Missouri Western might have dropped two straight on Saturday to bow out of the MIAA tournament ahead of its hopes, but the team remains upbeat and confident. Their national tournament berth — up in the air after the early MIAA exit — is literally a second lease on life.

“I don’t really feel like we lost our swagger at all,” said pitcher Allison Jones, who is 25-4 with a 1.38 ERA. “We just had a couple of bad games.”

And now the Griffons know exactly who they’ll have to get through in order to advance.

First up at the Durant, Okla., super-regional site is third-seeded Abilene Christian (42-13). They play at noon Friday.

Western coach Jen Bagley said Abilene Christian is something of a mirror image of the Griffons. They have a couple of good hitters but no one or two batters dominate their lineup, Bagley said, and they complement it with solid pitching — just like the Griffons.

“Abilene Christian is a very even matchup for us,” Bagley said.

No. 2 seed Southeastern Oklahoma provides a completely different look.

“They are a big power team,” said Bagley, whose Griffons are 45-10. “Pitching’s all about power. Hitting’s all about power. Our approach will have to be a little more ... we’ll just have to have to outsmart them.”

And then there’s MIAA foe Central Missouri, seventh-seeded with a 34-12 record. The Mules snapped the Griffons’ school-record, 32-game winning streak during a doubleheader sweep of Western in mid-April.

Jones, for one, said she particularly looks forward to the matchup with the power-hitting host, Southeastern Oklahoma.

“It’s like a challenge,” Jones said. ““You just have to be bigger with your pitches and hope for the best.”