige Hoffman of Northwest Missouri have qualified for the women's golf national championship, set for May 16-20 in Eureka, Mo.
The Lopers finished third in the regional tournament that ended Tuesday in Larchwood, Iowa. The Lopers had a 54-hole total of 886, only one shot behind runner-up Augustana. Henderson State won the team title with 877.
Central Missouri, the first-time MIAA champion, was fourth at 898, one spot away from a national berth.
Hang won the regional's individual medalist honor with a 4-under-par 212 after rounds of 74-69-69. She is the fourth player in school history to be the regional medalist and the first since 2004.
Hoffman, the MIAA individual champion, matched par 216 (68-73-75) to tie for third place and become the first Bearcat golfer to advance to the national tournament.
JIM HENRY is sports editor of the Morning Sun and receives correspondence at jhenry@morningsun.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Jim_Henry53.
