WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Fort Hays State women’s basketball senior Tatyana Legette has been named a D2CCA All-Central Region performer, announced Thursday (March 14). Legette was one of five players in the region to earn a spot on the first team.

D2SIDA Press Release (PDF)

Legette is in the midst of a stellar senior season, adding All-Region honors to her MIAA Player of the Year and MIAA Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards. She leads the team with 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, ranking in the top 13 in the MIAA in each category. She scored in double figures 22 times through the MIAA championship, compiling nine double-doubles in the process. Legette was named MIAA Athlete of the Week three times.

For her career, the Topeka, Kan. native has amassed 1,210 points, ranking 11th on the all-time list, and 841 rebounds, good for fourth in program history. Her career totals also rank in the top seven in team history in blocks (122), field goal percentage (50.9 percent), free throws made (352) and free throw attempts (463).

Legette helped lead the Tigers to a 30-1 record entering the NCAA Championship tournament, the fewest losses in the regular season in program history. FHSU captured both the MIAA regular season and MIAA tournament championships, becoming the first team to do so since 2012. The Tigers earned an automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship, their fifth trip to the big dance. As the No. 1 seed in the region, FHSU will host the Central Regional inside Gross Memorial Coliseum beginning Friday (March 15). The Tigers open the tournament against conference rival Pittsburg State at 5 p.m. Friday.

Sports information directors from NCAA Division II Central Region schools and conferences selected the D2CCA all-region teams. Legette will now move on to the All-American ballot, with selections announced later in the month.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two days after allowing just two runs in a pair of tough-luck 1-0 losses, FHSU surrendered 23 runs on Wednesday in 12-4 and 11-8 losses to Oklahoma Baptist. The Tigers went winless on their four-game road swing to Oklahoma in non-conference action and dipped to 7-8 overall on the season. Oklahoma Baptist improved to 10-14 overall with the wins on a day where the wind was howling out.

Game 1: Oklahoma Baptist 12, Fort Hays State 4
Game one of the doubleheader was shortened to six innings due to the run rule, which the Bison reached in the bottom of the sixth. The game did not get off to a good start when FHSU starter Michaelanne Nelson surrendered five runs in the first inning, including four on a grand slam by Demi Dobbs, after issuing a pair of walks to load the bases. Nelson lasted only a third of an inning before turning the ball over to Megan Jamison in relief.

Jamison held the Bison at bay over the second, third, and fourth innings, allowing FHSU to claw its way back into the game. In the second inning, Terran Caldwell drove in Fort Hays State’s first run with an RBI single. In the third, Bailey Boxberger laced a seeing-eye single through the right side of the infield to plate the Tigers’ second run. In the fifth, a double to lead off the inning by Sara Breckbill and then an RBI double by Elise Capra pulled the Tigers within two at 5-3. However, the progress all went away when OBU plated five more runs in the bottom of the fifth. A bases-clearing throwing error plated the last three runs of the five in the inning.

After coming into the game in relief in the pitching circle in the fifth, Sierra Rodriguez gave the Tigers their final run of the game with a solo home run in the sixth, making the score 10-4 in favor of OBU. A two-out, two-run double by OBU in the bottom of the sixth pushed the score to the run-rule margin of eight.

In relief, Jamison went 4.0 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk. Rodriguez allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk in 1.1 innings of work. Nelson took the loss, moving to 2-4 on the year.

Game 2: Oklahoma Baptist 11, Fort Hays State 8
The Tigers saw another rough start in game two when Oklahoma Baptist plated four runs in the first. Three consecutive singles plated the first run for OBU, then a three-run homer by Demi Dobbs instantly pushed the lead to four.

Tiger starter Hailey Chapman settled in and held the Bison scoreless in the second and third before the Tigers erupted for a huge eight-run fourth inning to take their first lead of the day.

FHSU started its rally with a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Sierra Rodriguez took a wild pitch in the foot, which forced in Fort Hays State’s first run. Terran Caldwell then knocked in a run on a fielding error by the third baseman, cutting the lead in half. Katie Adler tied the game up with a single up the middle plating two runs. Caldwell and Adler then came in to score on a Sara Breckbill double to the left center gap, giving FHSU the lead at 6-4. Bailey Boxberger then sent a ball over the left field wall for her third home run of the season and pushed the Tiger advantage to 8-4. However, it was not enough as the Tigers nearly gave back all of its runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Oklahoma Baptist plated its first pair of runs in the fourth on a two-RBI double with one out. Another double instantly made the score 8-7 in favor of FHSU. A walk, then a two-out single wound up loading the bases. Shelby Savage made the Tigers pay by hitting OBU’s second grand slam of the day and erasing all the work the Tigers accomplished in the top half of the inning. Chapman lasted only 3.2 innings before handing the ball to Michaelanne Nelson, who kept the Bison scoreless over the final 2.1 innings. But, the damage was done and FHSU was held scoreless the rest of the way as well.

Tiger Notes
-The pair of losses on Wednesday to Oklahoma Baptist were the first losses this year in which the Tigers scored more than one run.
-The Tigers had not surrendered more than 8 runs in a game this season until both contests Wednesday.
-Bailey Boxberger led the Tigers with 3 RBI for the day.
-Sara Breckbill led the Tigers in hits for the day, going 4-for-7 at the dish.

Up Next
Fort Hays State now gears up for weekend conference matchups at home with Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. FHSU swept Pittsburg State in a non-conference doubleheader earlier this season in Pittsburg.

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – The Fort Hays State women’s golf team finished fourth at the spring-portion opening SMSU Spring Invitational (March 11-12). The event was held at Wigwam Heritage Course (Red), a par-72, 5,806-yard course. The Tigers shot rounds of 326 and 336 to finish 86-over (662) for the tournament.

Seniors Hannah Perkins and Kelsey McCarthy led Fort Hays State as they finished in a tie for seventh individually. They both fired identical rounds of 9-over (81) and 10-over (82) to finish 19-over (163) for the week.

Taylor DeBoer tied for 15th individually with rounds of 85 and 83. Katie Brungardt was solo 17th after firing off rounds of 81 and 89. Kylie McCarthy shot 83 and 90.

Western New Mexico won the tournament, shooting 63-over par (639) as a team. Lindenwood finished second after shooting 648 as a team. Sioux Falls finished third with a total score of 656. Brenda Dominguez of Western New Mexico was the individual champion at 10-over par (154).

The Tigers are back in action this weekend as they will compete in the SMSU Spring Challenge (March 15-16) in Avondale, Ariz. at Coldwater Golf Club.

HAYS, Kan. – Most of the snow has melted away, but field conditions and more precipitation in the forecast has forced the Fort Hays State baseball team to shift another home series away from Larks Park. The Tigers will take on Missouri Southern in a three-game conference series in Joplin, Mo. beginning Friday (March 15) and continuing through the weekend. First pitch Friday is set for 3 p.m. before a 1 p.m. start Saturday and a noon finale Sunday.

Because it was originally scheduled as a home series, the Tigers will play all three games as the designated home team.

The Tigers are 18-36 all-time against Missouri Southern, including a 7-22 mark in Joplin. Despite a loss, the Tigers left the field on a high note during their last trip to Warren Turner Field. Alex Weiss, Ryan Grasser and Dayton Pomeroy combined for the first Tiger triple play in more than five years in the final defensive half inning of the 2018 season.

Fort Hays State, winners of two of its last four games, heads to Joplin with a 2-15 overall record and a 2-7 mark in league play. The Lions have opened the year 15-5 overall and 7-2 in MIAA action.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Fort Hays State pitchers Michaelanne Nelson and Hailey Chapman both had solid outings in the pitching circle on Monday (Mar. 11), but had no wins to show for it in a pair of 1-0 losses to Oklahoma Christian. They were outdueled by OCU hurlers Madison Hagood and Kali Crandall, who held the Tiger offense scoreless in 15 innings of work. FHSU moved to 7-6 overall, while OCU improved to 18-5 overall.

Game 1: Oklahoma Christian 1, Fort Hays State 0
In the first contest of the day, Fort Hays State scratched out just three hits against Madison Hagood, who tossed a complete game with nine strikeouts and just one walk. The Tigers had only one runner reach second base in the game. Terran Caldwell, Sara Breckbill, and Elise Capra were the Tigers who collected hits.

Michaelanne Nelson matched Hagood with zeros all the way through the fifth inning, but back-to-back one-out singles put the Eagles in business in the sixth. Kayla Eichler, who was 3-for-3 in the game for OCU, drove in the winning run with a third-consecutive single in the inning. It was off Hailey Chapman, who just entered the game, but the run responsibility was Nelson’s. In 5.1 innings of work, Nelson took the loss with seven hits and one walk allowed, while striking out five.

Game 2: Oklahoma Christian 1, Fort Hays State 0 (8 inn.)
The second contest of the day was much like the first with runs hard to come by. Hailey Chapman tossed a complete-game effort for FHSU, but it was not enough as FHSU fell in the international tiebreaker format.

The game remained scoreless through seven innings, so the Tigers began the tiebreaker format with a runner on second. Missed bunt attempts leading to a strikeout in Fort Hays State’s first at bat of the eighth were costly. Eventually the Tigers got runners to second and third with two outs, but a groundout ended the threat.

In the bottom half of the inning, OCU got its sacrifice down in the first at bat successfully, getting the runner to third with just one out. After a walk, OCU’s Bridget White ended the game with a long RBI single that nearly reached the center field fence.

The Tigers had only four hits in the contest, half by Grace Philop who went 2-for-2 at the dish. Bailey Boxberger and Lily Sale also collected hits.

On the other hand, Chapman allowed just four hits in her 7.1 inning effort. She walked three and struck out six. She is now 4-3 on the season.

Kali Crandall went seven innings in the circle for OCU, allowing four hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. Madison Hagood relieved her at the beginning of the international tiebreaker format in the eighth and recorded one strikeout. Hagood moved to 8-2, picking up the win after her team broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth.

Tiger Notes
-Fort Hays State has scored one or less runs in all six of its losses this year. The Tigers have been shutout four of those six times.
-Five of Fort Hays State’s last six games have resulted in shutouts, one in favor of FHSU and four in favor of its opponents.

Fort Hays State looks to get the bats going at Oklahoma Baptist on Tuesday (Mar. 12). The Tigers are scheduled to begin a doubleheader with the Bison at 2 pm in Shawnee.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After coming up short in its previous two trips to the MIAA Championship title game, the third-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team got the job done on the third try, defeating Central Missouri 63-56 to win its first MIAA Tournament championship Sunday (March 10). As a result, the Tigers (30-1) have earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball championship.

This is Fort Hays State’s 11th conference championship in program history and its second conference tournament title (1993 RMAC Shootout). The Tigers now have 30 wins on the season, tied for the second most in program history. It was the 103rd victory over the last four years, matching the team’s best four-year stretch.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights

The Tigers never trailed in the contest, taking the lead 11 seconds in on a layup from tournament Most Outstanding Player Tatyana Legette and never letting up. Fort Hays State scored the first seven points of the game and scored on its first eight possessions, racing out to an 18-5 lead less than five minutes into the game. Both teams were highly efficient in the first quarter, combining to hit nearly 70 percent from the floor (16-of-23).

But Central Missouri proved why it was the No. 2 seed in the tournament, fighting back within four by the end of the first quarter, 22-18, before closing within a bucket to start the second stanza. The teams cooled off significantly in the second quarter, scoring just 16 total points. Fort Hays State padded its lead back to eight by the halftime break, 32-24.

Lanie Page scored six quick points out of the break to stretch the lead to 14, putting the lead in double figures where it would remain for the rest of the third quarter. The lead grew as high as 15 in the final quarter, 50-35, before the Jennies put together one final run. UCM went on a 17-8 run to close within two possessions with less than a minute to go, 58-52. The Tigers iced the game thanks to a 5-for-6 effort from the free-throw line over the final 32 seconds.

Tatyana Legette was joined on the All-Tournament team by Lanie Page and Taylor Rolfs. Rolfs led the team with 17 points while Legette put together her ninth double-double, totaling 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Page contributed 10 points, four steals, two blocks and three assists while Belle Barbieri added 10 points and two steals.

The Tigers turned Central Missouri over 19 times, totaling 12 steals and three blocks. The Tigers shot 46.0 percent from the floor (23-of-50), their 16th game with a shooting percentage of 45 percent or better.

Fort Hays State is the first No. 1 seed to win the MIAA Championship since 2013, ending the longest drought in tournament history.

The Tigers will now await the official announcement of the field of 64 in this year’s NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship, set to be released tonight at 9 p.m. via NCAA.com.

EMPORIA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the series opener to Emporia State on Sunday, 9-3. The Tigers dip to 1-14 overall and 1-6 in the MIAA, while the Hornets moved to 8-6 overall and 5-2 in conference action.

The Tigers fell behind early to the Hornets with a 2-0 deficit after one inning of play. ESU pushed across a couple more runs in the top of the fourth inning. FHSU was able to plate a run in the home half of the fourth frame when Jake Taylor reached on a throwing error by the second baseman, scoring Ryan Stoecklein.

Emporia State was able to pick up a run in the fifth inning and another in the eighth inning. The Tigers were able to claw back with a two-run comeback in the eighth frame. Ryan Grasser was hit by pitch to start the inning, earning his second trip on the bases in the contest. Ryan Stoecklein was walked and then Marcus McDaniel pinch ran for the first baseman.

The very next batter, Taylan Mullins-Ohm was able to rope an RBI double to centerfield scoring Grasser from second base. Landon Erway kept the inning alive by producing a run from McDaniel after reaching on a fielder’s choice. The Hornets were able to score three run in the ninth frame putting the game out of reach for the Tigers.

Fort Hays State looks to earn a split in the series on Monday (Mar. 11) with a doubleheader commencing at 12 p.m. from Emporia, Kan.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team sits second in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings for the second week in a row, released Wednesday (March 6) by the league office. It is the final set of regional rankings that will be announced before the official NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship bracket is released on Sunday, March 10.

The 27-1 Tigers wrapped up the regular season with two more home wins last week, including a win over eighth-ranked Pittsburg State. Southwestern Oklahoma State, also 27-1 overall, sits atop the rankings after picking up a pair of road wins over the final week of the regular season.

There was a bit of shuffling in the rankings below the top two, with Central Missouri sliding back up to No. 3 after sitting at No. 4 last week. No. 7 Lindenwood and No. 8 Pittsburg State both moved up one spot after No. 9 Concordia-St. Paul dropped two slots. East Central enters the region ranks for the first time at No. 10, replacing Washburn.

The Tigers are 5-1 against teams currently ranked in the top 10 in the region, while SWOSU is 2-1.

The champions of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC tournaments will all earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship field, with the next five teams in the region also earning an at-large selection. The top team in the region earns the right to host the regional tournament, which will be held March 15-18.

After finishing the regular season with only one loss for the first time in program history, the Tigers will look to keep the momentum going into the postseason. Fort Hays State will open play in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship at 6 p.m. Thursday (March 7). The top-seeded Tigers await the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western.

The complete NCAA Division II Central Region rankings for February 27, 2019 can be found below.