Fort Hays State baseball was picked to fifth in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Wednesday, January 23. The MIAA expands to 15 teams this year in baseball as each member institution has the sport. Fort Hays State finished sixth in the regular season last year and made the MIAA Tournament Championship Game in just Steve Johnson’s second year as head coach.
Entering his third year at the helm, Steve Johnson has compiled an overall record of 57-47, finishing five games over .500 in each of his first two seasons. The Tigers finished 29-24 last year with a 20-19 MIAA mark.
Picked atop the poll once again is three-time defending conference champion Central Missouri, which starts the year ranked fourth in the nation. Missouri Western and Emporia State, which are each in the Top 40 of the ABCA Division II poll, are picked behind UCM in second and third respectively. Conference newcomer Central Oklahoma is picked fourth after going 31-17 in 2012. Missouri Southern and Washburn, which both finished ahead of the Tigers in the MIAA regular season standings last year, are picked behind the Tigers in sixth and seventh respectively.
Headlining the returners to the 2013 squad is senior Ryan Busboom, an All-America First Team selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Daktronics and the Daktronics South Central Region Player of the Year in 2012. Busboom had a monster year offensively, hitting .386 with 17 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBI and 50 runs scored, while slugging .718. Busboom, who started every game last year in the outfield, is likely to move back to the infield at third base this year with the depth the Tigers have in the outfield. Catchers Jay Sanders and Shane Wade, and second baseman Chris Santoscoy, who were a regular part of the lineup in 2012, also return to the squad this year as seniors.
FHSU returns two from its 2012 starting rotation on the mound in seniors Alex Ellison and Jesse Hart. Kyle Leroy, Sam Thornton, Nathan Zimmerman, and Tayler Davis also return after seeing significant action on the mound in 2012.
Below is the 2013 MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll…
2013 MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (14) 196
2. Missouri Western (1) 175
3. Emporia State 160
4. Central Oklahoma 152
5. Fort Hays State 136
6. Missouri Southern 135
7. Washburn 118
8. Lindenwood 108
9. Pittsburg State 91
10. Northwest Missouri 75
11. Northeastern State 64
12. Nebraska-Kearney 62
13. Southwest Baptist 43
14. Truman 41
15. Lincoln 19
-FHSU Sports Information-