ST. PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — The Summit League Baseball Championship opens Wednesday with seed Northern Colorado (16-36) facing seed Omaha (21-24) at CHS Field.

The Bears and Mavericks split their regular-season series, each winning three of six meetings. Omaha took two of three in Greeley, Colorado, on May 1-3, while Northern Colorado won two of three in Omaha on March 20-22. All six games were decided by three runs or fewer, with three requiring extra innings.

Northern Colorado’s offense has struggled overall, averaging 5.3 runs per game, but the Bears showed resilience in a 7-6 win over Oral Roberts on May 14 before dropping the series finale 10-3. Right-hander Logan Borboa delivered a strong outing in that loss, allowing one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts over four innings. Borboa (3-5, 5.40 ERA) has been inconsistent against Omaha this season: He took the loss May 3 after surrendering three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning, but earned a save May 1 with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Third baseman Brandon Sanchez drove in two runs in the May 16 loss and is hitting .276 with four home runs.

Omaha comes in winning four of its last five, including a series sweep of South Dakota State on May 14-16. The Mavericks outscored the Jackrabbits 34-18 in the three games, powered by left fielder Hayden Lewis. Lewis went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs in the 13-8 series finale, and he is 6 for 14 with two homers and seven RBIs over his last four games. Lewis is hitting .329 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs. Omaha’s bullpen has been shaky, allowing 4.9 runs per game, but the offense has carried the team to a 12-9 record in one-run games.

Northern Colorado’s pitching staff has a 7.02 ERA and has allowed 10 or more runs 18 times this season. The Bears will need a strong start from Borboa or another arm to keep pace with Omaha’s lineup. The Mavericks’ pitching — led by Michael Sall, who threw four innings of two-run ball against South Dakota State — has been slightly better with a 6.40 ERA.

The winner advances to the double-elimination bracket. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CDT.