BOX SCORE
Central Region Tournament Website

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. --- Minnesota State defeated Emporia State, 6-3, for the second time this weekend to earn its third consecutive NCAA Central Region championship and fourth in the last five years Sunday afternoon at Tech Field on the campus of Arkansas Tech.
 
MSU now stands 45-9 on the year and will play Seton Hill next Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. EST in Cary, N.C., marking the Mavericks' eighth appearance at the NCAA Division II College World Series. ESU's season comes to an end with a 42-19 overall ledger.
 
For the second time in the regional tournament, Emporia State scored first against MSU as the Hornets drew a bases loaded, one-out walk in the bottom of the second inning to jump in front by a run.
 
Minnesota State responded with a trio of runs in the top of the fourth frame. Senior Parker Sullivan banged a leadoff single into left field before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and fielder's choice. Junior Nolan Johnson followed with a RBI infield single to the ESU second baseman, and senior Stetson Olson backed that up with a two-run blast over the fence in right field for his 13th round-tripper of the season, tied for fourth in MSU single-season history. The Hornets capitalized on the sixth Maverick walk of the afternoon in the bottom of the inning as freshman Wade Hanna drew a base on balls and scored two batters later when senior Todd Schultz tagged a double off the base of the fence in left-center field trimming the MSU lead to 3-2.
 
The Mavericks padded the lead in the top of the sixth when Sullivan legged out an infield single with the bases loaded scoring Olson, before an ESU throwing error at first plated sophomore Taylor Branstad from second base stretching the cushion to three runs.
 
Junior Dean Long brought the Hornets within two in the bottom of the seventh working a long at bat off sophomore righthander Josh Matheson and eventually driving a RBI single into right field. However, the Purple and Gold answered right back in the top of the eighth when Sullivan belted a double to the gap in right-center field scoring sophomore Kevin Kramer, who pinch ran for senior Mike Andries.
 
Junior lefthander Matt Geislinger took the hill for the Mavericks in the bottom of the ninth and fanned two Hornets in a perfect frame to secure the 6-3 win and regional championship.
 
Matheson (2-1) struck out three with one hit and earned run over 4.2 innings of work, while senior righthander Taylor Nawrocki scattered two hits and two earned runs over 3.1 innings pitched.
 
Olson ended one-of-four with a home run, two runs and two RBI while being named NCAA Central Region Tournament MVP. Branstad, senior Todd Standish and Sullivan joined him on the All-Tournament Team.