The Northern Colorado baseball team enters its final series of the regular season still in search of a Summit League playoff spot but in control of its own destiny for the four-team tournament later this month.
Northern Colorado is in fourth place in the conference standings for the sake of the Summit League tournament, which will be played May 22-25 at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
UNC (11-15-1) is in fifth place overall in the six-team league. First-place St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, is ineligible to play in the league tournament until 2027 because of its transition to Division I, according to the Summit League.
That leaves UNC and sixth-place South Dakota State (10-15) neck-and-neck for the final playoff spot heading into this final weekend of the regular season. UNC is one-half game ahead of the Jackrabbits, and the teams’ postseason hopes are tied together this weekend.
UNC plays at North Dakota State for three games Thursday-Saturday. North Dakota State (13-10-1) is second in the league standings behind St. Thomas, but the Bison are first for a playoff spot given the Tommies’ ineligibility. NDSU won two of three against Northern Colorado from May 3-5 in Greeley.
South Dakota State plays at University of Nebraska Omaha Thursday-Saturday. Omaha (14-12-1) is in third place in the league standings and second for a playoff spot behind North Dakota State.
UNC (12-35-1 overall ) will qualify for the league tournament with any of the following scenarios, according to the Summit League. These are based on all series being completed.
The Bears’ magic number is three to clinch a playoff spot, meaning the team needs any combination of wins or South Dakota State losses to total three to get into the tournament:
- If UNC sweeps North Dakota State (UNC is 3-0 this weekend);
- If UNC has a 2-1 record against NDSU and South Dakota State loses at least one game to Omaha;
- If UNC has a 2-1 record against NDSU and: South Dakota State sweeps Omaha and St. Thomas sweeps Oral Roberts;
- If UNC is 1-2 against NDSU, and South Dakota State loses two of three against Omaha.
UNC’s magic number was five before last weekend’s series at Oral Roberts. ORU swept the Bears, but UNC received some help with South Dakota State losing two of three against North Dakota State.
Northern Colorado started the season 0-21 in its nonconference schedule. The Bears didn’t win a game until March 22 with a victory over Omaha in their first Summit League game of the year.
