DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team welcomes the Bradley Braves to Ron Buel Field this weekend for its final regular season series of 2016. Drake and Bradley will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon with the series finale Sunday at noon.
 
The three-game series against Braves has major implications at stake for the Bulldogs with a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title still up for grabs and seeding for next week's MVC Tournament in Carbondale, Ill. still to be determined. The winner of the three-day, single elimination, MVC Tournament earns the league's automatic berth to the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
 
Wichita State (32-18, 17-5 MVC) clinched at least a share of the regular season title Tuesday night with its comeback win over Missouri State. Drake (26-23, 14-8 MVC) is currently in second place and would need to sweep Bradley (18-26, 12-11 MVC) and have Southern Illinois (30-17, 13-9 MVC) win all three games at Wichita State this weekend. This would give the Bulldogs a share of the title, but the Shockers the top seed for the tournament after sweeping the season series over Drake. UNI (36-17, 14-9 MVC) is in third place with SIU and Bradley in fourth and fifth, respectively. UNI travels to Illinois State for its final three games.
 
Drake's seeding for the MVC Tournament can be anywhere from the number two seed to the number five seed. The top two seeds clinch a double bye into the semifinals, while the three and four seeds earn a bye into the quarterfinals. Drake won the 2015 regular season title.
 
Drake is coming off a weather-shortened two-game series split at Illinois State. The Redbirds squeaked out the first game by a score of 1-0 before the Bulldogs rebounded with a 7-4 victory in game two. The third scheduled game of the series was cancelled due to rain.
 
This weekend Drake will honor its lone senior Mariah McKinnon (Oxford, Iowa). McKinnon, a pitcher, is 5-9 this season with a 6.50 earned run average and 37 strikeouts. She played in 146 career games and earned three letters with 62 appearances in the circle.
 
The MVC Tournament begins next week, May 12-14, in Carbondale, Ill. Every game will be broadcast via The Valley On ESPN3.