Missouri State will hope to recapture the magic it caught in 2022 when it made a run from the first day of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament before winning it all and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
After an 18-11 loss to Southern Illinois to wrap up the regular season on Saturday, the Bears locked up the eight-seed in the MVC Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Evansville, Indiana.
The Bears will play fifth-seeded Illinois Chicago at 2:30 p.m. for a chance to play regular-season champion and nationally-ranked Indiana State the following day. The double-elimination tournament will see the Bears play at least one game on Tuesday and Wednesday.
It will be Missouri State's final chance at extending Keith Guttin's career as he's set to retire once it ends. The 42-year head coach has led the Bears to 21 regular-season or conference tournament championships since 1983.
More: Missouri State celebrates Keith Guttin and the baseball family he created
When is the 2024 MVC Baseball Tournament?
- Dates: Tuesday, May 21 through Saturday, May 25
- Location: German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville, Indiana
2024 Missouri Valley Conference final regular-season standings
- Indiana State (39-11, 22-5)
- Murray State (37-18, 17-10)
- Evansville (31-23, 17-10)
- Illinois State (28-25, 16-11)
- Illinois Chicago (33-18, 16-11)
- Southern Illinois (31-25, 12-15)
- Belmont (25-30, 12-15)
- Missouri State (23-32, 11-16)
- Valparaiso (14-38, 6-21)
- Bradley (13-37-1, 6-21)
The top eight teams in the Missouri Valley Conference qualify for its postseason tournament.
2024 MVC Baseball Tournament schedule
All times central
First round: Tuesday, May 21
- Game 1: No. 5 UIC vs. No. 8 Missouri State, 2:30 p.m.
- Game 2: No. 6 Southern Illinois vs. No. 7 Belmont, 6 p.m.
Second round: Wednesday, May 22
- Game 3: No. 3 Evansville vs. No. 4 Illinois State, 9 AM
- Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:30 PM
- Game 5: No. 1 Indiana State vs. TBD, 4 p.m.
- Game 6: No. 2 Murray State vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m.
More: What Keith Guttin means to Missouri State baseball and the many lives he's touched
Third round: Thursday, May 23
- Game 7: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 9 a.m.
- Game 8: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, 12:30 p.m.
- Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 4 p.m.
- Game 10: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 6, 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Friday, May 24
- Game 11: TBD, 11 a.m.
- Game 12: TBD, 2:30 p.m.
- Game 13: TBD, 6 p.m.
Championship: Saturday, May 25
- Game 14: MVC Championship, 2:30 p.m.
- Game 15: MVC Championship (If Necessary), 6 p.m.
More: Keith Guttin: A timeline of the Missouri State baseball coach's career
2024 MVC Tournament format
This year's format gives the top four seeds based on regular-season finish a bye into Day 2 of the tournament, while seeds five through eight will play on Tuesday, May 21. The tournament is a double-elimination format.
How to watch MVC Baseball Tournament live:
2024 Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament bracket
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: MVC Baseball Tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, standings before 2024 championship
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