The Central Methodist University softball team is set to host Missouri Valley College in a best-of-three series for the opening round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference postseason tournament. The two teams will square off in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Friday at the Cox Softball Complex. Game three, if necessary, will be played at a time to be determined on Saturday.

Central Methodist enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after winning the HAAC regular-season championship for the second time in the past four years. The Lady Eagles are currently 37-13 this season, which ties the school record for wins in a season. Missouri Valley, the tournament's No. 8 seed, enters this weekend's series with a record of 12-23 overall.

Central Methodist earned a sweep of Missouri Valley when the two teams met during the regular season on April 2. The Lady Eagles won game one 3-2, before beating Missouri Valley 8-0 in five innings in game two.
Three other first-round series will be played at higher seeds Friday and Saturday. No. 2-seed MidAmerica Nazarene University will host No. 7-seed Benedictine College, No. 3-seed Lindenwood University will host No. 6-seed William Jewell College, and No. 4-seed Evangel University will host No. 5-seed Baker University. The winners of each opening-round series will advance to a double-elimination tournament May 6-7 hosted by the highest remaining seed.

To see the complete bracket for the 2011 HAAC softball postseason tournament, visit www.haacsports.com.