HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team sent the three seniors out on a high-note as the Tigers defeated Newman on Wednesday (Feb. 7), 39-4. The Tigers improved to 6-5 overall and 2-3 in MIAA duals, while the Jets dipped to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in conference matches.

The Tigers led from the start after a first period fall from sophomore Conrad Cole over Tyler Lawley in the 125-pound match giving FHSU a quick 6-0 dual lead after one match. Cole increased his pin total to nine on the season, tied for the team lead.

Dy’Juan Carney continued the winning ways with a 7-2 decision over Vincent Eremita in the 133-pound weight class. Carney broke a 1-1 tie in the third period with a takedown and a four-point near fall to pull away from Eremita.

In the 141-pound bout, No. 8 Brandon Ball continued his strong sophomore campaign by pinning Brandon Conrad of Newman in the first period after a takedown and three 4-point near falls in the match. Ball picked up his third fall of the year and team-leading 28th win of the season.

Efe Osaghae joined in on the scoring frenzy with a 16-0 technical fall of his own in the 149-pound match over Mario Rodriguez. Osaghae gave the Tigers the 20-0 dual advantage through four bouts on the evening. The redshirt-freshman continues to stay steady by ranking second on the team in wins (24) and technical falls (five).

Newman’s Tyler Mies picked up a 16-3 major decision over Ryne Cokeley in the 157-pound weight class, putting the Jets on the board in the fifth bout of the night. FHSU led Newman 20-4 halfway through the dual.

After intermission to honor the three seniors on the squad, Marty Verhaeghe squeaked by in a 6-5 decision over Kyle Ryan in the 165-pound bout. With the decision, Verhaeghe was able to get back to .500 (20-20) on the season.

The first senior of the dual was in the 174-pound weight class as Dylan Wiesner controlled Nate Panagakis for the majority of the bout after accumulating over four minutes of ride time and an eventual 12-4 major decision in favor of the Tigers. FHSU led Newman 27-4 with three bouts remaining in the dual.

In the 184-pound match, Micah Felton narrowly escaped Forlanda Parker for a slim 3-1 decision. Senior Rakim Dean came out swinging early in the 197-pound bout after earning a 16-0 technical fall victory over Jacob Stoneberger in the first period. The final senior, Dakota Gulley, wrapped up the dual with a 12-2 major decision over Thor Balavage in the 285-pound weight class. Gulley earned his second major decision of his career in the victory, moving his overall record to 33-33 as a Fort Hays State Tiger.

The Tigers have wrapped up regular season play and gear up for postseason wrestling as they travel to Wichita, Kan. for the MIAA Tournament on Sunday (Feb. 11). The event is set to begin at 10 a.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After both posting marks good enough for provisionals over the weekend, Decano Cronin and Jake Morrow swept the MIAA’s Track & Field Athletes of the Week honors. Cronin claimed track athlete after hitting a provisional in the 800-meter, while Morrow earned field honors with his provisional in the pole vault.

Cronin is now seventh in the nation after boasting his time of 1:50.55 in the 800-meters while at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite in Lincoln, Neb., this past Saturday. Cronin topped a field of 28 runners in the event to move up in the performance rankings. This honor is Cronin’s second mention as track athlete of the week for the conference in his career.

Morrow earns his mention of the week after winning the pole vault at the UNK Indoor Invitational over the weekend. Not only did Morrow earn another provisional on the season, but he set a new personal best of 16 feet, 7 ¼ inches in his specialty. With this effort, Morrow now sits at No. 6 in the nation for the pole vault.

NEW ORLEANS – The Fort Hays State men’s track and field team continues to climb in the USTFCCCA National Rankings as they now sit at No. 19 after a weekend of competition in both Lincoln and Kearney. The Tigers were previously No. 23 in the poll and make their way up four places in the latest installment released Tuesday (Feb. 6).

FHSU reaches the No. 19 spot after calculating a total of 37.12 points from the computer-based ranking system within the poll. The Tigers were one of three MIAA programs to earn a mention in the rankings alongside No. 8 Pittsburg State, No. 11 Missouri Southern and No. 24 Emporia State.

After a weekend with the team splitting their talent between the UNK Indoor Invitational and the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite in Lincoln, the Tigers increased their poll presence after earning several provisional marks to go with school records and personal bests. Jake Morrow and Sam Dreiling both earned provisional marks in the pole vault with Morrow winning the event and Dreiling taking third at UNK. In Lincoln, Decano Cronin captured a win in the 800-meter at 1:50.55 to claim a provisional. With this time, Cronin sits at No. 7 in the national performance list. The Tigers rounded out the strong competition by setting a school record in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:18.20 with a team made up of Jacob Schumacher, Cronin, Brett Meyer and Malcom Gardner.

Below are the latest rankings for Division II Men.

Rank Institution Points
1 Colorado Mines 207.85
2 Grand Valley State 144.56
3 Tiffin 140.48
4 Ashland 124.75
5 Texas A&M-Commerce 116.99
6 Adams State 100.55
7 CSU-Pueblo 96.60
8 Pittsburg State 94.81
9 Findlay 82.55
10 Minnesota State 74.67
11 Missouri Southern 71.33
12 Texas A&M-Kingsville 70.28
13 Academy of Art 68.97
14 Saint Augustine’s 57.15
15 Western Oregon 47.82
16 West Texas A&M 45.28
17 Colorado Christian 43.88
18 Colorado Mesa 42.82
19 Fort Hays State 37.12
20 Wingate 36.65
21 American International 35.74
22 Queens (N.C.) 34.59
23 U-Mary 34.00
24 Emporia State 33.64
25 Eastern New Mexico 33.29

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team wrapped up their conference road trip on Sunday (Feb. 4) as the Tigers fell to No. 20 Lindenwood 23-16. The Tigers dipped to 5-5 overall and 1-3 in MIAA duals this season. The Lions improved to 6-5 on the season and 2-3 in conference duals.

The Tigers fell behind early after Conrad Cole suffered a 13-3 major decision loss to the fourth-ranked wrestler in Division II, Carlos Jacquez, in the 125-pound bout. Dy’Juan Carney battled No. 8 Hunter Haralson in the 133-pound weight class before Haralson earned an 8-0 major decision over Carney. The Lions led 8-0 in the dual after the first two matches.

Eighth-ranked Brandon Ball looked to turn around the scoring, taking on Danny Swan in the 141-pound bout. Ball fell behind early in the match after Swan earned a takedown 15 seconds into the first period. Ball clawed his way back with a couple escapes, a takedown and was awarded a ride-time point to defeat Swan with a 5-3 decision. The sophomore earned his team-leading 27 victory of the season.

Nate Trepanier turned Efe Osaghae on his back late in the third period of the 149-pound weight class to increase their lead in the dual to 14-3 over the Tigers. Ryne Cokeley started the 157-pound match against Tim Bogar, before defeating Bogar via medical forfeit in the second period.

After closing within five points, Lion freshman Austin Stofer rode out Marty Verhaeghe until the end of the third period in the 165-pound match to separate themselves even further, halting a Tiger run. However, senior Dylan Wiesner was able to gain some more momentum for the Tigers with a strong 8-0 major decision over Sam Pennington in the 174-pound bout, closing the gap to four (17-13).

FHSU was not able to take any sort of advantage of a possible lead change in the dual after Patrick Kristin defeated Jordan Davis with a 6-0 decision in the 184-pound weight class, pushing the score to 20-13.

Senior Rakim Dean earned a 3-1 decision in the 197-pound match over Jared McKindley after a takedown late in the third period. The Lions held the Tigers in check in the 285-pound bout and the dual as 12th-ranked Jake Borgmeyer muscled a 9-3 decision over Dakota Gulley in the final match of the afternoon giving Lindenwood the match by a score of 23-16.

The Tigers are back in action Wednesday evening (Feb. 7) as the Tigers host Newman inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Senior Night for the Tigers is set to commence at 7 p.m.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fort Hays State fell to UC-Colorado Springs 11-5 on Sunday (Feb. 4) in the finale of the three-game series. The game was shortened when umpires determined weather conditions were unsafe to continue play following the top of the fifth inning. An 11-run third inning for UCCS was the difference after FHSU took an early 3-0 lead.

The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Candace Bollig laced a two-RBI double to the right center gap to plate Tess Gray and Veronica Knittig. Later in the inning, Bollig scored on a Terran Caldwell RBI single.

Tiger starter Sierra Rodriguez got out of a jam in the second inning, stranding runners at second and third when she fielded a comebacker for the first out and then struck out two in a row to keep the 3-0 lead intact. However, she ran into trouble in the third in the same situation with runners at second and third and one out. The Mountain Lions put together a two-RBI single, walk, single, and then a bases clearing double to take a 5-3 lead. That marked the end of Rodriguez’s day in the circle.

Megan Jamison entered and the Tigers committed an error on a ball batted by the first hitter she faced, allowing another run to score. Three more runs came into score in a sequence of a single and two doubles, making it 9-3 in favor of UCCS. Jamison did not record an out before handing the ball to Hailey Chapman. Chapman eventually stopped the rally, but not before a two-RBI double plated another pair of runs.

Temperatures were plummeting rapidly and the Tigers were able to get a pair of runs back in the top of the fifth on an error and a Bailey Kennedy RBI single, but the umpires deemed conditions too unsafe to continue before the bottom of the fifth began. With the game past the amount of innings needed to make it official, UCCS grabbed an 11-5 win.

Rodriguez took the loss for FHSU, allowing six runs on seven hits. Cami Duffy picked up the win for UCCS, allowing five runs (two earned) over her five innings of work.

The Tigers, now 1-2 overall, head south next week to San Antonio, Texas for the Rattler Invitational, where they will play five games over three days (Feb. 9-11).

ODESSA, Texas – The bats came alive for the Fort Hays State baseball team on Sunday, propelling the Tigers to a 13-7 victory over Texas-Permian Basin. The win completes the series sweep for the Tigers, who move to 3-0 on the year. UTPB dips to 0-3 after the opening weekend of the season.

All nine Tiger starters recorded at least one hit in the victory, and eight different players scored at least one run. FHSU collected 15 hits on the day while making zero errors in the field. The Falcons combined for nine hits and made seven errors on defense.

It is the first time the Tigers have started a season 3-0 since 2010 when FHSU won its first eight games.

Jordan Wilkerson opened the scoring in the second inning with a first-pitch home run to left field, the first long ball of the season for FHSU. Ryan Grasser came around to score on an error later in the inning, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

Fort Hays State added three more runs in the third inning after Dayton Pomeroy got things started with a single to left. Later, with the bases loaded, Bryce Whitchurch and Grasser were hit by a pitch in back-to-back plate appearances, driving in a run each time. Marcus Altman added another RBI in the following at-bat when he reached on a fielding error, scoring Wilkerson.

After the Falcons finally got on the board with one run in the fourth inning, Whitchurch helped the Tigers get the run right back in the fifth when he sent a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left center.

The Tigers pushed three more across the plate in the sixth when Alex Weiss led off with a solid single to center. Pomeroy followed with an RBI-double inside the line in left field. Walks to Addison Kaasch and Whitchurch loaded the bases before another Falcon error allowed two runs to score.

Texas-Permian Basin got two runs back in the bottom half of the sixth, but LHP Alex Ruxlow came in to limit the damage, giving up a double before striking out three in a row to get out of the inning with a 9-3 lead.

Clayton Basgall opened the seventh inning with a single to right and quickly moved to third after a groundout and a stolen base. The infielder scampered home on a wild pitch two batters later. Wilkerson lifted a sacrifice fly to left later in the inning, scoring Pomeroy to build the lead back to eight, 11-3.

The Falcons made it a game again in the home half of the seventh, cutting the deficit in half with four runs on three hits. But Fort Hays State answered right back, scoring a pair in the eighth inning to build the lead to 13-7. Basgall came through with a two-out single to right field, scoring Altman from second. After Basgall swiped second, Weiss followed with a drive to center, doubling in Basgall.

Easton Palmer came out of the pen to make quick work of the Falcons in the final two innings, retiring all six batters he faced to secure the victory.

Starting pitcher Ben Ramberg (1-0) had a solid outing, striking out eight batters over five-plus innings of work while giving up just five hits and two walks. Jake Vieira also made his first appearance as a Tiger, allowing one unearned run on one hit and one walk in one inning pitched.

Weiss collected three hits on the day, scoring one run and driving in another. Pomeroy led the team with three runs scored, going 2-for-5 with a double. Basgall finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases, while Wilkerson and Kaasch also scored two runs each.

The Tigers are scheduled to return to action on Tuesday (Feb. 6) when they will to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. in Alva, Okla. Weather could alter the midweek schedule, so be sure to stay tuned in to fhsuathletics.com and @fhsuathletics on Twitter for any schedule changes.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In their first outing for the 2018 season, the Fort Hays State softball team went 1-1 in a doubleheader against UC-Colorado Springs on Saturday (Feb. 3). The Tigers rallied late in the first contest, but ultimately fell 8-7, but followed with a late-inning 14-11 win in the second game for the split.

UC-Colorado Springs 8, Fort Hays State 7
The Tigers never held the lead in the first contest as the Mountain Lions took an early lead and barely held on late. UCCS got on the board first in the opening inning, going up 2-0 quickly after two sacrifice flies brought in runners. The Tigers were scoreless until the third inning when Grace Philop doubled down the left field line to bring in Lily Sale for FHSU’s first run of the contest. In the fourth, Sara Breckbill also sent a double down the left field line to score Candace Bollig, tying up the game 2-2.

UC-Colorado Springs took control once again in the bottom of the fourth. Melissa Martinek drew a bases-loaded walk, then Whitney Weber sent a bases-clearing triple to center, giving UCCS a 6-2 lead. The Tigers got one run back in the fifth on another RBI from Philop, this time a single up the middle, scoring Terran Caldwell. The Mountain Lions got the run right back in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run by Kylie Bernard.

The Tigers scored twice in the sixth as Sale singled up the middle to bring in Sydney Harsh and Philop produced her third RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to send Sara Kay home. UCCS scored its decisive run in the bottom of the sixth when Lexi Belligan singled home a run to make it 8-5.

The Tigers nearly completed a comeback in the seventh when Tess Gray led off the inning with a double. After a Bailey Kennedy walk and the first out of the inning, Breckbill doubled down the left field line to make the score 8-6. Kay followed with an RBI single to right field and made it 8-7. With just one out the Tigers had runners at first and third, but a pop up and a fly out ended the game to cut the rally just short.

Cami Duffy earned her first win of the season for the Mountain Lions, pitching all seven innings. For the Tigers, Hailey Chapman took the loss in four innings pitched, while Carrie Clarke took over the final three innings.

Fort Hays State 14, UC-Colorado Springs 11
The second contest of the day saw the bats continue to thrive as the Tigers ousted the Mountain Lions in a high-scoring, 14-11 affair. Tess Gray got the scoring frenzy started with a three-run homer in the first. The lead lasted until the third after UCCS plated a run in the second on an RBI single and two in the third with a two-run homer.

The fourth inning looked pivotal for the Mountain Lions once again when they scored five to take an 8-3 lead. A three-run home run and a two-RBI single did the damage. However, the Tigers were not denied the comeback victory in this contest when they had an outburst of nine runs in the top of the fifth.

Bailey Kennedy started the comeback with a solo homer to lead off the inning. Lily Sale came around to score on a bunt single by Terran Caldwell. With the bases loaded, Tess Gray knocked home two with a single, making the score 8-7. Then, with the bags juiced again, all three runners scored on an error off the bat of Candace Bollig, swinging the lead in favor of the Tigers 10-8. Another error and a walk loaded the bases for a third time, then Sale produced a sacrifice fly to bring home Bollig. The lead grew to 12-8 on an RBI ground out by Caldwell, capping the nine-run inning for the Tigers.

A Tiger error in the sixth led to a three-run inning for the Mountain Lions, but the Tigers escaped into the seventh with a 12-11 lead. After one run scored on an error, a pair of doubles were key to bringing home two more for UCCS.

The Tigers got two of the runs back in the seventh, thanks to a passed ball and an RBI groundout by Sale. Hailey Chapman came on to record the final two outs after starter Sierra Rodriguez went 6.1 innings. Chapman earned her first collegiate save after UCCS had one runner on base when she entered the circle.

For the Cougars, Meghan Waidler notched the loss in relief after giving up first seven (four earned) of nine runs in the fifth. She did not record an out.

The Tigers and Mountain Lions meet in the final game of the series Sunday at 11 am MT / 12 pm CT.

ODESSA, Texas – The Fort Hays State baseball team took care of business for the second straight day with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory over Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday (Feb. 3). The Tigers improved to 2-0 with the win, while UTPB dropped to 0-2 to begin the season.

Cody Rottinghaus (1-0) earned the win, pitching one inning in relief. Sam Capps picked up the save in his first appearance of the season, his second save as a Tiger. The duo combined for three innings of hitless relief, each striking out one batter.

Fort Hays State produced 12 hits and five doubles on the day as Texas-Permian Basin managed to manufacture three runs on nine hits, while making two errors in the field.

Junior Ryan Grasser had a big day at the plate, driving in one run on four hits in five at-bats. The second-baseman picked up two doubles and scored two critical runs for the Tigers in the comeback effort.

UT-Permian Basin scored first with a solo home run in the home half of the third inning before extended the lead to 3-0 in the sixth.

The Tigers started their rally in the seventh inning when Jordan Wilkerson worked a walk to lead off. Grasser delivered a big hit in the next at-bat, doubling to left to score Wilkerson from first base. Addison Kaasch came in to pinch hit and reached base with an infield single to shortstop. Jason Nicholson then reached on a throwing error, scoring Grasser to cut the Falcon lead to one, 3-2. Kaasch scored on a sac fly two batters later when Alex Weiss lifted a fly ball to left, knotting the game at three runs apiece.

The Tigers were not finished, however, as they led off the eighth inning with three-straight hits. Wilkerson clubbed a double to left before heading for third on a bunt single from Grasser. Marcus Altman then continued his sizzling start to the season, dropping a two-RBI double in the gap in left center, plating Grasser and Wilkerson. Altman later scored on a wild pitch to give the Tigers the 6-3 edge that would ultimately give the Tigers the win.

Ryan Ruder began the game on the hill for the Tigers, giving up one run on seven hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Ruder left the game in the fifth inning striking out three batters in his first appearance of the year.

The Tigers continued to showcase strong plate discipline, working seven walks after picking up six on Friday.

The Tigers look for the series sweep on Sunday (Feb. 4) when they battle the Falcons at Roden Field. First pitch is set for noon.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team defeated Central Missouri in dominant fashion on Friday (Feb. 2) with a 37-15 drubbing of the Mules on their home mat. The Tigers improved to 5-4 overall in duals and 1-2 against conference opponents. The Mules dipped to 3-14 overall and 1-4 in MIAA duals.

The Tigers took a 6-0 lead right out of the gates when Conrad Cole received a forfeit victory as the Mules left the 125-pound bout open. In the 133-pound match, Dy’Juan Carney pinned Daide Agnew in the first period (1:14) giving him his eighth fall of the season, tying him with Cole for the second-most falls on the squad.

The 141-pound bout was a carbon copy of what Carney completed as No. 8 Brandon Ball pinned Dakota Thevel in the first period (1:58) after leading 7-0 in the match. Ball earned his second fall of the season, while improving his overall record to 26-3.

Efe Osaghae joined in on the scoring frenzy and defeated Zach Schridde in the 149-pound weight class by way of a first period fall (2:48). Osaghae earned two 4-point nearfalls in the bout before ultimately earning his second fall and 23rd victory of the year.

The Tigers took a 24-6 lead after leaving the 157-pound weight class open, giving the Mules their first points of the dual. The five initial bouts were completed in the first eight minutes of the dual.

Redshirt-freshman Marty Verhaeghe battled against Shea Conley in the 165-pound bout until the end of the third period, but was unable to outscore Conley in a 5-3 decision defeat. UCM cut into the FHSU lead to make it 24-9 with four matches remaining in the dual.

Fort Hays State was able to run away with the dual the rest of the way, winning three of the final four bouts. The run started with a 2-0 decision from Micquille Robinson over Tyler Selemaea in the 174-pound bout. In the ensuing bout, Micah Felton fell to Zach Benner in the 184-pound weight class in the first period. The Tigers then held a 27-15 advantage.

Senior Rakim Dean earned a 16-2 major decision over Dominique Hampton in the 197-pound match. The major decision was Dean’s fifth of the season, tying Osaghae for second-most on the team.

The Tigers wrapped up the dual with Dakota Gulley earning a fall over Chase Miller in the first period (2:42) of the 285-pound weight class, moving the Tigers over .500 in duals on the season.

FHSU is back in action on Sunday (Feb. 4) as they make their way to St. Charles, Mo. to battle the 20th-ranked Lindenwood Lions. The dual is set to commence at 2 p.m.

ODESSA, Texas – The Fort Hays State baseball team opened the season with an impressive 6-0 victory over Texas-Permian Basin Friday afternoon (Feb. 2) at Roden Field. The pitching duo of Tanner Smith and Austin Weiser befuddled the Falcons all afternoon, striking out 13 while allowing just four batters to reach base (two hits, one HBP, one error). It was just the second shutout for the Tigers since 2013 (5-0 vs NWOSU, 3/22/17).

The Tigers accumulated six hits and made one error on the day while the Falcons scraped together only two hits and made four errors in the field.

Smith (1-0) made the most of his first start in a Tiger uniform, striking out nine batters and allowing just one hit over six innings of work, issuing zero walks. The righty allowed just one Falcon to reach third base. Smith’s nine strikeouts are tied for the most in a single game for a Tiger since 2015 (Ben Ramberg and Sam Capps last season).

Sophomore Marcus Altman carried the team on offense, driving in four RBI while finishing 2-for-3 at the dish. The outfielder nearly matched his RBI total from last season in one game (five RBI in 2017).

The Tigers got off to a quick start after Jason Nicholson worked a walk to lead things off. After the catcher swiped second, Nicholson scored from second when Alex Weiss singled to third and forced a throwing error.

Fort Hays State doubled its lead in the top of the second when Bryce Whitchurch led off by working a walk. Ryan Grasser followed with a single into the gap in right center in his first at bat as a Tiger, advancing Whitchurch to third. Altman picked up the first RBI of the year for a Tiger in the next at bat when he punched a single to right, scoring Whitchurch.

Altman added another RBI in the top of the sixth when he lifted a sacrifice fly to right field with the bases loaded, plating Jordan Wilkerson.

The Tigers added a trio of insurance runs in the top of the eighth when Whitchurch reached on an error to open things off. Grasser worked a walk in the next at bat, bringing Altman to the plate with two on and one out. The sophomore continued his torrid afternoon, clubbing a double to left to plate a pair of runs. Altman later scored when Clayton Basgall grounded into a double play, putting the Tigers in front 6-0.

Weiser came on in relief in the seventh inning, earning the save after tossing three scoreless innings. The senior struck out four batters and allowed only one hit, retiring the first seven batters he faced before giving up a one-out double in the ninth. Weiser remained calm under pressure, striking out the final two batters with a runner in scoring position to secure the win.

The Tigers showed plenty of plate discipline, working eight walks in the victory. FHSU is now 4-4 on Opening Day under head coach Steve Johnson.

The teams will face off in game two of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 3).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With the spring season right around the corner, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association released the 2018 Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday (Jan. 31). The Fort Hays State Tigers were picked to finish 13th according to the coaches around the league.

The Tigers finished 13th in the conference standings in 2017, turning in a 10-39 record overall and a 3-33 mark in conference play. Fort Hays State looks to return to postseason play for the first time since 2013 this year with the help of 22 experienced returners and 12 talented newcomers.

Eleven Tigers make up this year’s senior class, including eight players that have been regular starters for FHSU over the last two years. For an in-depth preview of this year’s club, click the window below.

Fort Hays State kicks off the season this weekend with a three-game set against Texas-Permian Basin. The Tigers open things up against the Falcons on Friday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in Odessa, Texas. FHSU will make its home debut one week later (Feb. 9) when it hosts Newman at Larks Park.

2017 MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Emporia State (11) – 143 points
2. Central Missouri (1) – 120 points
3. Central Oklahoma – 118 points
4. Lindenwood – 114 points
5. Missouri Western (1) – 104 points
6. Pittsburg State – 94 points
7. Missouri Southern – 81 points
8. Southwest Baptist – 57 points
T9. Northwest Missouri – 47 points
T9. Washburn – 47 points
11. Northeastern State – 42 points
12. Nebraska Kearney – 31 points
13. Fort Hays State – 16 points

Fort Hays State Softball starts up its 2018 campaign on Saturday (Feb. 3) at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs in a three-game weekend series. On Tuesday (Jan. 30), the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its preseason poll selected by head coaches of each school. The Tigers are picked 12th, the same place they finished to end the 2017 season.

Fort Hays State missed the MIAA Tournament for the first time in 2017, but had one pitcher and five position players starting regularly last year that were freshmen. With all six of those players returning this year as sophomores with plenty of experience from their first year, alongside three very experienced seniors, the Tigers look to improve on a season that saw several get their first taste of softball at the collegiate level.

A 19-game skid from March 18 through April 7 last year was the biggest contributor to a 17-39 season overall and 7-19 mark in MIAA play. The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 start in conference play before taking 13 consecutive losses in the midst of the 19-game losing streak. Once out of the slump, the Tigers finished their final 11 conference games 5-6 and 8-7 over their final 15 games overall.

Candace Bollig, senior infielder, and Tess Gray, sophomore catcher, were the only Tigers to receive All-MIAA honors last year. Bollig batted a team-best .304 with 14 extra-base hits (eight doubles, four triples, two home runs) and 28 runs driven in. Gray was second best on the team in batting average at .295 in her first year of collegiate ball, finishing with five doubles, four home runs, and 27 runs batted in. She also caught 23 runners attempting to steal.

Fort Hays State’s starting duo from last year returns to the circle in sophomore Hailey Chapman and senior Carrie Clarke. Chapman finished 2017 with a 4.14 ERA, while Clarke was just a bit higher at 4.26. The two combined for 38 complete games last year, Chapman claiming 10 wins and Clarke claiming seven. Chapman struck out 116 batters in 194.2 innings pitched, while Clarke struck out 43 in 143 innings pitched. Pushing both for time in the circle this year are freshmen Sierra Rodriguez and Megan Jamison, who give the team depth and added options in the pitching circle. As a team, FHSU ranked ninth in the MIAA in strikeouts and 12th in earned runs allowed and opponent batting average among the 14 teams in the conference.

Veronica Knittig is the third Tiger senior besides Bollig and Gray. She started all 56 games last year and finished with a solid .288 batting average and a team-best 15 extra-base hits (11 doubles, four home runs). She drove in 26 walks, and drew a team-high 21 walks. Bailey Kennedy, Lily Sale, Bailey Boxberger, and Jeni Mohr all started at least 50 games in their freshmen campaign last year. The four combined for 69 RBI and 92 runs scored. Boxberger led the team in home runs with five and Kennedy led the team in runs scored with 28. Offensively as a team, FHSU looks to up its production at the plate where it finished 10th in the MIAA in batting average and runs scored and ninth in total bases.

Head coach Adrian Pilkington enters her fourth year guiding the Tigers. She has coached the team to 64 wins over her first three seasons. The team remains youthful this year with the addition of six freshmen, along with one sophomore and one junior that transferred in from community colleges. Thirteen of the 17 players on the squad this year are underclassmen.

Below is the 2018 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll…

1. Central Oklahoma (13) 169 points
2. Missouri Western 140 points
3. Northwest Missouri (1) 135 points
4. Central Missouri 133 points
5. Southwest Baptist 114 points
T6. Emporia State 101 points
T6. Missouri Southern 101 points
8. Pittsburg State 95 points
9. Northeastern State 73 points
10. Washburn 71 points
11. Lindenwood 53 points
12. Fort Hays State 43 points
13. Nebraska Kearney 30 points
14. Lincoln 16 points

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After notching the fourth-fastest time in the nation in men’s track in the 800-meter run, Brett Meyer of the FHSU track earned the honor of MIAA Men’s Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday (Jan. 23).

Meyer, along with multiple other Tiger performers, competed in the Colorado Mines Twilight Classic in Golden, Co., over the previous weekend. Meyer captured a provisional qualifying time of 1:54.13, but was adjusted to 1:50.84 due to the track size at the event. This time is 0.96 seconds behind the fastest time in the nation.

The MIAA Men’s Field Athlete of the Week went to Christopher Godwin of Central Missouri. Jake Morrow of FHSU was nominated for that honor this week.

Meyer and the Tigers are back on the track this coming Saturday (Jan. 27) as they compete at the Pittsburg State Invitational in Pittsburg, Kan.