FORT WORTH — Top-seeded Texas Wesleyan University will open the Sooner Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday when the Rams host No. 8 seed College of the Ozarks in a best-of-three opening-round series.

Texas Wesleyan enters the postseason with one of the strongest seasons in program history. The Rams carry a 37–7 overall record and a 22–5 mark in conference play after capturing the SAC regular-season championship.

The 22 league victories set a new program record, surpassing the previous mark of 20 conference wins achieved in 2003, 2011 and 2013.

The Rams secured the top seed in the tournament after completing a sweep of Wayland Baptist University in the final conference series of the regular season, clinching their first SAC regular-season title since 2023 and the third since joining the conference.

Texas Wesleyan's success in 2026 has been fueled by consistency throughout the lineup and strong pitching depth. The Rams have combined timely hitting with reliable bullpen work to compile one of the best records in the NAIA this season

The 22 conference wins also represent the most by any Texas Wesleyan team since the program joined the SAC in 2014, further solidifying the Rams' position as the league's top team entering tournament play.

The opening round of the 2016 Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament features best-of-three series hosted by the higher seed. The winner of the Texas Wesleyan–College of the Ozarks match-up will advance to the quarterfinal round in Joplin, Mo. as the Rams pursue the program's first SAC Tournament championship

Texas Wesleyan has produced several memorable runs in the conference tournament since entering the SAC.

In 2017, the Rams advanced to the championship game after sweeping University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in the opening round before falling in a dramatic 15–14 title game to Oklahoma City University.

The Rams also advanced past the opening round in 2022 with a 12–10 victory over Mid-America Christian University, and the program captured SAC regular-season championships in 2016 and 2023 prior to this year's title.

A series victory would move Texas Wesleyan into the SAC Tournament quarterfinals and keep the Rams' postseason run alive as they attempt to pair their regular-season championship with the program's first conference tournament crown.

With a record-setting regular season already secured, the Rams now turn their focus to postseason success as they begin their quest for the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament title.

Series Information

• Matchup: (1) Texas Wesleyan University Rams vs. (8) College of the Ozarks Bobcats
• Location: Sycamore Park – Fort Worth, Texas
• Format: Three-game conference series
• Game 1: Friday @ 12 p.m.
• Game 2: Friday @ 3 p.m. (Doubleheader)
• Game 3: Saturday @ 1 p.m. (if needed)