HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State softball swept Kansas Wesleyan in its home-opening doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers won by scores of 2-0 and 13-1 to move to 3-2 overall on the season. It was the first two games of the year for the Coyotes.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Kansas Wesleyan 0
The first game of the doubleheader remained scoreless all the way until the bottom of the sixth, when a dropped fly ball off the bat of Elise Capra allowed two runs to score. That was the break the Tigers needed as Sierra Rodriguez and Hailey Chapman combined for a shutout. Chapman picked up her first win of the season in three innings of relief work.

Fly balls to right field were an adventure for the Coyotes throughout the game. After a pair of dropped fly balls by the right fielder early in the game, the center fielder opted to cut in front of the right fielder on Capra’s fly ball to right in the sixth and she dropped what would have been the third out of the inning. Sara Breckbill and Allison Jurgensen had singles earlier in the inning that set up the opportunity for Capra.

Sierra Rodriguez threw the first four innings of the game, allowing three hits without a walk. Chapman mowed through the Coyotes in three innings of relief, posting seven strikeouts. She had a run of four straight strikeouts from the last out of the fifth to the final out of the sixth. Chapman did allow a walk, her first baserunner allowed in 7.0 total innings of relief work this season.

Katie Adler was a bright spot for the Tigers offensively in the first game, going 3-for-3 at the dish and collecting half of the Tigers’ six hits in the game.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 13, Kansas Wesleyan 1
Fort Hays State pulled away early for a run-rule victory in the nightcap. The Tigers plated five runs in the first, three in the third, and five in the fourth before the run rule stopped the game after four and a half innings.

Bailey Boxberger was 2-for-2 at the plate and added a sacrifice fly to finish with a team-best three RBI in the game. Grace Philop had a 3-for-3 effort at the plate with one RBI. Sara Breckbill belted a solo home to left field in the first inning and scored a team-high three runs in the game. Elise Capra tattooed a ball over the left center field wall for a three-run home run in the third. Capra was 1-for-1 at the dish, though she reached base in her other two plate appearances on a hit-by-pitch and walk. Katie Adler and Megan Feiner also picked up one RBI each.

Megan Jamison threw three scoreless innings in her first start of the season in the pitching circle before finally surrendering Kansas Wesleyan’s only run of the day in the fourth. She scattered five hits before turning the ball over to Michaelanne Nelson with one out in the fourth. Nelson threw the final 1.2 innings for FHSU, getting four of her five outs by strikeout. Jamison qualified for the win since the game ended in the fifth.

The Tigers now prep for four games this weekend (Feb. 16-17) in Conway, Arkansas. Originally, FHSU was supposed to play in Bentonville, Arkansas this weekend, but that tournament was canceled.

Tiger Notes
-Katie Adler went 4-for-6 at the plate for the day and took over the team lead in batting average, now at .533 through five games.
-Hailey Chapman has thrown 7.0 innings of no-hit ball in relief this year, allowing just one walk with 10 strikeouts in three relief appearances.
-Sierra Rodriguez and Megan Jamison saw their first action of the season in the pitching circle on Wednesday afternoon.
-FHSU is batting .346 as a team through 5 games, which is second best in the MIAA to this point.
-Fort Hays State’s team pitching ERA is 2.48, which ranks 4th in the MIAA to this point.
-Katie Adler, Grace Philop, and Sara Breckbill all collected at least 3 hits on the day.
-All 11 strikeouts recorded by the Tigers in the doubleheader were by relievers Hailey Chapman and Michaelanne Nelson.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team struck first on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 13), but two late runs from Wayne State pushed the Wildcats over the top, 5-4. The Tigers are now 0-6 on the year while Wayne State improves to 3-1 overall.

The Tigers wasted no time getting things going, scoring the first run of the contest just two batters into the bottom half of the first inning. Tim Fitzgerald sent a double to right center before coming around to score on a Ryan Grasser RBI single, putting the Tigers in front 1-0.

After the Wildcats tied the score in the top of the third, Fort Hays State answered with another run of their own in the home half. Grasser opened the inning with another single before promptly swiping second, allowing the senior to score on a base knock from Ryan Stoecklein.

Wayne State tied things up in the fourth inning before both sides added a tally in the sixth, with the Tigers tying things after Marcus Altman reached on an error to lead things off. The Hays native later came around to score on an RBI sacrifice bunt from pinch hitter Marcus McDaniel, allowing Fort Hays State to tie the score at 3-3.

The Wildcats added a pair of runs over the next two innings to take the lead for good. Jared Maneth and Ryan Grasser both doubled in the bottom of the ninth to put the tying run on second base, but WSC closed things out with a strikeout.

Grasser reached base five times on the day, finishing 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and one run. Stoecklein, Maneth and Landon Erway all added two hits each.

Ethan Booe made his first collegiate start, striking out four batters over 6.0 innings of work. The freshman allowed three runs on six hits and just one walk. Ryan Ruder (0-1) took the loss after giving up a pair of runs in one-plus innings on the bump. Jake Steinbring finished the game for the Tigers, allowing just one hit over two scoreless frames.

The teams will wrap up a three-game series with a doubleheader on Thursday (Feb. 14). First pitch from Larks Park is scheduled for noon.

The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team took care of business on the road last week, defeating Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern by a combined 40 points. As a result, the Tigers continued to climb in both national polls released Tuesday (Feb. 12), sliding up to fourth in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll while improving to third in the D2SIDA National Media Poll.

Fort Hays State earned 515 points in the balloting process of the Coaches Poll, just eight points back of No. 3 Indiana (Pa.). With just two undefeated teams remaining in Division II, the media have the Tigers listed as the top team with one loss so far this season.

Joining the Tigers in the Coaches Poll this week is Thursday’s opponent, Lindenwood. The Lions return to the Top 25 after a brief stay at No. 24 last month. Also representing the MIAA is No. 24 Central Missouri in the Coaches Poll and No. 25 Emporia State in the Media Poll.

Fort Hays State is 2-0 against ranked teams this season and 8-11 against ranked opponents while ranked under head coach Tony Hobson.

The Tigers went 2-0 as the fourth-ranked team earlier this season and are 6-1 all-time while ranked fourth according to the coaches.

The Tigers and Lindenwood will battle in their Top 25 matchup Thursday (Feb. 14) beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Below are the complete national polls for February 12, 2019.

WBCA DII Coaches Poll – Week 12						D2SIDA Media Poll – Week 12
Rk.	Team (1st)	Rcd.	Pts.	Prev.		Rk.	Team (1st)	Rcd.	Pts.	Prev.
1	Drury (24)	23-0	600	1		1	Drury (15)	23-0	396	1
2	UC San Diego	20-0	562	2		2	UC San Diego (1)	20-0	385	3
3	Indiana (Pa.)	20-1	523	4		3	Fort Hays State	21-1	359	4
4	Fort Hays State	21-1	515	5		4	IUP	20-1	340	6
5	University of the Sciences	22-1	472	8		T5	USciences	22-1	324	8
6	Union (Tenn.)	23-1	464	6		T5	Union	22-1	324	7
7	Northwest Nazarene	21-1	445	7		7	Northwest Nazarene	21-1	291	9
8	Virginia Union	21-1	426	9		8	Southwestern Oklahoma	21-1	276	11
9	Thomas Jefferson Univ.	21-1	415	3		9	Jefferson	21-1	255	2
10	Alaska Anchorage	21-1	399	10		10	Anderson (S.C.)	21-2	246	13
11	Ashland	21-2	357	11		11	Lewis	20-2	243	12
12	Grand Valley State	21-2	343	13		12	Florida Southern	20-2	221	5
13	Southwestern Oklahoma St.	21-1	309	14		13	Virginia Union	21-1	218	14
14	Bentley	21-2	281	15		14	Angelo State	18-2	214	16
15	Florida Southern	20-2	272	12		15	Alaska Anchorage	21-1	184	15
16	Lewis	20-2	249	18		16	Colorado Mesa	19-2	153	10
17	Angelo State	18-2	211	19		17	Grand Valley	21-2	144	19
18	Anderson (S.C.)	21-2	184	20		18	Bentley	21-2	142	17
19	Colorado Mesa	19-2	176	16		19	Glenville State	20-2	104	24
20	West Texas A&M	19-3	138	22		20	Ashland	21-2	99	21
21	California (Pa.)	18-3	127	17		21	Westminster	18-3	52	NR
22	Lubbock Christian	19-4	82	24		22	Lander	17-5	47	RV
23	Glenville State	20-2	77	NR		23	California	18-3	41	18
24	Central Missouri	16-5	31	21		24	Cal Poly Pomona	19-3	36	20
25	Lindenwood	16-4	29	NR		25	Emporia State	18-5	32	NR

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State scored runs in all but one inning for an 11-4 win over Colorado Christian on Sunday (Feb. 10) morning. The Tigers pounded out 12 hits and picked up their first win of the season moving to 1-2 overall, while the Cougars dropped to 2-3 on the season.

Five consecutive singles by Terran Caldwell, Katie Adler, Grace Philop, Bailey Boxberger, and Sara Breckbill to open the bottom of the first inning instantly put the Tigers up 3-0. Boxberger drove in two on her single, and Breckbill drove in one. The lead grew to 4-0 when Breckbill stole second and a throwing error allowed Boxberger to score from third. Allison Jurgensen and Megan Feiner drew back-to-back walks to load the bases again and Lily Sale capped a five-run first inning for FHSU with a sacrifice fly RBI to right field.

A throwing error by the pitcher on a batted ball by Caldwell in the second inning led to another Tiger run. Adler walked and then Philop moved both Tiger runners up a base with a ground out. Boxberger picked up her team-best third RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly RBI, making it 6-0.

Tiger starting pitcher Michaelanne Nelson allowed just one hit through the first two innings, but ran into a bit of trouble in the third when a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for CCU. The Cougars picked up their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly, but a ground out to follow ended the chance of any big rally. FHSU led 6-1 going to the bottom half of the third.

The Tigers had their first two batters in the third reach base. A nice sacrifice by Caldwell moved the runners up and the Adler capitalized with an RBI single to make it 7-1. FHSU put together a two-out rally in the fourth inning when Jeni Mohr made it 8-1 with an RBI double and Caldwell backed it up with a two-RBI double, pushing the lead to 10-1.

The Tigers almost closed out the Cougars in the fifth by run rule, but the Cougars put together a late-inning rally to get the score margin back inside eight. A ground out that produced the second out of the inning made it 10-2, but a Stephanie Day single brought in a run from third to make it 10-3. Charlotte Romero followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, making it 10-4. Coach Adrian Pilkington decided at that point to turn the ball over to Hailey Chapman in relief. Nelson picked up her first win at FHSU in 4.2 innings of work, allowing all four CCU runs on six hits and two walks.

Elise Capra, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Breckbill in the fourth and then remained in the game to catch, smashed a ball over the left field wall in the fifth to produce the game’s final run.

Hailey Chapman was spotless in relief for the second straight day, going 2.1 innings and facing the minimum amount of batters. She struck out three. In four innings of relief work this year, she has faced the minimum amount of batters (12) without allowing a hit or walk.

The Tigers head back to Bentonville, Arkansas next weekend for the 8-State Classic on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Feb. 15-17). Keep an eye on fhsuathletics.com for any alterations to the schedule.

Tiger Notes
-All but one batter in the Tiger starting lineup Sunday produced at least 1 hit in the game.
-Elise Capra hit her first collegiate home run in the 5th.
-Six of the nine players in the Tiger starting lineup had at least 1 RBI in the game.
-Terran Caldwell had a 3-hit game and now leads the team in batting average for the season at .500.
-Hailey Chapman has allowed nothing with 3 strikeouts in 4.0 innings of relief work this year, facing the minimum 12 batters.

ALVA, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team opened the 2019 season on a chilly Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 5) inside Myers Stadium, falling to Northwestern Oklahoma State 8-0. The Rangers improve to 4-0 on the year while Fort Hays State opens the year 0-1.

Fort Hays State had a handful of chances on offense, picking up multiple baserunners in four innings. But the Ranger pitching staff limited the Tigers to six hits, all of which were singles. NWOSU rattled off a dozen hits in the win, including a pair of three-run innings in the fourth and eighth frames.

Cody Rottinghaus got the start for the Tigers, throwing two scoreless innings after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first. The senior retired the side in order in his second inning of work. Cole Zimmerman also posted a pair of scoreless frames, racking up the only two FHSU strikeouts in the fifth inning. Tanner Smith (0-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) over one-plus inning.

Ryan Grasser collected a pair of base hits for the Tigers, clubbing a pair of singles in his first two at bats of the season. Kyler Cox and Tim Fitzgerald both finished 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit single.

The Tigers will make their home debut Friday (Feb. 8) when they open a four-game series with New Mexico Highlands. First pitch in the series opener is set for 3 p.m. from Larks Park.

FAYETTE, Iowa – The Fort Hays State wrestling team jumped up two spots in the fourth set of regular season DII Wrestling Coaches Association Team Rankings, released Monday (Feb. 4) by the organization. The Tigers are one of three teams at No. 10, tied with Minnesota State and UNC-Pembroke. The Tigers are also one of five MIAA teams in the national team rankings as Nebraska-Kearney stayed put at No. 2. Lindenwood dipped to No. 9, while Central Oklahoma and Newman currently sit at No. 18.

In the individual rankings, junior Brandon Ball took over the top spot at 141 pounds. He sits at 17-0 on the year with individual titles at the Bethany Swede Open and the Bob Smith Open. Ball has compiled 11 wins against Division II competition on the season as well as three falls and three major decisions.

Also in the rankings is Efe Osaghae, who held steady as the fourth-ranked wrestler in the 157-pound weight class. The sophomore continues to put together a solid year thus far with a 21-2 overall record and is currently 14-2 against Division II opponents. Osaghae paces the team in technical falls with six.

The Tigers are back in action Sunday (Feb. 10) as they travel to Kearney, Neb. to take on No. 2 ranked Nebraska-Kearney inside the Health and Wellness Center. The dual is slated to begin at 3 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With the first pitch of the season just around the corner, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released the 2019 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll Thursday (Jan. 31). The Fort Hays State baseball team will head into the new campaign ranked 12th in the conference.

The Tigers picked up 23 points in the balloting process, just three points behind 11th-place Southwest Baptist. Defending conference tournament champion Central Missouri tops the poll, followed closely by Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State in second and third, respectively.

Fort Hays State enters its first season under head coach Jerod Goodale in 2019. Goodale returned to his alma mater last summer after building Colorado School of Mines into a national contender, leading the Orediggers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018.

The Tigers return multiple starters on offense, including infielder Ryan Grasser and Cody Starkel, outfielders Jordan Wilkerson and Marcus Altman and catcher Dawson Sramek. Grasser led the Tigers with 41 runs scored a year ago while turning in a .415 on-base percentage, second best on the team. Wilkerson clubbed 10 home runs and drove in 34 RBI, both ranking second a year ago. Sramek made just two errors behind the dish, posting a fielding percentage of .987.

Ryan Ruder and Tanner Smith return from last year’s starting rotation, with the pair combining to start 22 games last season. Ruder led the team among qualified pitchers with a 7.00 ERA, 70.2 innings pitched and 48 strikeouts. Smith posted a 7.33 ERA across 50.1 innings of work, striking out 45 to account for nearly one strikeout per inning (8.05 K/9).

The Tigers will open the season on the road against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday (Feb. 5) before returning to Larks Park for their first home action the following weekend. FHSU will host New Mexico Highlands for a four-game series beginning Friday, February 8 at 3 p.m.

2019 MIAA Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (6) – 115 points
2. Central Oklahoma (3) – 107 points
3. Pittsburg State (2) – 102 points
4. Missouri Western – 81 points
5. Emporia State – 80 points
6. Missouri Southern (1) – 67 points
T-7.Lindenwood – 60 points
T-7.Northwest Missouri – 60 points
9. Northeastern State – 38 points
10. Washburn – 34 points
11. Southwest Baptist – 26 points
12. Fort Hays State – 23 points

HAYS, Kan. – The No. 12 ranked Fort Hays State wrestling sent out the seniors on a high note with a 35-5 drubbing of Central Missouri 35-5 Wednesday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers improved to 2-8 in overall duals and 1-2 in conference action, while the Mules dipped to 0-5 in duals and 0-4 in MIAA play.

Fort Hays State began the dual in a 6-0 deficit after Broderick Green dropped his match to Justin Mitchell by decision (7-3) and Payton Sadowski fell behind early and couldn’t quite get anything going to fall to John Feeney by decision (8-2).

The Tigers then rambled off eight straight victories to close out the match on top, 35-5. No. 2 ranked Brandon Ball got things going to the black and gold with a dominating 16-0 technical fall victory in the third period over Dakota Thevel. Senior Ryne Cokeley then earned a forfeit victory with the Mules leaving the 149-pound bout open.

No. 4 ranked Efe Osaghae added another technical fall to his collection with a 15-0 stomp over Austin Morgan at 157 pounds. The crowd noise would not be bothered when Conrad Vajnar stepped on the mat and earned a fall in the first period (2:10) of the 165-pound match over Cole Hatfield. The Tigers lead 22-6 at this point in the dual.

No. 9 ranked Marty Verhaeghe bounced back in a good way with a decision over Benjamin Gadbois, holding the Mules senior to one point in the 8-1 win. Senior Micquille Robinson went out with a bang in front of the home crowd after defeating Dominique Hampton, 12-0, and earning his 21st career major decision.

In his season debut, redshirt-freshman Ryan Tiers overcame a 2-0 deficit to Martin Brunnert to end up with an 11-4 decision and his first victory in over a year. A.J. Cooper capped the evening off with an easy 9-3 decision over Chase Miller in the 285-pound bout.

The Tigers will take a week off before resuming wrestling as they travel up north to Kearney, Neb. to take on No. 2 ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday (Feb. 10). The dual between conference rivals is slated to commence at 3 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State was tabbed 12th in the 2019 MIAA Softball Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday (Jan. 30). The Tigers were picked where they finished in the standings last year.

Fort Hays State enters its fifth season under the guidance of head coach Adrian Pilkington. The Tigers will be in search of their first MIAA Tournament appearance since 2016 after finishing 12th in the standings each of the last two years. FHSU finished 13-37 overall last year and 8-18 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State is still a youthful team in 2019 with no seniors on the roster. However, eight of the 15 members of the roster are entering their junior season. With the seasoning of several underclassmen coupled with a few key transfers, the Tigers are looking to find another gear this year and improve their MIAA standing after being stuck in neutral last year in regards to position in the standings.

Fort Hays State saw three freshmen lead the way in batting average last year as Grace Philop, Sara Breckbill, and Terran Caldwell all hit over .300 for the season. Philop was the team leader in batting average at .333, while Breckbill tied for the team lead in home runs with five. Both were All-MIAA selections in their first collegiate season. Bailey Boxberger, who enters her junior season in 2019, led the team in RBIs last year with 27 and tied Breckbill for the team lead in home runs with five.The Tigers return six of the nine players from their regular starting lineup last year, while four newcomers (two juniors, two freshmen) look to work into the mix for hitting and fielding.

Pitching will need to improve in 2018 for the Tigers to see more success. The team had a 5.22 ERA compared to opponents posting 2.84 ERA against the Tigers. Hailey Chapman was the team leader in ERA (4.52), innings pitched (164), complete games (15) and strikeouts (124) last year. Junior transfer Michaelanne Nelson from Connors State (Okla.) looks to make an immediate impact in the circle after earning all-region honors at the NJCAA level last year.

Fort Hays State opens the season with four games in Bentonville, Arkansas, February 9-10. The Tigers are slated to play 10 doubleheaders in Hays this year, with the first on March 5 against Kansas Wesleyan University.