SPRINGFIELD, MO - Missouri State claimed its fifth Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship Sunday afternoon with a 13-3 victory over top-seeded Southern Illinois in the winner-take-all title game after the Salukis forced the issue with a 9-6 win in Sunday's first contest at Hammons Field.

The Bears (30-27) will head to their 12th NCAA Tournament in the school's Division I era in first since 2018 with the league's automatic bid and find out their destination Monday, May 30, at 11 a.m. when the NCAA Selection Show airs live on ESPN2. MSU will also host a watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings (900 E Battlefield Road).

Mason Greer was named the tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by fellow Bears Drake Baldwin, Grant Wood, Walker Jenkins, Cam Cratic and Riyan Rodriguez. Baldwin also earned the league's Elite 17 award as the player with the highest cumulative grade point average that participated in the title game.

Missouri State also won the Valley Tournament in 1996, 1997, 2015 and 2018.

Southern Illinois' first four batters reached safely but it was all Missouri State after that as the Bears routed the Salukis for the title.

Greer's two-run triple tied it in the bottom of the first, Cratic added the go-ahead sac fly, and Jenkins and Baldwin hit RBI singles the next inning for a 5-2 lead.

Jenkins hit a solo homer in the fourth and the Bears piled on four more runs in the sixth with Mason Hull's 14th homer of the year capping the rally for a 10-2 advantage.

Making his 16th start of the season - fourth in school history - and second of the tournament, Adam Link when six innings for the win, with Eric Loomis, Ty Buckner and Jake McMahill tossing the final three frames while the staff did not walk a batter.

Will Duff's three-run homer in the seventh was the icing on the cake, the Bears' 20th long ball of the tournament and 99th this season.

Missouri State piled up 13 hits struck out just two times.

Sunday, May 29 (MVC Championship)
               Game 12: No. 6 Missouri State vs. No. 1 Southern Illinois            SIU, 9-6
               Game 13: No. 6 Missouri State vs. No. 1 Southern Illinois            MSU, 13-3
 
- Missouri State won its fifth MVC tournament title in program history (1996, 1997, 2015, 2018, 2022).
- Missouri State is returning to the NCAA tournament for the 12^th time as a Division I member.
- Missouri State’s 99 home runs this season now sits ninth on the Valley all-time single season list.
 
Breaking the Drought
Missouri State became the first host institution to win the MVC Baseball Tournament Title since 2011 when Creighton won on its home field.  The Bears became the 15^th host to win the title since 1981 joining Creighton and Wichita State as the only teams to do so on their home diamond.
 
Multi-Bid League
Since the 1981 season (40 seasons), the MVC has placed multiple teams into the NCAA Tournament 26 times (65%), including six of the past seven NCAA tournaments. On seven occasions (1990, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2012, 2015, 2019) the MVC has put three teams into the NCAA field. The Valley has placed multiple teams in the NCAA field seven out of the last nine NCAA tournaments.

DBU and Southern Illinois will see if they receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Field on Monday, May 30.  The show can be seen live on ESPN 2 at 11 AM CT. 
 
MVC Baseball All-Tournament Team
C -   Nick Hagedorn, Southern Illinois
C -   Drake Baldwin, Missouri State
1B - Tanner Craig, Evansville
1B – Mason Greer, Missouri State (Most Outstanding Player)
3B – Ryan Rodriguez, Southern Illinois
3B -  Grant Wood, Missouri State
SS -  Walker Jenkins, Missouri State
DH – Cam Cratic, Missouri State
OF – Pier Olivier Boucher, Southern Illinois
P  -  Matt Jachec, Indiana State
P -   Shane Gray, Evansville
P -   Riyan Rodriguez, Missouri State
 
Elite 17
Drake Baldwin, Missouri State (3.85 GPA in General Business)