RAM NOTES
South Central Bracket

SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State baseball team will head to Warrensburg, Mo. this week after it was announced late on Sunday night that the Rams would be playing in the South Central Regional on the campus of Central Missouri in the regional round of the 2012 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship. ASU will open the tournament against Southern Arkansas (36-15) at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the first day's final game.

Central Missouri (44-7) is the tournament's top seed and will open against St. Edward's, while St. Mary's (44-8) is the second seed and plays Texas A&M-Kingsville (31-16). The tournament is double elimination with the winner advancing the DII World Series in Cary, N.C.

"Everybody in this tournament is a quality program that is bringing a great team," ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge. We are playing good right now, but have to continue getting better and staying focused."

Angelo State enters the national postseason tournament with a 40-15 record and having won 12 of its last 14 games. The Rams earned the automatic bid after winning the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship last week.

ASU, which has outscored its opponents 397-221 this season, is hitting .322 as a team through its first 55 games of the season and its pitching staff maintains a 3.72 earned run average. The Rams are 0-2 all-time against SAU, including a 7-0 loss this season that snapped a six-game winning streak to start the year. ASU split its season series against St. Mary's 1-1 and split its conference series against TAMUK 2-2. The Rams did not play St. Edward's or Central Missouri this season.