By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eric Hosmer hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Danny Duffy settled down after a wild start and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Softball coach Adrian Mohr announced the addition of six newcomers for the 2016 season. The Tigers add four transfers and two freshmen to a roster that returns 10 players in 2016. Joining the team are Chermayne Yago, Claudia Vazquez, Ashley Beavers, Carrie Clarke, Hannah Hearld, and Madeline LaPolla.

Yago transfers to FHSU from Otero (Colo.) Junior College, where she played two seasons. She was a big threat on the basepaths with 83 stolen bases over two seasons. She set a new single-season record for stolen bases at Otero as a freshman in 2014 with 54. The outfielder tallied one more run scored than her stolen base total in two years with 84 and had a big freshman year at the plate that saw her hit .383. Yago is a native of Kapolei, Hawaii, which is located on the island of Oahu.

Vazquez transfers to FHSU from Phoenix (Ariz.) College, where she played two seasons. As a sophomore in 2015 she batted .319 with 30 runs scored, 12 RBI, and 16 stolen bases as an outfielder, helping her team to a record of 53-12 and a conference championship. Vazquez is a native of Gilbert, Ariz.

Beavers transfers to FHSU from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, where she played two seasons. As an outfielder, she batted .308 with 20 runs scored, 12 RBI, and six stolen bases in 2015 as a sophomore. She had a tremendous year at the plate as a freshman in 2014, hitting .394 with 20 RBI and 16 runs scored. Beavers is a native of Longmont, Colo.

Clarke is transferring to FHSU from Black Hills State University in South Dakota. She saw time in the pitching circle last year, logging 39 innings with 18 strikeouts, and had limited appearances as a hitter at the plate.The Erie, Colo., native adds depth to the roster as a utility player and pitcher.

Hearld is a hometown product from Hays High School. She was one of the top players in Kansas Class 5A, but was only able to compete during her freshman and junior seasons due to injuries sustained as a sophomore and senior. She was the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a junior and earned all-state honors in her prep career. She finished with a career batting average of .570 and posted a record of 29-4 with a 1.97 ERA and 255 strikeouts in her career as a pitcher.

LaPolla, a native of Parker, Colo., attended Chaparral High School. As a senior she earned all-state honorable mention honors and an all-league first team selection, while batting .490 with 26 runs scored and 17 RBI. She finished with a career batting average of .410 in high school and has the ability to play the infield, outfield, and catch.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Volleyball was voted eighth in the 2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Thursday morning (Aug. 13). Eighth is where the Tigers finished last year in the standings, a season in which they saw great improvement in MIAA play.

In 2014, the Tigers saw their win percentage in MIAA play make a jump of .130 from the previous year and they finished three spots higher in the MIAA standings. The Tigers won seven MIAA matches in 2014, tying the most they have ever won in the conference since joining in 2006. However, with the improvement, the Tigers still finished at 13-18 overall with 15 of the losses occurring in MIAA play. Outside of the very tough MIAA schedule, the Tigers finished 6-3 against non-conference competition.

There is no doubt that the Tigers play in the toughest region in the country in NCAA Division II. The MIAA and the NSIC are two of the most powerful conferences in the nation in volleyball, and unfortunately the conferences play in the same region. Thus, only eight teams are selected into the Central Regional of the 64-team NCAA Tournament each year. To paint a picture of how good this region has been, it has had a team in the national title match eight straight years. Concordia-St. Paul won the national title an unprecedented seven times in a row from 2007 to 2013, but they were finally knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the Central Regional by Southwest Minnesota State last year. Southwest Minnesota went on to play in the national title match, but fell to Tampa.

Some may say Concordia-St. Paul has just been that good, but take a look at the final national rankings at the end of the 2014 season. The Central Region finished with five of the top six teams in the nation – Southwest Minnesota State at No. 2, Minnesota-Duluth at No. 3, Concordia-St. Paul at No. 4, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 5, and Wayne State (Neb.) at No. 6. Four of those teams went home in the NCAA Tournament before the Elite Eight, as only one can advance from the regional. The 2013 season was just as brutal as six of the top 10 teams in the final poll were from the Central Region – Concordia-St. Paul at No. 1 (earning their seventh-straight national title), Minnesota-Duluth at No. 4, Central Missouri at No. 6, Southwest Minnesota State at No. 7, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 8, and Washburn at No. 10.

With the great balance of the conference and region in volleyball, the Tigers have continued a quest to compete and finish among the top teams in the MIAA. The road block has been MIAA play. The Tigers have finished well above .500 in non-conference play each of the last four years, going 12-3 in 2011, 16-4 in 2012, 11-6 in 2013, and 6-3 last year. A 22-game conference schedule in 2014 kept the Tigers from playing very many non-conference matches.

The MIAA schedule consists of just 18 games this year with the return of the MIAA Tournament at the end of the season. There was no conference tournament in 2014, so the three MIAA teams qualifying for the NCAA Tournament were at-large selections. Two teams from the MIAA with great resumes were left home. That included Central Oklahoma, which finished third in the conference and had an overall record of 26-5, and Missouri Western, which finished fifth in the conference and had an overall record of 22-8. Both teams finished 10 or more games over .500 in conference play, but still could not make the cut for the eight-team regional.

The Tigers have four players returning from last year’s squad with Mallory Flagor as the lone senior. She was one of the conference’s top hitters in 2014, garnering an All-MIAA Second Team selection with 348 kills for the season. The Tigers have strength at middle hitter with the return of Rebekah Spainhour and Callie Christensen. Spainhour finished with 234 kills in her sophomore campaign and Christensen had 133 as a true freshman. The duo combined for 179 blocks, nearly tying each other for the team lead (Spainhour with 90, Christensen with 89). The fourth returner is  Crystal Whitten, who redshirted last year after transferring from Pittsburg State, where she was one of the team’s top offensive threats at outside hitter. The Tigers have 13 newcomers that will compete to fill in the rotation, especially the void at the setter and libero positions.

FHSU opens up the 2015 season in Marquette, Mich. on the first weekend of September with four non-conference matches against NCAA Division II opponents.

Below is the 2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll…

2015 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (9)         119
2. Washburn (2)             108
3. Nebraska-Kearney (1)       98
4. Central Oklahoma           95
5. Missouri Western           84
6. Northwest Missouri           66
7. Emporia State               64
8. Fort Hays State               46
9. Pittsburg State               39
10. Southwest Baptist           27
11. Missouri Southern           25
12. Lindenwood               21

The Fort Hays State football team has 16 seniors on the roster, one of the biggest classes since Chris Brown took over as head coach prior to the 2011 season. The most veteran player of that group is offensive lineman Matt Erbert. The Ellis native missed the entire 2013 season after suffering a knee injury and had to sit out of practices this spring due to the NCAA semester rule. Now in his sixth year, Erbert and the rest of the senior class is ready to prove last year’s seven-win season was no fluke.

Erbert leads an offensive line that returns all five starters from last season.

Last season the Fort Hays State defense led the way in helping the program to their first seven-win season in 18 years. The Tigers were fourth in the MIAA, allowing 21 points per game. This season the offense, which returns nine starters, is hoping to lead the charge.

Wide receiver Bilal Salat is one of the returning starters. The Tampa, Fla. junior started in 10 of the Tigers 11 games last season and had four receptions for 69 yards. Salat has had a good start to fall camp and is looking to have a bigger impact in 2015.

Listen below as he talks about camp and the upcoming season.

Around 100 players greeted head coach Chris Brown and his staff as the Fort Hays State football team held their first practice of the 2015 season Monday morning at Lewis Field. The Tigers are limited to just one practice per day in just helmets. The team will add shoulder pads on Wednesday with their first full pad practice scheduled for Friday.

With over 60 players staying in Hays for summer workouts, Brown was happy with his team’s first workout.|

“It was good to seed guys flying around to the ball” Brown said. “You see a lot of guys out there that are pretty talented. They are pretty good athletes. They’ve just got to continue to get better”.

The Tigers open their 2015 season at Central Oklahoma on Thursday, September 3rd.

FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State men’s soccer was tabbed the No. 14 ranked team in the nation in the NSCAA Division II Preseason Rankings for the 2015 season on Thursday (Aug. 6). It is the same ranking the Tigers held in the final poll of the 2014 season.

The Tigers reached new heights in 2014 as they advanced to the National Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament (Super Region 3 Final) for the first time. FHSU, ranked No. 23 in the nation at the time, was on the verge of advancing to the National Semifinals with a 2-0 lead on No. 5 ranked Quincy University at halftime in the national quarterfinal match, but Quincy rallied for three goals in the second half to edge FHSU 3-2. Quincy finished as the No. 3 ranked team in the nation with a record of 21-2-2. Fort Hays State finished its season at 11-6-4 overall.

Fort Hays State reached the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year in 2014, just the program’s fourth year of existence. The Tigers have produced at least 11 wins in each year of the program’s short history. Brett Parker enters his fifth season as head coach, now with a record of 45-22-11 in his time guiding FHSU. The Tigers have been a mainstay in the national rankings in each of the last three years, reaching as high as No. 9 in the nation during the 2012 season.

Over four years, Fort Hays State has produced four All-Americans, 24 all-region selections, and 24 All-MIAA selections, including the 2014 MIAA Player of the Year, Tanner Brock.

Fort Hays State returns four All-MIAA selections (Michael Cole, David Lucio, Mauricio Castorino and Drew Wilson) and two all-region selections (Cole and Lucio) in 2015.

Fort Hays State is one of two MIAA schools referenced in the 2015 preseason national rankings. Conference rival Northeastern State is ranked No. 21 in the initial poll. Northeastern State was the MIAA Regular Season and Tournament Champion last year and hosted the Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers knocked off the RiverHawks on their home field in the Super Regional Semifinal, advancing on penalty kicks (3-2) after the teams played to a 1-1 draw.

Fort Hays State begins its exhibition play on Saturday, August 15 against Northwest Kansas Tech in Hays. The Tigers have three preseason friendlies to tune up for the regular season, which begins on September 4 against Missouri Science & Technology in Tahlequah, Okla.

NSCAA Preseason Division II Men’s Soccer Rankings

The MIAA held their annual football Media Day Tuesday at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. Listen to coaches and players from all 12 schools as well as MIAA commissioner Dr. Bob Boerigter and director of officials Phil Laurie below…

MIAA Commissioner Dr. Bob Boerigter

MIAA Supervisor of Officials Phil Laurie

Central Missouri

Central Oklahoma

Emporia State

Fort Hays State

Lindenwood

Missouri Southern

Missouri Western

Nebraska-Kearney

Northeastern State

Northwest Missouri State

Pittsburg State

Washburn

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers announced Monday that they’ve signed former Fort Hays State wide receiver Ed Williams.

Williams played three seasons at Fort Hays State after transferring from the University of Toledo. In 2014, he was a first-team All-MIAA selection and earned All-Super Region 3 honors from Don Hansen and Beyond Sports Network after recording 53 receptions for 946 yards (17.8 avg.) and seven touchdowns. For his career, Williams started 13 of 27 games played and registered 86 receptions for 1,617 yards (18.8 avg.) and 14 TDs.

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State wrestling coach Chas Thompson announced 11 signings for the upcoming 2015-16 season. The Tigers add three transfers and eight freshmen to the roster. Transfers include Brogan Humphrey, Derrick Gates, and Rakim Dean, while freshmen include Brandon Ball, Greg Tooley, Christian Lance, James Buckhanan, Jordan Davis, Jacob Schoenfeld, Christian Lewis, and Gavin Burgess.

Humphrey transfers to FHSU after spending one year at Neosho (Kan.) Community College. He had his first collegiate season cut short due to injury, but posted a record of 3-2. Humphrey, a native of Fredonia, Kan., had a tremendous prep career at Fredonia High School where he was a four-time state champion. He won titles at 125 pounds, 132 pounds, and 138 pounds (twice). He was the Kansas Class 3-2-1A Senior Wrestler of the Year in 2014. He is projected to wrestle at 149 pounds at FHSU.

Gates is a transfer from Labette (Kan.) Community College, where he earned NJCAA All-America honors as a sophomore in 2014-15. He finished seventh nationally at 165 pounds to earn All-America status, finishing the year with a record of 24-17. He was a two-time national qualifier for the Cardinals and looks to make an immediate impact in the middle of the Tiger lineup. Gates was a state placer as a junior in high school at Andale High School in Andale, Kan.

Dean transfers from Colby (Kan.) Community College, where he wrestled for former FHSU wrestler and two-time All-American David Nordhues. Dean was a two-time national qualifier for Colby and he came on strong in the second half of the 2014-15 season, going 11-4 after the start of January when he dropped from 197 pounds to 184 pounds. A native of Wichita, Kan., he was a state placer his junior year at Wichita South High School. Dean is projected to wrestle at 184 pounds for FHSU.

Ball was a four-time state champion at Hoisington High School in Hoisington, Kan. He won state titles at 120, 126, 132, and 138 pounds with a career prep record of 163-3. He was the No. 2 ranked wrestler overall in the state of Kansas at 138 pounds as a senior by USA Kansas Wrestling. He was named the Kansas Class 3-2-1A Senior Wrestler of the Year in 2015. Ball was runner-up at Rocky Mountain Nationals this past year and he was the state champion in pole vault (15’0″) for track and field as a senior in 2015. He is expected to wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds at FHSU.

Tooley was a two-time state champion at St. Marys High School in St. Marys, Kan. He won the state title at 145 pounds as a junior and 152 pounds as a senior. He was the state runner-up as a sophomore at 138 pounds. He finished with a career record of 158-7 in high school. Tooley was the top ranked wrestler in the entire state of Kansas at 152 pounds by USA Kansas Wrestling. He also was a runner-up at Rocky Mountain Nationals this past year and took fourth at Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He was also a solid track and field athlete, finishing as the state runner-up in the high jump. He is projected to wrestle at 157 pounds at FHSU.

Lance comes from Nixa High School in Nixa, Mo., where he was a two-time state placer. He was the state champion as a senior at 220 pounds and took fifth as a junior and 182 pounds. He finished his senior year with a record of 56-1. He took second at the Kansas City Stampede National Tournament, took seventh at Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and won the Southern Plains Freestyle tournament this summer in Dodge City. He is projected to wrestle at 197 pounds at FHSU.

Buckhanan comes to FHSU from Muskogee, Okla., where he was a two-time state qualifier at Muskogee High School. He was the state runner-up at 160 pounds in his senior year. He was also a standout football player at wide receiver, selected to compete in the OCA All-Star Football Game where he shared MVP honors. He is projected to wrestle at 165 or 174 pounds at FHSU.

Davis is a native of St. Louis, Mo., where he wrestled at Christian Brothers College High School. He was a two-time state qualifier and he finished third at 220 pounds in Class 4A as a senior with a record of 53-3. He is projected to wrestle at 184 pounds for FHSU.

Schoenfeld is a native of Salida, Colo., where he was a four-time state qualifier at Salida High School. He finished third at 138 pounds as a senior and fourth at 132 pounds as a junior. He had a career record of 158-21 in high school and is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds.

Lewis is from Oxford, Neb., where he wrestled at Southern Valley High School. He was a two-time state placer, taking third at 120 pounds and fourth at 113 pounds. He is projected to wrestle at 133 pounds at FHSU.

Burgess is from Fredonia, Kan., where he was a two-time state qualifier. He finished fifth at 113 pounds. He is projected to wrestle at 125 pounds for the Tigers.

EL PASO, Texas – Former Fort Hays State standout Jerry Valdez is one of five individuals selected for the 2015 class of the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame.

Valdez, who was inducted into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on 2011, was a varsity standout at Socorro High School from 1991-93. He was an All-Conference catcher at Cochise College in Arizona and later played at Fort Hays State in 1996 and 1997.

Valdez earned NCAA Division II All-American, All-West Region, and All-West Region Tournament honors at catcher in 1997. He helped the Tigers to their first West Regional berth at the NCAA Division II level. He was an All-RMAC First Team selection in both of his seasons and was named to the All-West Region Second Team in 1996.

He still owns the single-season record for RBIs in a season with 96 in 1997. He also holds the single-season record for doubles with 28 and total bases with 184, each in 1997. His career total of 51 doubles is third-best in school history. His 164 RBIs is fourth on the career RBI list. Valdez had a career batting average of .408, which is second-best at FHSU. His 36 home runs are third-most in a career at FHSU. Valdez is second on the career slugging percentage list (.799). where he still holds single-season records in RBIs (96), doubles (28) and total bases (184).

Valdez was drafted in the 25th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and played five seasons in the minor leagues.