Buffaloes win division, clinch regional tournament
- Baylan Wysuph
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
It’s that time of the year for the Colorado Buffaloes (18-10, 9-3 Mid-Am West) club baseball team.
For the first time since 2023, the hungry Buffs have finally toppled the Mid-America West to win the division. CU’s 9-3 division record left a three-way tie with the Colorado State Rams and Air Force Falcons. The Buffs advanced on a tie-breaker since they defeated the Falcons, two games to one, in early April.
“It feels really good to win the division,” senior president Nathan Hoffman said. “[It] wasn’t the clearest path, but this team has faced and overcame adversity all year long, and I’m really proud of how we’ve reacted to everything.”
The division title automatically dedicates a spot for Colorado in the Mid-America regional tournament, a return to the circuit for the fifth consecutive season. The last time CU won the Mid-Am West, the team rode it all the way to the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) World Series.
The baseball gods pulled some strings for CU’s first-round matchup in the tournament, against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-6, 8-4 Mid-Am South). Both teams met earlier this spring, for an intense rivalry-fueled three-game series that left the Cornhuskers victorious.
The other side of the bracket hosts NCBA No. 18-ranked Creighton (11-5, 9-3 Mid-Am South), the defending conference champions, and Minnesota State Mankato (12-7, 8-4 Mid-Am North). Both teams won their divisions within the conference, with Nebraska receiving the at-large bid.
“With some time off to recover, we’re looking to put our best lineup together and get some revenge on Nebraska,” Buffs head coach Colin Reynolds said.
The positive 18-10 final record and division title gave Colorado some attention in the latest NCBA top 20 poll. Although still unranked, the Buffs received the second-most votes among unranked teams with 75. MSU Mankato followed closely behind with 74 votes of their own. Nebraska did not receive any.
“We feel pretty good going into round one against Nebraska,” Hoffman said. “We are definitely going into it with confidence and are excited to get to Lincoln and compete.”
The tournament begins this Friday, May 8, and takes place at the Sandhills Global Youth Complex in Lincoln, Nebraska. First pitch of the rivalry’s sequel will begin at 1 p.m. MT.
If Colorado wins, they advance to the semifinals and will play the winner of Creighton versus MSU Mankato. The tournament is double-elimination through the championship.
If the Buffs advance past regionals, they’d travel to Alton, Illinois, for the 2026 NCBA World Series. All eight regional tournament winners face off in a double-elimination bracket to determine the best club baseball team in the country.