FHSU Sports Information

After dropping a couple of one-run contests on Saturday to open its season, the FHSU baseball team took the final game of the three-game series at Texas A&M-International in Laredo, Texas on Sunday. The Tigers won 10-8, moving to 1-2 overall on the season.

Fort Hays State took a commanding 6-0 lead early through two and a half innings. FHSU scored four runs in the second, triggered on a solo home run by Cooper Langley. Horace Johnson followed with a double and later scored on an RBI by Gabe Cook, who reached by fielding error. Gus Strunk added an RBI single and Jordan Miller followed with a RBI double. In the third, the Tigers plated two more on a timely two-out two-RBI single by Strunk.

Texas A&M-International quickly pulled back into the game with four runs in the bottom of the third, two earned and two unearned. An error that should have produced the second out of the inning was followed by three consecutive singles, allowing the Dustdevils to trim the lead to two.

FHSU picked up one run in the fifth on a sacrifice bunt RBI by Jordan Miller, but TAMIU matched the run in the bottom half of the inning using a pair of doubles to generate a run, making it 7-5.

Nathan Zimmerman stopped the TAMIU rally in the fifth by getting the final two outs in relief of starter Tyler Patty, who went 4.1 innings with four strikeouts and 12 hits allowed. But he ran into trouble in the sixth after getting the first out. He surrendered a single and then a home run that tied the game at 7-7, then was responsible for the run that scored later on a single to give TAMIU its first lead of the game at 8-7.

Nick Hammeke got the final two outs of the sixth for the Tigers and proceeded to pitch scoreless a scoreless seventh to keep the TAMIU lead at one.

The Tigers rallied for three runs in the eighth to take the lead back 10-8. Jordan Miller singled to open the inning, then advanced on a sacrifice and stole third. Clayton Garland knocked him in with a sacrifice fly RBI. Horace Johnson pushed the Tigers back in front with a two-out RBI double and then Gabe Cook added his second RBI of the game later with a single.

Hammeke faced one batter in the eighth before Nathan Briar came in to close the door on the Dustdevils over the final two innings, earning a save and preserving a win for Hammeke. Briar allowed just one hit and struck out one. The strikeout ended the game.

Johnson, Cook, and Strunk all had three-hit games, all going 3-for-5 at the plate and combining for six RBI.

Fort Hays State opens conference play next weekend (Feb. 21-23) against Pittsburg State in a four-game series at Larks Park in Hays.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State Softball closed out the 8-State Classic at 5-1 after sweeping Sunday’s (Feb. 16) action.  The Tigers started the day by knocking off Minnesota State in five innings, 11-3, before snagging a 5-3 comeback win over Arkansas-Monticello in the afternoon session

FHSU travels to Kansas City, Mo., on Friday (Feb. 21) for a doubleheader with Rockhurst before traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for a five-game tournament hosted by Minnesota-Duluth, Feb. 23-24.

A complete recap of today’s action is below…

FHSU 11, Minnesota Stat 3 (5 innings)
Fort Hays State had 16 hits as it rolled over Minnesota State, 11-3 in five innings in Sunday’s morning contest.

Danie Brinkman had two hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in four plate appearances, driving in a season-high four RBI.  Rilee Keier was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, while Kylie Strand went 4-for-4 with a home run.  Krier and Tori Beltz each had two RBI.

In the circle, Kelsey Kimminau (1-1) threw all five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out five.

Adame led off the game with a bunt single and moved to second on Krier’s sacrifice bunt.  With one out, Brinkmann drove a double to right field to plate Adame and give FHSU a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers extended their lead in the second, starting with Strand’s first collegiate home run from the seventh spot in the lineup.  With one out in the inning, Kellsi Olsen doubled to right center and moved to third on Adame’s single to second base.  Adame stole second during Krier’s at-bat, and Krier singled to load the bases.  Brinkmann’s second hit of the day, a single, followed, driving home Olsen and Adame to put FHSU ahead, 4-0.

Kimminau put up her second straight scoreless inning in the bottom half of the inning, setting up the Tigers for a five-run third inning.

Amanda Vaupel led off the inning with a walk, followed by a single from Strand and a sacrifice bunt from Amy Dunn.  With runners on second and third and one out, Olsen was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Adame and Krier followed suit with back-to-back infield singles, each picking up an RBI.  Brinkmann’s sacrifice fly to right scored Olsen – pushing Adame to third and Krier to second.  In the next at-bat, Tori Beltz picked up two RBI on a single to close out the scoring burst.

MSU got one back in the bottom of the third, scoring one run on two hits, but the Tigers again answered in the next half inning.

Vaupel and Strand again led off the fourth with a walk and a hit, respectively – this time reached third and second on Strand’s double.  After Madison Putman (who pinch hit for Amy Dunn) walked, Jordan Jones came in to pinch hit for Olsen.  Jones picked up her first RBI of the season on a single to right, scoring Vaupel, though Strand was called out at home trying to score.  Later in the inning, Krier’s single to left plated Putman for the Tigers’ final run of the day.

The Mavericks scored two in the final half inning, but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers won by the eight-run run-rule.

FHSU 5, Arkansas-Monticello 3
Bianca Adame was 3-for-4 to lead the Tigers, while Krier finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

FHSU used a three-person approach from the circle for Game 2, as J0rdan Jones earned the start, throwing 3.0 innings while allowing two runs on one hit. Paxton Duran (3-0) entered in the fourth, throwing two complete innings and giving up just one run to earn the win. Katlyn Kern earned her first save of the season by closing out the final two innings in scoreless fashion, striking out two with three hits allowed.

After a scoreless first inning, FHSU got things going offensively in the second as Beltz led off with a single to center field.  After Koehler pinch ran for Beltz, Dobson moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt and Koehler reached third as Vaupel reached on an error.  Strand picked up the RBI in her at-bat, moving Koehler home on a fielder’s choice.

UAM took the lead in the fourth, scoring two runs on just one hit, taking advantage of a hit batter and a wild pitch.  In the fifth, UAM extended that lead to two, using a two-out triple to drive home a run and push the score to 3-1.

The Tigers, however, used five hits in the fifth to take back the lead for good.  Adame led off the inning with her first triple of the season and came home on Krier’s RBI single to center.  Brinkmann’s double in the next at-bat pushed Krier home.  Later in the inning, Dobson reached on a fielder’s choice and Vaupel singled to right, putting runners at first and second with two down.  Strand’s single loaded the bases, and after Callie Wright reached on an error, Dobson and Vaupel came home on the throw.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

The Fort Hays State Tigers used a 21-4 second half run to build a 21-point lead and beat the Pittsburg State Gorillas 87-69 in front of 4,846 Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum. The Tigers, who have won two straight and 12 of their last 13, are now 20-4 overall and 11-4 in the MIAA. Pitt State drops their fifth straight and falls to 7-15 and 3-12 in the conference.

The Tigers closed the first half on a 7-0 run, all by Achoki Moikobu. to lead by six at halftime. The Gorillas scored the first five points of the second half to pull within one with 17:36 to play, but the Tigers took control the rest of the way.

Moikobu and James Flemming both tied career high’s. Flemming scored 20 and Moikobu added 16. Dwayne Brunson added 17

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

James Flemming Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Pittsburg State outscored Fort Hays State 6-1 over the final 1:39 and defeats the Lady Tigers 71-67 Saturday, snapping the FHSU’s 19-game home court win streak. The loss is the second straight for the Lady Tigers who fall to 16-6 overall and 9-6 in the MIAA. Pitt State has won eight straight and is now 19-6 and 12-3 in the conference.

Pitt used a 17-3 first half run to build a 10-point lead and were up seven at halftime. The Lady Tigers cut that lead to one on several occasions and finally took the lead on a pair of Keriann Shaw free throws with 1:39 to play. Lizzy Jeronimus would hit a big shot over Kate Lehman to put the Gorillas back in the lead then hit two free throws to seal the game.

Both teams struggled from the floor, shooting 37-percent. The Tigers were 1-of-14 from beyond the arc and the Gorillas 2-for-15.

Chelsea Mason led FHSU with 20 points while Kate Lehman added 15 points and 11 boards. Lehman was 11-of-14 from the free throw line.

Jeronimus led PSU with 17 points.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State Softball kicked off its 2014 campaign with an split performance on Day 1 of the 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark.  The Tigers (1-1) knocked off East Central, 7-3, in the first game of the day before falling to No. 18 Missouri-St. Louis, 2-0, in the second contest of the tournament.

FHSU is back in action tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. against Southern Nazarene, followed by a 3:30 p.m. contest with Quincy.

A recap of today’s games is below…

FHSU 7, East Central 3
Fort Hays State picked up 12 hits and six RBI en route to its first win of the season, a 7-3 victory over East Central.  The Tigers committed zero errors in the opening game and hit .400 as a team.

Rilee Krier made a splash in her Tiger debut, going 3-for-3 with two runs, while Bianca Adame and Tori Beltz went 2-for-4, each with an RBI.

Paxton Duran 4 appearance at the plate.

The Tigers started off hot at the plate, picking up three hits and one run in the top of the first.  Krier singled with one out in the inning then moved to third as Dani Brinkmann reached on an error.  With two outs, Courthey Dobson’s single up the middle scored Krier from third.

After East Central tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the second, FHSU regained control in the third.

Krier led off the top of the third with a bunt single, followed by back-to-back singles from Brinkmann and Beltz – the latter of which scored Krier.  After Dobson’s sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Amanda Vaupel walked to load the bases with one out.  Later in the inning, with two outs, Duran singled to right field – scoring Madision Putman (who pinch ran for Brinkmann) and Beltz.  Kellsi Olsen’s double followed, scoring Vaupel and giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead.

East Central again answered in the fourth, as Lauren Reeves hit a two-run home run, but that was as close as the home team would come, as FHSU closed the door in the next half inning.

With one out in the fifth, Kylie Strand started the Tigers’ final scoring opportunity with a single to left field and moved to second on Olsen’s two-out walk. Bianca Adame’s RBI-single followed, scoring Strand.  During Krier’s final at-bat, East Central’s Nicole Nordie would be tagged with two wild pitches – the first of which moved Adame and Olsen to second and third, respectively.  The second wild pitch pushed Krier across home for the Tigers’ seventh run of the day.

No. 18 UMSL 2, FHSU 0
Fort Hays State found itself in a pitcher’s duel in the second game of the day, though Missouri-St. Louis capitalized on two runs in the first for the 2-0 victory.  FHSU had just one hit in the game, and only two Tigers reached base.  Once again, the Tigers showed strong defense with zero errors and one double-play.

Kelsey Kinninau (0-1) threw six innings and allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out five.

The Tritons’ Hannah Perryman (1-0) took the win after striking out 10 Tigers.

Amanda Vaupel had the Tigers’ only hit, picking up a two-out single in the second. Kellsi Olsen’s walk in the sixth proved to be the only other Tiger base runner on the afternoon.

UMSL’s only runs of the game came early.  Back-to-back hits to start the game gave the Tritons a 1-0 lead and a runner on first.  Later on, Katie Wood’s two-out double gave the Tritons the two-run lead.

The Tigers would fight off several more offensive threats from UMSL, including the third, when Kimminau picked up a strikeout and a groundout to get strand two base runners.

In the fourth inning, UMSL had runners on second and third with two outs before Olsen fielded a ground ball and threw out Jena Boudreau at first from her knees.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State women’s soccer coach Craig Shaw announced the signings of nine student-athletes for the 2014 season. Eight of the players will be incoming freshman, with one junior college transfer joining the team. Five signees hail from Colorado, while Kansas, Nebraska, Hawaii and Texas each have one representative. The class includes three forwards, two defenders, two goalkeepers, one midfielder and one midfielder/defender hybrid.

Fort Hays State completed just its third year of women’s soccer in 2013, and has one MIAA Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in its history. FHSU finished at 7-8-3 last season.

Jasmine Beaulieu
Midfielder/Defender
Commerce City, Colo.
Legacy HS
Club: FC Boulder

Abbie Flax
Goalkeeper
Overland Park, Kan.
St. James Academy
Club: Kansas Rush Wolves Academy 95/96

Amy Hayes
Forward
Arvada, Colo.
Arvada West HS
Club: Colorado Edge Select

Kimi-Ann Kaniaupio
Goalkeeper
Waipahu, Hawaii
Otero JC (Colo.)
Club: 94G Hawaii Rush

Vianei Sanchez
Midfielder
McKinney, Texas
McKinney HS
Club: Sting ’97

Baylie Schmitz
Defender
Littleton, Colo.
Columbine HS
Club: Real Colorado National ECNL

Taylor Siedel
Defender
Lincoln, Neb.
Lincoln Southwest HS
Club: Gretna Prima 95/96

Peyton Silbaugh
Forward
Parker, Colo.
Ponderosa HS
Club: Colorado Storm ECNL

Kelsey Steffens
Forward
Greeley, Colo.
Windsor HS
Club: FC Boulder

FHSU Sports Information

Sixth-ranked Fort Hays State wrestling took down Truman State, 32-10, in the season’s dual finale on Tuesday evening in Kirksville, Mo.

FHSU finished the dual season at 9-5-1 overall and 3-3 in the MIAA.

No. 8 Adam Ludwin (125) started the night with a 10-2 major decision over Jabez Zinabu, and after an open weight in the 133 pound weight class, FHSU led, 10-0, in the team score.

At 141 pounds, No. 5 C.J. Napier pushed his winning streak to four matches with a 16-4 major decision over Mark Smith.  Napier just missed the technical fall, but picked up his third major decision of the season.

Truman cut the deficit to eight at 149 pounds, as fifth-ranked Ryan Maus took down Ky Biddle and won by fall in 50 seconds.

Up 14-6 in the team score, FHSU used a decision by Mitchell Means at 157 pounds to push the lead back to 11 (17-6).  Means won his ninth consecutive match by knocking off Colton Schmitz, 4-1.

In the 165 pound match, Bradley Little found himself in his second overtime match in a row.  This time around, Little won by sudden victory over Devon Fenstermaker, 6-4.

Bryce Lewis’ 7-0 decision against Chase Wrisinger at 174 pounds all but sealed the match for FHSU, putting the Tigers up by 17 with three matches to go.

Jon Inman (184) would clinch the team victory for FHSU, shutting down Ryan Ward in an 11-0 major decision.  The Tigers led by 21 at that point, 27-6.

At 197 pounds, Chad Rous dropped a major decision to Helmut Rentschler, 12-2, giving TSU its final team points of the evening.

No. 7 Trey Page (285) closed out the dual with a dominant performance, tech falling Ben Dudley, 16-0 in 3:15.

FHSU starts postseason action this weekend by hosting the MIAA Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 16.  Competition begins at 10 a.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Match Results
125 – #8 Adam Ludwin (FHSU) def. Jabez Zinabu, MD 10-2
133 – Symon Seaton (FHSU) wins by forfeit
141 – #5 C.J. Napier (FHSU) def. Mark Smith (TSU), MD 16-4
149 – #6 Ryan Maus (TSU) def. Ky Biddle (FHSU), Fall 0:50
157 – Mitchell Means (FHSU) def. Colton Schmitz (TSU), Dec 4-1
165 – Bradley Little (FHSU) def. Devon Fenstermaker (TSU), SV1 6-4
174 – Bryce Lewis (FHSU) def. Chase Wrisinger (TSU), Dec 7-0
184 – Jon Inman (FHSU) def. Ryan Ward (TSU), MD 11-0
197 – Helmut Rentschler (TSU) def. Chad Rous (FHSU), MD 12-2
285 – #7 Trey Page def. Ben Dudley (TSU), TF 3:15 (16-0)

Last week’s seven-point loss at Nebraska-Kearney has bounced the Fort Hays State Tigers out of the latest NABC Division II poll. The Tigers were ranked 24th and are now receiving just four votes in the poll released Tuesday afternoon.

NABC Division II Top-25 Poll

With the Tigers out, there are no MIAA teams in this week’s rankings. Conference leader Northwest Missouri State is receiving 18 votes and is the highest vote getter not in the top-25. Central Missouri is receiving 15 votes and right behind the Bearcats.

Despite their loss at No. 7 Emporia State Saturday, the Fort Hays State Lady Tigers move up one to No. 24 in the latest WBCA/USA Today Division II poll. It’s the second consecutive week the Lady Tigers have been in the rankings and the fourth week overall this season.

Little change for conference co-leaders Emporia State and Central Missouri . The Lady Hornets hold at No. 7 while the Jennies move up one to No. 12.

The Central Region continues to be well represented, with seven schools ranked and four other receiving votes.

Complete poll below…

Rank	Institution – First Place Votes	Previous Rank	Record	Points
1	Bentley University (Mass.) -30	1	21-0	798
2	Colorado Mesa University -2	2	21-0	760
3	Gannon University (Pa.)	3	22-1	713
4	Nova Southeastern University (Fla.)	4	19-1	697
5	West Texas A&M University	5	19-1	676
6	Harding University (Ark.)	6	21-1	620
7	Emporia State University (Kan.)	7	21-2	608
8	Wayne State College (Neb.)	8	23-2	556
9	Drury University (Mo.)	9	19-2	535
10	Glenville State College (W.Va.)	10	21-2	491
11	Quincy University (Ill.)	11	19-2	478
12	University of Central Missouri	13	18-3	441
13	Virginia State University	14	19-1	406
14	Cal Poly – Pomona	T16	17-3	344
15	Lewis University (Ill.)	T16	18-3	316
16	Delta State University (Miss.)	12	17-3	302
17	Northern State University (S.D.)	22	19-3	244
18	Rollins College (Fla.)	15	19-4	202
19	Wayne State University (Mich.)	18	18-3	196
20	Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania	NR	19-3	128
21	Minnesota State University – Mankato	23	17-5	126
22	University of Indianapolis (Ind.)	19	19-5	107
23	University of North Georgia	20	16-4	106
24	Fort Hays State University (Kan.)	25	16-5	68
25	Tarleton State University (Texas)	21	16-5	55

 

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State’s Kate Lehman was named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week for the fourth time this season, announced by the conference office Monday (Jan. 10).

Lehman, a junior from Newton, Kan., averaged a double-double in points (28.5 per game) and rebounds (11.5 per game) last week, in addition to having 10 blocks.  Against Nebraska-Kearney, Lehman narrowly missed a triple-double, scoring a career-best 33 points with 13 rebounds and nine blocks.  Lehman has one triple-double already this season, and now has three near misses.  On the road versus No. 7 Emporia State, the center put up 24 points with 10 rebounds, going 9-of-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe.

So far this season, Lehman has been named MIAA Athlete of the Week on Dec. 9 and 23, and Jan. 20.  For the year, Lehman is averaging 16.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game to go with an NCAA Division II leading 105 blocks.

FHSU is idle until Saturday, Feb. 15 when Pittsburg State arrives at Gross Memorial Coliseum for a 2 p.m. contest.