The pair of games were a late addition to the schedule for Mizzou, who announced the matchup just two days earlier on Thursday. Both games resulted in shutout victories for the Tigers, by scores of 10-0 and 2-0, respectively, with game one a six-inning run-rule victory.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and 15-25 on the year coming in, were ranked #264 in the last RPI rankings, out of 296 Division I teams.
In what the Missouri press release called a “corresponding move” to the scheduling of the UAPB doubleheader, a previously-scheduled pair of games between Missouri and Wichita State, then-scheduled for Wednesday, May 2, has been cancelled and removed from the Tigers’ schedule. The games were scheduled to be played at Wilkins Stadium at Wichita State.
Wichita State, who were 27-17 coming into the weekend, boast a 2018 resume that includes wins over Texas, Marshall, Nebraska, and Arkansas. The Shockers swept the two-game season series with Oklahoma State and held a six-run lead over Oklahoma until the bottom of the 6th inning in a single game in Norman in early April.
Wichita State held the #28 spot in the latest RPI rankings.
According to a press release and social media posts out of Wichita, the scheduled doubleheader was “bought-out” by Missouri, who exercised their contractual right to not play the Shockers in order to play the games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
As they now sit four games over .500, Missouri’s sudden change of plans could literally buy them a position in the NCAA tournament. Here’s how: In order to qualify for consideration for a berth in the NCAA tournament, a team must first have a win-loss record of .500 or better. Other criteria may come into play, but a .500-plus record is paramount. After the pair of wins over UAPB, Mizzou now sits four games above the necessary plateau. The Tigers will host Florida for a three-game SEC series to close out the regular season next weekend. The Gators are heavy favorites to sweep the series, which would leave Mizzou just a single game above the .500 mark going into the SEC tournament. Even with a one-and-done showing in that tournament (which will be held in Columbia), Missouri and interim head coach Gina Fogue would still sit at .500 and be eligible for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, should they be selected.
Had the Wichita State doubleheader gone ahead as scheduled, and the same projected outcome vs. Florida and in the SEC tournament held true, Missouri would have had to sweep the Shockers to hold the same postseason chance as they do in the present day. That was hardly a sure thing.
