The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team will enter the postseason ranked third in both national polls, released Tuesday (March 5). The Tigers are third in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll for the third time this season while they sit third in the D2SIDA National Media Poll for the fourth week in a row and fifth time overall.

After two wins last week, the Tigers have won 10 games all-time when ranked third in the coaches poll, tied for the most wins at any spot in the standings (10-2 when ranked third, fourth 10-1). Overall, Fort Hays State is 78-23 when ranked in the top 25.

This is the third time Fort Hays State has entered the MIAA Championships ranked nationally. The Tigers are 3-2 in the conference tournament as a nationally ranked team, entering the 2015 tournament ranked sixth and the 2016 tournament ranked 16th.

Fort Hays State is the top-ranked team among both MIAA and Central Region rivals. Central Missouri is ranked 24th in this week’s coaches poll and 21st in the media variety. Southwestern Oklahoma State is ranked eighth according to the coaches and fifth in the media poll.

The Tigers head into postseason play Thursday (March 7) when they take on the winner of Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western in the MIAA Championship quarterfinals. First tip from historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. is set for 6 p.m.

The complete national polls for March 5, 2019 can be found below.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State women’s basketball senior Tatyana Legette standout performance in her final two regular season home games has earned Legette her third MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week honor of the season, announced Tuesday (March 5) by the league office. It is the fifth time the forward has earned the honor in her illustrious career.

Legette did all she could to ensure the Tigers would complete the regular season undefeated at home, posting 14 points, eight rebounds four assists and two blocks in a 20-point win over Missouri Southern before recording a Senior Day performance for the ages.

Donning fellow senior Carly Heim’s No. 13, the Topeka, Kan. native matched her career high with 25 points in her final regular season home contest. Legette added 10 rebounds, recording her 20th career double-double, while dishing out six assists and swiping two steals to help the Tigers pull out a win over Pittsburg State.

For the week, Legette averaged 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 rebounds.

This is the second year in a row that Legette has earned athlete of the week honors following the final week of the regular season.

Legette is one of three players in the league to earn the honor three times this season (Tyra Jones, ESU and Kallie Bildner, LWU). Along with Belle Barbieri’s weekly honor in February, Fort Hays State was one of two MIAA schools to earn four weekly accolades alongside Emporia State.

Legette and the third-ranked Tigers will now set their sights on Kansas City and the MIAA Championship tournament. Top-seeded Fort Hays State will open postseason play on Thursday (March 7) at 6 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium. The Tigers will take on the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State head baseball coach Jerod Goodale has announced the signing of 14 student-athletes that will join the Tigers in the fall of 2019. This year’s initial signing class includes eight true freshmen and six transfers, six pitchers, three outfielders, two infielders, two utility players and one catcher and four sets of teammates.

“We are extremely excited about the guys we have signed so far,” said Goodale. “It is a deep and talented group with a good combination of high school and junior college transfers. All 14 players will have an immediate impact on our program moving forward.

“We feel that this group, combined with the addition of a few more pieces, has a chance to do some special things during their time here in Hays. They will be pivotal in getting the program back to a level we all want it to be.

“Our coaching staff has put in a lot of hard work and effort to assemble a class this big and I can’t thank them enough. We are all looking forward to getting them here in the fall and getting to work.”

Additional signees will continue to be released throughout the spring.

Drake Angeron | Outfielder | Morgan City, La. (Dodge City CC)
Drake Angeron will be a sophomore for the Tigers in the fall after competing with Dodge City (Kan.) Community College for one season. He was a two-sport athlete at Central Catholic High School in Morgan City, La., where he competed in baseball and football. The outfielder helped the Eagles to back-to-back state title games, winning the 2016 championship before finishing runner-up in 2017. He earned All-State honors as a senior while twice picking up all-district honors (2016, 2017).

Zach Berg | Right-handed Pitcher | Parker, Colo. (Western Nebraska CC)
Zach Berg is the first of two signees from Western Nebraska Community College. He was named to the All-Nebraska JUCO baseball team by the Omaha World Herald as an honorable mention selection following his freshman season. The right-handed pitcher tossed 39.2 innings, picking up two wins and one save while striking 31 and walking 12. Berg also played in the Region IX All-Star Game in 2018. He was a two-time baseball academic All-State selection at Chaparral High School in Parker, Colo.

Griffin Brunson | Utility | Garden City, Kan. (Garden City CC)
Griffin Brunson has signed with the Tigers after two seasons at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. The utility player took to the field in 52 games last year, recording a batting average of .267 and an on-base percentage of .410. He swiped 15 bases and was caught stealing only once. Brunson scored 52 runs, third-most for the Broncbusters. A native of Garden City, Kan., Brunson earned first team all-conference and all-area honors three times each. He was also a two-year letterwinner on the basketball court.

Jacob Callaway | Catcher | Broomfield, Colo. (Holy Family HS)
Jacob Callaway joins the Tigers from Holy Family (Colo.) High School. The Brighton, Colo. native served as baseball team captain as a junior in 2018, helping the Tigers to a fifth-place finish in the 4A State tournament. The catcher accumulated a .539 on-base percentage in his junior season. He also played football at Holy Family while playing summer ball with the Slammers.

Jake Campbell | Right-handed Pitcher | Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS)
Jake Campbell will head to Hays after graduating from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colo. The right-handed pitcher was a second team All-State selection following his junior season in 2018. He helped the Lobos to the 5A State Championship in 2017. Campbell has been an academic All-State selection after each of his first three seasons and once earned academic duel sport All-State honors.

Cade Flaherty | Right-handed Pitcher/Infielder | Omaha, Neb. (Burke HS)
Cade Flaherty signs with the Tigers from Burke High School in Omaha, Neb. He helped the Bulldogs to a fourth-place finish in the 2018 Nebraska Class A state tournament while playing on the winning team in the 2018 American Legion state championship. The right-handed pitcher has excelled in the classroom, earning AP Scholar distinction while serving as a member of the National Honor Society.

Hunter Igo | Infielder | Derby, Kan. (Derby HS)
Hunter Igo will head across the state after a successful career at Derby High School in Derby, Kan. The infielder earned honorable mention all-league honors while lettering in baseball three times. Igo will also play football at Fort Hays State after earning numerous accolades with the Panthers, including a spot on the Topeka Capital Journal Top 11 Team for the entire state of Kansas and a pair of state titles.

Tanner Lukowski | Utility/Right-handed Pitcher | Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic HS)
Tanner Lukowski joins the Tigers from Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Neb. Lukowski picked up numerous honors as a junior in 2018, earning academic All-State honors, all-conference and all-region honors and All-State honors from Prep Baseball Report. He batted .372 with 21 RBI as a junior while compiling a 2-0 record with two saves and a 2.85 ERA on the mound.

Jordon McFarland | Right-handed Pitcher | Brighton, Colo. (Holy Family HS)
Jordon McFarland is the second signee from Holy Family (Colo.) High School. The right-handed pitcher was an honorable mention all-conference selection as a junior in 2018, compiling a 2.09 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 50.1 innings of work. The Brighton, Colo. native helped the Tigers to a fifth-place finish in the 4A State tournament.

Hunter Parker | Right-handed Pitcher | Aurora, Colo. (Western Nebraska CC)
Hunter Parker is the second pitcher to sign with the Tigers from Western Nebraska Community College. The Aurora, Colo. native was selected to participate in the Region IX All-Star Game as a freshman after striking out 51 batters over 44.2 innings of work. The righty ranked third on the team with a 10.3 K/9 rate.

Jason Robertson | Outfielder/Right-handed Pitcher | Flower Mound, Texas (Marcus HS)
Jason Robertson heads to Hays from Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. The outfielder/right-handed pitcher earned one letter with the Marauders while playing with Richard Austin Baseball in the summer.

Corbin Truslow | First Baseman | Georgetown, Texas (Garden City CC)
Corbin Truslow joins the Tigers via Garden City (Kan.) Community College. The first baseman earned first team all-conference and all-region honors as a freshman in 2018 after clubbing 18 home runs, ranking 13th nationally. He finished the year batting .366 with 14 doubles, three triples, 75 RBI and a .485 on-base percentage. Truslow was a member of the football team at Colorado School of Mines for one year before transferring to GCCC. A native of Georgetown Texas, Truslow was a three-sport standout at East View High School, earning first team all-district honors in baseball while also excelling in football and track and field.

Padraic Walsh | Right-handed Pitcher | Aurora, Colo. (Dodge City CC)
Padraic Walsh is the second Conquistador to sign with the Tigers, heading to Hays from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. The righty was named All-KJCCC honorable mention following his freshman season, appearing in 10 games while making five starts. Walsh accumulated a record of 4-1, posting an ERA of 4.54 over 35.2 innings of work. He struck out 32 batters on the year while walking just 12. The Aurora, Colo. native earned three baseball letters at Smoky Hill High School, earning second team all-league honors as a senior after earning honorable mention status as a junior. Walsh also played basketball for two seasons in high school.

Jaxson Webb | Outfielder/Right-handed Pitcher | Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence Free State HS)
Jaxson Webb has signed with the Tigers after playing at Lawrence Free State High School. The Lawrence, Kan. native started every game in center field for the Firebirds last spring, helping Free State to a regional championship. Webb also participated in football, basketball and scholar’s bowl. Additional honors include scholar-athlete of the month by MidCo Sports Network and football all-conference honors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball will be the No. 4 seed in the 2019 MIAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., slated for March 6-10 at Municipal Auditorium. The Tigers finished in fourth place alone in the MIAA and will take on No. 5 seed Lincoln University in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 7 at 12 pm. The MIAA released the official bracket on Saturday evening (March 2) after the conclusion of the 2018-19 regular season.

The MIAA Tournament has a new format this year as only 10 teams qualify for the tournament as compared to 12 in the past. There are no longer any first-round home site games. The entire tournament is in Kansas City.

On Wednesday, opening round games feature the No. 7 vs. No. 10 seed and No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed. Winners of those games move on to Thursday to meet the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the quarterfinals. The winner of the 7/10 matchup plays the No. 2 seed and the winner of the 8/9 matchup plays the No. 1 seed.

Fort Hays State’s portion of the tournament begins on Friday when quarterfinal matchups of the No. 4 vs. 5 seed and the No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed take place for both the men and women. Winners will move on to the semifinals on Saturday. The winner of the (No. 4) Fort Hays State/(No. 5) Lincoln game would potentially meet No. 1 seed Northwest Missouri State, No. 8 seed Emporia State, or No. 9 seed Northeastern State in the semifinals.

Fort Hays State produced its 12th consecutive winning season and reached 18 wins in a season for the 15th time under head coach Mark Johnson by finishing the regular season 18-10 overall and 12-7 in the MIAA. The Tigers enter the tournament winners of their last two games after defeating Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State in the final week of the regular season in Hays. Under Johnson’s guidance, the Tigers have qualified for the conference tournament in all 13 years of their membership with the MIAA. FHSU owns a record of 12-11 in the tournament in that span.

Single session tickets are available for $20, while student tickets are $5 per session and children ages 6 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the FHSU Athletic Office, Cunningham 138 or by calling 785-628-4050.

Tiger fans traveling to Kansas City are encouraged to meet up with other Fort Hays State fans at Johnny’s Tavern, the official hangout of #MIAAMadness and home of Tiger Spirit Parties, hosted by the FHSU Alumni Association. Fans can visit this link to view the complete schedule of Tiger Spirit Parties.

See the complete schedule for the 2019 MIAA Men’s Basketball Championship below.

Schedule
Wednesday, March 6 – Opening Round
No. 8 Emporia State vs No. 9 Northeastern State – Noon
No. 7 Lindenwood vs No. 10 Southwest Baptist – 2:15 p.m.

Thursday, March 7 – Quarterfinals Day One
No. 1 Northwest Missouri vs No. 8/9 Winner – Noon
No. 2 Washburn vs No. 7/10 Winner- 2:15 p.m.

Friday, March 8 – Quarterfinals Day Two
No. 4 Fort Hays State vs No. 5 Lincoln – Noon
No. 3 Missouri Southern vs No. 6 Pittsburg State – 2:15 p.m.

Saturday, March 9 – Semifinals
Semifinal One (Men’s Game 7) – Noon
Semifinal Two (Men’s Game 8) – 2:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 10 – Championship
Men’s Championship Game – 1 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After winning its second regular season MIAA championship, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team has earned the top seed in next week’s 2019 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. The official bracket was released Saturday evening (March 2) after the conclusion of the 2018-19 regular season.

As the top seed in the newly reformatted 10-team bracket, the Tigers will play their opening game in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 7 against the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western. First tip in Fort Hays State’s quarterfinal contest is set for 6 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Winners of all four quarterfinal contests will play in the semifinals on Saturday, March 9 before a champion is crowned on Sunday, March 10.

Fort Hays State wrapped up the regular season with a home win over Pittsburg State Saturday, turning in an overall record of 27-1 and a league mark of 18-1. It is the eighth-straight season the team has eclipsed 20 wins and the fourth time in the last five seasons the Tigers have won 25 or more games.

This is the eighth-straight season the Tigers have advanced to Kansas City and the MIAA Championship, reaching the quarterfinals each year. Fort Hays State is 10-9 all-time in the MIAA Tournament, including a 7-9 mark inside Municipal Auditorium.

Single session tickets are available for $20, while student tickets are $5 per session and children ages 6 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the FHSU Athletic Office, Cunningham 138 or by calling 785-628-4050.

Tiger fans traveling to Kansas City are encouraged to meet up with other Fort Hays State fans at Johnny’s Tavern, the official hangout of #MIAAMadness. Fans can visit this link to view the complete schedule of Tiger Spirit Parties, hosted by the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association.

The complete schedule for the 2019 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship can be found below.

Wednesday, March 6 – Opening Round
No. 8 Nebraska Kearney vs No. 9 Missouri Western – 6 p.m.
No. 7 Central Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Missouri Southern – 8:15 p.m.

Thursday, March 7 – Quarterfinals Day One
No. 1 Fort Hays State vs No. 8/9 Winner – 6 p.m.
No. 2 Central Missouri vs No. 7/10 Winner – 8:15 p.m.

Friday, March 8 – Quarterfinals Day Two
No. 4 Washburn vs No. 5 Emporia State – 6 p.m.
No. 3 Lindenwood vs No. 6 Pittsburg State – 8:15 p.m.

Saturday, March 9 – Semifinals
Semifinal (Women’s Game 7) – 6 p.m.
Semifinal (Women’s Game 8) – 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 10 – Championship
Championship Game – 3:15 p.m.

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team earned their first victory on Saturday (Mar. 2), defeating Southwest Baptist 10-7. The Tigers (1-13, 1-5 MIAA) ended a 29-game losing skid with the victory, while the Bearcats dipped to 8-7 on the year and 3-3 in conference action.

The Bearcats plated the first run of the afternoon in the first inning on an RBI single to left field from Carl Schwettmann. Fort Hays State immediately fired back in the home half with a 3-spot as two-hole hitter Garrett Francis reached base with a walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch and then crossed home when Ryan Stoecklein lifted a ball to centerfield, grabbing his first of three runs batted in on the day. The Tigers continued the two-out rally as Taylan Mullins-Ohm ripped a double down the left field line and Landon Erway fired a 2-RBI single to center, giving the Tigers the 3-1 edge after one frame.

In the second frame, SBU plated another run before the Tigers pushed across a pair in the home half. Jake Taylor and Cody Starkel lead off the inning with back-to-back singles before Ryan Grasser placed a single into right field, scoring Starkel and Francis.

FHSU took momentum back in the fourth with a four-run frame. Tyler Olson produced a lead-off single before Francis delivered an infield single to third base. Grasser patiently earned a walk, loading the bases. Stoecklein added two more in the run column after placing a double into left field. A few batters later, Jared Maneth plated Erway and Stoecklein with a single of his own. FHSU tacked on another run in the fifth when Grasser doubled to the gap in left center, scoring Francis from first and giving the Tigers a 10-2 advantage after five innings of action.

SBU came storming back with a four-run sixth, chasing starter Cody Rottinghaus. Cole Zimmerman pitched the rest of the way shutting down the Bearcats and limiting them to only one more run in the ninth.

Rottinghaus (1-2) earned the victory on the hill, pitching 5.2 innings allowing five earned runs on five hits and punching out one strikeout. Zimmerman earned his first collegiate save by holding off the Bearcat offense in his 3.1 innings of work, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two batters.

Garrett Francis produced a season-high four runs in the contest scoring a run each time on base (one hit, two walks, one fielder’s choice). Both Grasser and Stoecklein picked up three-RBI days, while five Tigers earned two hits on the afternoon.

FHSU will gear up for Emporia State next weekend (Mar. 8-10). The Tigers and Hornets are scheduled to face off on Friday at 3 p.m. in Larks Park.

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Fort Hays State won a pair of non-conference games against Pittsburg State on Friday (Mar. 1), moving to 7-4 overall on the season. The Tigers won by scores of 5-4 and 6-0, led by a 5-for-7, two home run, five RBI day from Bailey Boxberger and a complete-game shutout from Hailey Chapman. Pittsburg State dropped to 7-8 overall.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Pittsburg State 4
A solo home run by Bailey Boxberger in the seventh inning proved to be the game winner for Fort Hays State in the first contest of the afternoon. Boxberger finished the game 4-of-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs.

The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead on Boxberger’s first RBI of the game, a single up the middle that plated Grace Philop in the first inning. Pittsburg State countered with a pair of runs on a two-out, two-RBI single by Makenzie Goswick in the bottom half of the inning. That produced the only lead of the day by the Gorillas, a 2-1 advantage after an inning.

Philop instantly pushed the Tigers back in front in the second inning with a bases-clearing, two-out double to left center field. Jeni Mohr, Lily Sale, and Katie Adler all came in to score on the play.

Philop’s double in the second stood as the game’s decisive hit until the sixth when Pittsburg State rallied for a pair of runs to tie the game at 4-4. Michaelanne Nelson settled into the circle during the second through fifth innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth when the Gorillas opened the inning with a single, RBI double, and a walk. Hailey Chapman took over in the circle and hit the first batter she saw, which loaded the bases with no outs. Chapman got a strikeout before a grounder to second base tied the game. Chapman escaped further damage by getting another strikeout to end the threat.

Already 3-for-3 at the plate, Boxberger blasted her solo homer to left field in the seventh to push the Tigers back in front and then Chapman mowed through the heart of the Gorilla order in the bottom half of the inning with a strikeout, flyout, and another strikeout. Chapman picked up the win for FHSU in relief, moving to 3-2, with her only runner allowed being the batter she hit in the sixth. It was just the start of a dominating day for Chapman in the circle. Nelson went 5.0 innings in her start, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out four.

Shelby Smith took the loss for PSU, moving to 3-3 on the season. She allowed 11 hits and three walks with three strikeouts in her complete game effort.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 6, Pittsburg State 0
Already warmed up from getting the final six outs of game one, Hailey Chapman continued to navigate through the Gorilla lineup by hurling a four-hit complete game shutout in game two. She struck out five and did not allow any walks.

Chapman locked in a pitcher’s duel with Sierra Thompson for the first three innings as the teams went into the fourth inning scoreless. The Tigers finally solved Thompson in the fourth when they strung together four consecutive singles by Megan Feiner, Jeni Mohr, Lily Sale, and then Terran Caldwell. Caldwell’s bases-loaded, two-RBI single up the middle with two outs broke the scoreless tie and put the Tigers up 2-0.

A Grace Philop single and Sara Breckbill walk to open the fifth inning put an end to Thompson’s day in the circle handing the ball to game-one starter Shelby Smith. Her first challenge in relief was the person she could not get out in game one, Bailey Boxberger. The trend continued as Boxberger launched a ball over the right field wall for a three-run home run, pushing the Tiger lead to 5-0. Boxberger finished the day 5-for-5 against Smith, reaching base all six times against her in the doubleheader with two home runs, three singles, and a walk.

Breckbill tacked on an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI double, but it was plenty for Chapman in her march toward a complete-game win. Chapman retired the side in order in three of the seven innings. Chapman moved to 4-2 on the season by picking up the win in both games.

Tiger Notes
-Bailey Boxberger went 5-for-7 at the plate with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. She was 5-for-5 against Shelby Smith in the doubleheader and reached base in all six plate appearances against her.
-Hailey Chapman averaged a strikeout per inning, fanning nine over nine innings of work for the day with no runs allowed. She has 31 strikeouts through 28.2 innings of work this season. She had a WHIP of 0.56 for the day.
-Fort Hays State outhit Pittsburg State 23-10 in the doubleheader.
-Seven of Fort Hays State’s 11 runs on the day came with two outs. The two home runs on the day by Boxberger that produced the other four runs came with less than two outs.

Up Next
Fort Hays State travels to Springfield, Missouri on Saturday to take on Drury University in another doubleheader. Game time is set for 12 pm.

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped a pair of games to Southwest Baptist Friday afternoon (March 1) at Dodson Field. The Tigers were one run short in the opener, falling 7-6 before their bats went silent in a 6-0 loss in the nightcap. Because the series was originally scheduled as a home series for the Tigers, Fort Hays State played as the home team in both contests. The Tigers (0-13, 0-5 MIAA) and Bearcats (8-6, 3-2 MIAA) will wrap up the series Saturday (March 2) beginning at 11 a.m.

Game One: Southwest Baptist 7, Fort Hays State 6
The Tigers had chances early and often in game one, with runners reaching base in all but one inning in the opener. Fort Hays State scored the first run of the game after four consecutive walks in the first inning.

The Tigers extended their lead to 3-0 when they tacked on a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth. Marcus McDaniel plated Garrett Francis with an RBI groundout before Tyler Olson came home to score on an error. A walk to Ryan Stoecklein and a single from Taylan Mullins-Ohm once again loaded the bases, but SBU got out of the jam with a flyout.

After managing just three hits over the first four innings against Tiger starter Jake Steinbring, Southwest Baptist got things going in the fifth inning. The Bearcats took the lead after pushing four runs across, two of which were unearned.

Fort Hays State tied things up with a big two-out base hit from Mullins-Ohm in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ryan Grasser worked a walk before swiping second, allowing the senior to come around to score when Mullins-Ohm sent a single back up the middle to center.

SBU took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. Grasser helped the Tigers close within one in the bottom of the eighth when he plated Olson with a ground ball to short.

After the Bearcats went back in front by two in the top of the ninth, 7-5, the home half of the inning opened with Landon Erway being hit by a pitch. A double from Francis and a walk to Jared Maneth loaded the bases yet again for the Tigers with the top of the lineup due up. A pitch hit Olson in the following at bat, closing the gap to one after Erway came in to score. After going to the bullpen, SBU got out of the jam with a popup and a flyout to lock down the win.

Francis collected three of FHSU’s seven hits, finishing 3-for-5 with a run. Mullins-Ohm reached base four times, turning in a 2-for-3 effort with an RBI and two walks.

Steinbring completed 4.2 innings before being removed, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four. Ryan Ruder (0-2) suffered the loss after tossing 4.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits.

Game Two: Southwest Baptist 6, Fort Hays State 0
After leaving 15 runners on base in the opener, the Tigers managed just four baserunners in game two. SBU starter Dalton Morrow controlled the game on the bump, tossing a complete game shutout while striking out 11 and allowing just three hits.

Southwest Baptist clubbed a pair of home runs over the first two innings to provide all the run support Morrow would need.

Garrett Francis, Isaas Soares and Cody Starkel all singled in the loss. Ethan Booe (0-2) was credited with the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on three hits and three walks over 6.0 innings of work. The freshman struck out three on the day. Ryan Brown struck out two in one inning of relief while Tanner Smith struck out four and did not give up a hit over two innings out of the pen.

INDIANAPOLIS – Despite a pair of convincing road victories last week, the third-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team moved to No. 2 in the latest set of NCAA Division II Central Region rankings, released Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 27). It is the second of three announcements of regional rankings that will be released before the NCAA Championship bracket is filled in on March 10.

The 25-1 Tigers dropped behind 25-1 Southwestern Oklahoma State, who also collected a pair of wins last week. Both teams have two regular season games remaining before entering the postseason.

The same 10 teams are listed in this week’s rankings as last week’s initial release, with three teams jumping one spot. Minnesota State-Moorhead climbed to No. 3, passing Central Missouri, while Lindenwood passed Pittsburg State for the No. 8 spot.

Fort Hays State is 5-1 against teams listed in the top 10 in the Central Region this week, with another game against Pittsburg State on tap Saturday. SWOSU is 0-1 against the rest of the Central Region top 10.

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.

The Tigers return to Gross Memorial Coliseum to wrap up the regular season with two games this week. Fort Hays State will host Missouri Southern on Thursday (Feb. 28) at 5:30 p.m. before the aforementioned season finale against Pittsburg State Saturday (March 2) at 2 p.m.

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

Rank School Overall DII Record In-Region Record Last Week
1 Southwestern Oklahoma State 25-1 25-1 2
2 Fort Hays State 22-1 22-1 1
3 Minnesota State-Moorhead 23-5 21-5 4
4 Central Missouri 20-5 18-4 3
5 Minnesota Duluth 19-6 19-6 5
6 Emporia State 18-6 18-6 6
7 Concordia-St. Paul 19-6 19-6 7
8 Lindenwood (Missouri) 19-5 19-5 9
9 Pittsburg State 17-6 16-6 8
10 Washburn 17-8 15-8 10

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The 2019 NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field national qualifiers have been announced, and four Tigers will be heading to compete. The event will be held at Pittsburg State March 8-9.

For the Tigers, three men and one woman will make the trek to compete for their respective national title. Brett Meyer, Kolt Newell and Philip Landrum will represent the men, while Rohey Singhateh makes the lone female appearance for Fort Hays State.

Meyer heads into the mile run at No. 5 on the performance list with his best-time of 4:04.23. The prelim time for that event will be Friday at 3:45 p.m. Last season, Meyer came in second place in the mile run at nationals, bettering his fifth place finish in 2017.

Landrum will look to compete in the 60-meters, an event which he is No. 17 on the performance list. Landrum brings in his best time of 6.83. He will compete at 3:15 p.m. on Friday for the prelims. For Newell, he will compete in the high jump after boasting a provisional mark of 6 feet, 11 inches. Newell ranks at No. 10 on the performance list. The high jump will start at 3:40 on March 8.

Singhateh qualified in the triple jump following her best distance of 39 feet, 9 ¾ inches – good enough to put her at No. 17 on the national performance list. Singhateh will commence with the triple jump at 5:55 on March 9.

The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team will open the final week of the regular season ranked third in the country according to both national polls released Tuesday (Feb. 26). This week’s position in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll matches the Tigers’ top ranking so far this season, while FHSU is third in the D2SIDA Media Poll for the third week in a row.

The Tigers reached No. 3 in the coaches poll earlier this season (1/15/19) after opening the year 15-0. Fort Hays State is 8-2 all-time as the third-ranked team in the coaches poll, including a 1-1 mark this season.

Central Missouri is the only other MIAA institution listed in either poll, coming in 24th once again in the coaches poll while jumping to 23rd according to the media.

Fort Hays State wraps up the regular season at home this weekend, beginning with a 5:30 p.m. contest Thursday (Feb. 28) against Missouri Southern.

The complete national polls for February 26, 2019 can be found below.

The softball doubleheader between Fort Hays State and Newman University in Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday (Feb. 26) has been postponed until a later date. The weather conditions and forecast in the Wichita area for Tuesday have worsened, so the teams have rescheduled the doubleheader for Wednesday, April 24 at 3 pm.