KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State hit nine of their first 12 three-point attempts including eight straight in building a 28-point first half lead and knocked off Washburn 75-48 in the MIAA Tournament semifinals Saturday night.
It was the largest margin of victory in the semifinals of the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championships since 2005 and was Fort Hays State’s largest margin of victory inside Municipal Auditorium.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
Lanie Page hit a transition three to cap off a 13-0 run which gave the Tigers (29-1) an early 16-6 lead. Whitney Clampitt would hit from long range and Kasey Kennett hit a shot from half court to end the first quarter with the Tigers leading 26-13.
FHSU scored the first six points of the second quarter then scored eight straight following a Washburn bucket capped by a Taylor Rolfs three to go up 43-15.
The Tiger defense held Washburn to five points in the second quarter on 1-of-14 shooting and led by as many as 31 early in the third. Washburn (20-10) would get as close as 19 twice in both the third and fourth quarters but the Tigers had a quick answer each time to not let them get back in the game.
Lanie Page went 3-for-8 from beyond the arc and led the Tigers with 15 points. Whitney Clampitt came off the bench and went 3-for-3 from distance and added 12 points. Taylor Rolfs was 3-for-4 from long range and scored 11 with
Kacey Kennett and Belle Barbiere both scoring 10. Barbieri added 13 rebounds.
Washburn was led by Taylor Blue who scored 15.
The Tigers advance to their third MIAA Tournament title game in five years Sunday where they will face Central Missouri who held off Lindenwood 67-61. Tipoff is at 3:15 pm.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Aaron Nicholson broke out of his shooting slump hitting four 3-pointers and scored 18 points but it wasn’t enough as Fort Hays State could not overcome a five-plus minute scoring drought and lost 74-69 to Lincoln in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.
The Tigers, who had won four of their last five to close out the regular season finish 18-11. The Blue Tigers (18-11) advance to the conference semifinals for the first time in their programs history where they will play unbeaten Northwest Missouri State Saturday afternoon.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
After both teams combined to start the game 5-for-25 from the floor, Lincoln hit seven straight shots and built a six-point lead with 7:10 to go in the first half.
The Tigers answered with a 13-3 run to go up 33-29 on a conventional three-point play from Marcus Cooper with 3:51 to play in the half. FHSU would miss their final five shots and three free throws and trailed 39-33 at the break.
The Blue Tigers scored the first five points of the second half and led 44-33 with 19:04 to play.
Trey O’Neil hit a three followed by a layup and helped the Tigers pull within three with 13:1`6 to play.
Down eight FHSU mounted a 9-2 run keyed by an Aaron Nicholson layup and 3-pointer. A Kyler Kinnamon layup pulled the Tigers within one at 59-58 with 7:38 to play.
Lincoln quickly built the lead back to six on two occassions, the last at 67-61 with 4:24 left.
FHSU scored five straight and pulled within one on two Marcus Cooper free throws with 3:20 to play. The Tigers then got three straight stops but missed to shots near the basket and three-pointer and could never get the lead.
Lincoln’s Terrance Smith, who averaged 16.5 points per game, hit a 3-pointer with 22 seconds to push the lead to four. The Tigers then missed a three and layup in the closing seconds before Aaron Nicholson’s three with seven seconds left.
Nicholson led the Tigers with 18 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting. Kyler Kinnamon added 12 along with five assists. Trey O’Neil was 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and scored 11 with Marcus Cooper adding 10.
Brady Werth was held to 3-of-11 shooting and scored eight but pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Tigers shot 40-percent for the game and were 11-of-27 from beyond the arc and were hurt by poor free throw shooting, hitting only 10-of-18 from the line.
Lincoln finished at 50-percent from the floor and went 12-of-27 from beyond the arc and hit 12 of 15 free throws. They were led by Grant Olsson who scored 23 including 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, all in the first half.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lanie Page scored 19 points, Taylor Rolfs added 16 including 10-straight in the third quarter to give Fort Hays State a double-figure lead and the third-ranked beat Missouri Western State 71-58 Thursday in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.
The Tigers (28-1) have now won 13-straight and advance to Saturday night’s semifinals against the winner of Friday’s game between Emporia State and Washburn.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
Lanie Page scored eight first quarter points to held the Tigers to an early six-point lead but the Griffons (14-16) closed the quarter on a 12-5 run to take an 18-17 lead.
The Tigers built the lead back to six with 4:30 to play in the second then scored the final four points of the half after falling behind by one and led 32-29 at halftime.
FHSU led 36-35 at the 6:59 mark of the third when Rolfs scored 10-straight over the next 3:45 to push the lead to 11.
Western made one more push in the fourth, closing within four following a 7-0 run but the Tigers responded by scoring the next 10 and led by as many as 15 down the stretch.
The Tigers shot 52-percent in the second half and 47-percent for the game. They went 5-for-7 freom beyond the arc after halftime and 7-for-18 for the game.
Page went 3-for-6 and Rolfs 3-for-5 from long range.
Tatyana Legette, who was double-teamed throughout the contest, was held to eight points but pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out six assists.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team sits second in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings for the second week in a row, released Wednesday (March 6) by the league office. It is the final set of regional rankings that will be announced before the official NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship bracket is released on Sunday, March 10.
The 27-1 Tigers wrapped up the regular season with two more home wins last week, including a win over eighth-ranked Pittsburg State. Southwestern Oklahoma State, also 27-1 overall, sits atop the rankings after picking up a pair of road wins over the final week of the regular season.
There was a bit of shuffling in the rankings below the top two, with Central Missouri sliding back up to No. 3 after sitting at No. 4 last week. No. 7 Lindenwood and No. 8 Pittsburg State both moved up one spot after No. 9 Concordia-St. Paul dropped two slots. East Central enters the region ranks for the first time at No. 10, replacing Washburn.
The Tigers are 5-1 against teams currently ranked in the top 10 in the region, while SWOSU is 2-1.
The champions of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC tournaments will all earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship field, with the next five teams in the region also earning an at-large selection. The top team in the region earns the right to host the regional tournament, which will be held March 15-18.
After finishing the regular season with only one loss for the first time in program history, the Tigers will look to keep the momentum going into the postseason. Fort Hays State will open play in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship at 6 p.m. Thursday (March 7). The top-seeded Tigers await the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western.
The complete NCAA Division II Central Region rankings for February 27, 2019 can be found below.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After a banner year on the court, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team picked up seven All-MIAA honors when they were released on Tuesday (March 5) by the league office. Senior forward Tatyana Legette was named the 2018-19 MIAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-MIAA first team roster, while head coach Tony Hobson earned his third MIAA Coach of the Year honor.
Legette was one of five Tiger student-athletes to earn a spot on an All-MIAA team, joined by Kacey Kennett on the second team, Lanie Page on the third team and honorable mention accolades for Carly Heim and Belle Barbieri.
The Tigers picked up five all-conference nods for the second year in a row and the fifth time in program history. It is the first time the Tigers have placed three players on the first-through-third teams of an all-conference list since 1993-94.
Tony Hobson guided the Tigers to a 27-1 overall record in 2018-19, the fewest losses in a regular season in program history. Fort Hays State finished the difficult MIAA slate 18-1, earning 18 conference wins for the third time in the last five years. An MIAA team has reached 18 league victories just eight times since the Tigers joined the MIAA in 2006-07, with no other school reaching the milestone more than once. Hobson led the Tigers to their eighth-straight 20-win season, extending the longest such streak in program history. Before this stretch began in 2011-12, the team reached the 20 win plateau eight times in its first 42 years of existence. Hobson became the all-time winningest coach in Fort Hays State earlier this season when he earned his 218th victory as a Tiger. He also earned MIAA Coach of the Year honors in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Tatyana Legette has been a constant force for the Tigers all season, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists. She scored in double figures 21 times in the regular season, including three games of 20 or more points. The forward averaged 13.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game over the 28 contests to date, making her the lone MIAA player to rank in the top 11 in all three categories. She was also among the league’s best on the defensive end, ranking sixth in the league with 1.6 blocks per game and 14th with 1.4 steals each night. Legette brought her A-game night in and night out when it came to league play, boosting her averages to 15.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists against MIAA opponents. It is the third time Legette has earned All-MIAA status after picking up second team honors as a junior and an honorable mention selection following her sophomore campaign.
This is the sixth All-MIAA first team honor for the Tigers, and the second time a Tiger has been named MIAA Player of the Year (Lehman, 2014-15).
Kacey Kennett was named to the second team after earning honorable mention status a year ago. The junior averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per night, ranking third on the team in both categories. Kennett knocked down 38 three-pointers on the year, making at least one long-range attempt in all but six contests. The Olathe, Kan. native hit more than 35 percent from behind the arc, third best on the team. She added 39 steals, swiping 1.4 steals every outing.
Lanie Page picked up All-MIAA honors for the second year in a row, earning a spot on the third team after being named honorable mention as a sophomore. The Wamego, Kan. native tallied 333 points in the regular season, ranking second on the team with an average of 11.9 points per outing. Page scored 20 or more points a team-best five times, including a career-high 23 points against Rockhurst. She poured in a team-high 47 three-pointers, making at least one shot from behind the arc in all but five contests. Page ranked second with a free throw percentage of 81.4 percent. In addition to adding 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists every game, the junior was a leader on the defensive end. She paced the team with 45 steals and 45 blocks on the year, ranking in the top 10 in the conference in both category.
Carly Heim picked up honorable mention for the third year in a row. The senior served as the team’s floor general until an untimely injury in early February. She averaged a team-high 1.7 steals in her 20 appearances, ranking seventh in the MIAA. Heim added 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per outing. The Hoxie, Kan. native dished out multiple assists in all but five her appearances, including nine games with three or more dimes.
Belle Barbieri picked up her first All-MIAA award after taking a major step forward in her junior season. After averaging just over three points per game in her first two seasons, the Abilene, Kan. native quickly became a double-double threat as a junior. Barbieri ranked third on the team with an average of 10.4 points per contest while ranking second with 6.5 rebounds each game. The forward grabbed 73 offensive rebounds on the year, fourth most in the conference. Barbieri posted 17 double-digit games, third most on the team, while posting the first four double-doubles of her career.
Legette and Heim become the fifth and sixth Tigers to earn a trio of All-MIAA honors, joining Kate Lehman, Jill Faxon, Beth Bohuslavsky and Katelyn Edwards.
2018-19 MIAA Women’s Basketball Postseason Awards Player of the Year – Tatyana Legette – Fort Hays State, Senior
Defensive Player of the Year – Jessica Wayne – Emporia State, Junior
Freshman of the Year – Kaylee DaMitz – Pittsburg State Coach of the Year – Tony Hobson – Fort Hays State
All-MIAA First Team
Paige Redmond – Central Missouri, Senior
Morgan Fleming – Central Missouri, Junior
Tyra Jones – Emporia State, Senior Tatyana Legette – Fort Hays State, Senior
Kallie Bildner – Lindenwood, Junior
Katrina Roenfeldt – Missouri Western, Junior
Reflects Tie In Voting
All-MIAA Second Team
Jessica Wayne – Emporia State, Junior Kacey Kennett – Fort Hays State, Junior
Chelsey Henry – Missouri Southern, Senior
Shelby Lopez – Pittsburg State, Senior
Reagan Phelan – Washburn, Junior
All-MIAA Third Team
Megan Skaggs – Central Missouri, Junior
Micayla Haynes – Central Oklahoma, Junior Lanie Page – Fort Hays State, Junior
Maya Williams – Pittsburg State, Sophomore
Caylee Richardson – Southwest Baptist, Senior
All-Defensive Team
Megan Skaggs – Central Missouri, Junior
Madison Lee – Central Oklahoma, Senior
Jessica Wayne – Emporia State, Junior
Melia Richardson – Missouri Western, Senior
Joi Bertrand – Northeastern State, Senior
Honorable Mention All-MIAA Central Missouri: Sydney Crockett – Senior Central Oklahoma: Ireon Smith – Junior Emporia State: Addie Lackey – Senior, Emily Miller – Senior, Tiana Moala – Senior Fort Hays State: Carly Heim – Senior, Belle Barbieri – Junior Lincoln: Zhanesha Dickerson – Senior Lindenwood: Lexie Moe – Senior, Charisse Williams – Senior Missouri Southern: Chasidee Owens – Junior Missouri Western: Brittany Atkins – Senior, Melia Richardson – Senior Nebraska Kearney: Brooke Carlson – Freshman, Maegan Holt – Freshman, Kelsey Sanger – Sophomore Northeastern State: Cailyn Long – Senior, Cenia Hayes – Sophomore Pittsburg State: Athena Alvarado – Junior, Kaylee DaMitz – Freshman Southwest Baptist: Laura Vierkant – Junior Washburn: Hunter Bentley – Sophomore, Taylor Blue – Senior, Alexis McAfee – Junior
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State had three players named to the 2018-19 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team on Tuesday (Mar. 5). Brady Werth headlines the Tiger selections, earning first team honors, while Marcus Cooper and Kyler Kinnamon each received honorable mention selections.
Werth helped the Tigers to a fourth-place finish in the MIAA this year, leading the team in points and rebounds. Werth averages 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game entering the MIAA Tournament this week. He is 11th in the MIAA in scoring and sixth in rebounding, while ranking third in total blocked shots with 35. He scored in double figures in 24 of 28 games during the regular season and has a 19-game streak of reaching double figures going into the MIAA Tournament. He also produced five double-doubles in points and rebounds during the regular season. He reached a season-high 27 points twice this year and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds in the regular season finale. Werth gives FHSU its third All-MIAA First Team selection in the last four years after Rob Davis earned the honor in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Cooper receives an honorable mention nod after averaging 12 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during the regular season. He ranked second on the team in steals with 35. Cooper scored in double figures 17 times during the regular season, while pulling down at least five rebounds in a game 10 times. He scored over 20 points in a game five times, with a season-high of 26 points.
Kinnamon receives an honorable mention selection after averaging 7.1 points and 4.4 assists per game during the regular season. He dished out at least three assists in a game 23 times, including a career-high 12 in a win over Central Oklahoma at home. Kinnamon became the fourth player in program history to reach 400 assists, now with 422 in his career. He has 124 assists this year and has dished out over 120 each of the last two years. He scored in double figures eight times with a season high of 16 points.
Below is the 2018-19 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team.
2018-19 MIAA Men’s Basketball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year – Joey Witthus – Northwest Missouri, Senior
Defensive Player of the Year – Ryan Hawkins, Sophomore
Freshman of the Year – Trevor Hudgins – Northwest Missouri
Coach of the Year – Ben McCollum – Northwest Missouri
2019 Men’s Basketball All-MIAA Teams First Team Brady Werth – Fort Hays State, Senior
Cam Martin – Missouri Southern, Sophomore
Trevor Hudgins – Northwest Missouri – Freshman
Joey Witthus – Northwest Missouri – Senior
Javion Blake – Washburn – Senior
Second Team
Adarius Avery – Central Oklahoma, Senior
Terrance Smith – Lincoln, Senior
Brad Newman – Lindenwood, Senior
Lavon Hightower – Missouri Western, Senior
Ryan Hawkins – Northwest Missouri, Sophomore
Third Team
Elyjah Clark – Missouri Southern, Junior
Caleb Smith – Northeastern State, Junior
Donovan Franklin – Pittsburg State, Senior
Grant Lozoya – Pittsburg State, Senior
Karim Mouliom – Southwest Baptist, Senior
All-Defensive Team
Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri, Freshman
Ryan Hawkins – Northwest Missouri, Sophomore
Jonell Burton – Lincoln, Junior
Karim Mouliom – Southwest Baptist, Senior
David Salach – Washburn, Senior
Honorable Mentions Central Missouri: Daniel Farris – Sophomore, Jafar Kinsey – Senior, Jacob Lowrance – Senior Emporia State: Kooper Glick – Senior, Julius Jackson – Senior Fort Hays State: Marcus Cooper – Senior, Kyler Kinnamon – Senior Lincoln: Jonell Burton – Junior, Amariontez Ivory – Senior, Grant Olsson – Senior Lindenwood: Chandler Diekvoss – Senior, TJ Crockett – Sophomore Missouri Southern: Kinzer Lambert – Junior, Braelon Walker – Junior Missouri Western: Tyrell Carroll – Freshman, Bryan Hudson – Senior Nebraska Kearney: AJ Jackson – Junior, Kanon Koster – Freshman Northeastern State: Josh Ihek – Junior Northwest Missouri: Diego Bernard – Freshman, Ryan Welty – Junior Washburn: Tyler Geiman – Sophomore, David Salach – Senior
The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team will enter the postseason ranked third in both national polls, released Tuesday (March 5). The Tigers are third in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll for the third time this season while they sit third in the D2SIDA National Media Poll for the fourth week in a row and fifth time overall.
After two wins last week, the Tigers have won 10 games all-time when ranked third in the coaches poll, tied for the most wins at any spot in the standings (10-2 when ranked third, fourth 10-1). Overall, Fort Hays State is 78-23 when ranked in the top 25.
This is the third time Fort Hays State has entered the MIAA Championships ranked nationally. The Tigers are 3-2 in the conference tournament as a nationally ranked team, entering the 2015 tournament ranked sixth and the 2016 tournament ranked 16th.
Fort Hays State is the top-ranked team among both MIAA and Central Region rivals. Central Missouri is ranked 24th in this week’s coaches poll and 21st in the media variety. Southwestern Oklahoma State is ranked eighth according to the coaches and fifth in the media poll.
The Tigers head into postseason play Thursday (March 7) when they take on the winner of Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western in the MIAA Championship quarterfinals. First tip from historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. is set for 6 p.m.
The complete national polls for March 5, 2019 can be found below.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State women’s basketball senior Tatyana Legette standout performance in her final two regular season home games has earned Legette her third MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week honor of the season, announced Tuesday (March 5) by the league office. It is the fifth time the forward has earned the honor in her illustrious career.
Legette did all she could to ensure the Tigers would complete the regular season undefeated at home, posting 14 points, eight rebounds four assists and two blocks in a 20-point win over Missouri Southern before recording a Senior Day performance for the ages.
Donning fellow senior Carly Heim’s No. 13, the Topeka, Kan. native matched her career high with 25 points in her final regular season home contest. Legette added 10 rebounds, recording her 20th career double-double, while dishing out six assists and swiping two steals to help the Tigers pull out a win over Pittsburg State.
For the week, Legette averaged 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 rebounds.
This is the second year in a row that Legette has earned athlete of the week honors following the final week of the regular season.
Legette is one of three players in the league to earn the honor three times this season (Tyra Jones, ESU and Kallie Bildner, LWU). Along with Belle Barbieri’s weekly honor in February, Fort Hays State was one of two MIAA schools to earn four weekly accolades alongside Emporia State.
Legette and the third-ranked Tigers will now set their sights on Kansas City and the MIAA Championship tournament. Top-seeded Fort Hays State will open postseason play on Thursday (March 7) at 6 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium. The Tigers will take on the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State head baseball coach Jerod Goodale has announced the signing of 14 student-athletes that will join the Tigers in the fall of 2019. This year’s initial signing class includes eight true freshmen and six transfers, six pitchers, three outfielders, two infielders, two utility players and one catcher and four sets of teammates.
“We are extremely excited about the guys we have signed so far,” said Goodale. “It is a deep and talented group with a good combination of high school and junior college transfers. All 14 players will have an immediate impact on our program moving forward.
“We feel that this group, combined with the addition of a few more pieces, has a chance to do some special things during their time here in Hays. They will be pivotal in getting the program back to a level we all want it to be.
“Our coaching staff has put in a lot of hard work and effort to assemble a class this big and I can’t thank them enough. We are all looking forward to getting them here in the fall and getting to work.”
Additional signees will continue to be released throughout the spring.
Drake Angeron | Outfielder | Morgan City, La. (Dodge City CC)
Drake Angeron will be a sophomore for the Tigers in the fall after competing with Dodge City (Kan.) Community College for one season. He was a two-sport athlete at Central Catholic High School in Morgan City, La., where he competed in baseball and football. The outfielder helped the Eagles to back-to-back state title games, winning the 2016 championship before finishing runner-up in 2017. He earned All-State honors as a senior while twice picking up all-district honors (2016, 2017).
Zach Berg | Right-handed Pitcher | Parker, Colo. (Western Nebraska CC)
Zach Berg is the first of two signees from Western Nebraska Community College. He was named to the All-Nebraska JUCO baseball team by the Omaha World Herald as an honorable mention selection following his freshman season. The right-handed pitcher tossed 39.2 innings, picking up two wins and one save while striking 31 and walking 12. Berg also played in the Region IX All-Star Game in 2018. He was a two-time baseball academic All-State selection at Chaparral High School in Parker, Colo.
Griffin Brunson | Utility | Garden City, Kan. (Garden City CC)
Griffin Brunson has signed with the Tigers after two seasons at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. The utility player took to the field in 52 games last year, recording a batting average of .267 and an on-base percentage of .410. He swiped 15 bases and was caught stealing only once. Brunson scored 52 runs, third-most for the Broncbusters. A native of Garden City, Kan., Brunson earned first team all-conference and all-area honors three times each. He was also a two-year letterwinner on the basketball court.
Jacob Callaway | Catcher | Broomfield, Colo. (Holy Family HS)
Jacob Callaway joins the Tigers from Holy Family (Colo.) High School. The Brighton, Colo. native served as baseball team captain as a junior in 2018, helping the Tigers to a fifth-place finish in the 4A State tournament. The catcher accumulated a .539 on-base percentage in his junior season. He also played football at Holy Family while playing summer ball with the Slammers.
Jake Campbell | Right-handed Pitcher | Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS)
Jake Campbell will head to Hays after graduating from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colo. The right-handed pitcher was a second team All-State selection following his junior season in 2018. He helped the Lobos to the 5A State Championship in 2017. Campbell has been an academic All-State selection after each of his first three seasons and once earned academic duel sport All-State honors.
Cade Flaherty | Right-handed Pitcher/Infielder | Omaha, Neb. (Burke HS)
Cade Flaherty signs with the Tigers from Burke High School in Omaha, Neb. He helped the Bulldogs to a fourth-place finish in the 2018 Nebraska Class A state tournament while playing on the winning team in the 2018 American Legion state championship. The right-handed pitcher has excelled in the classroom, earning AP Scholar distinction while serving as a member of the National Honor Society.
Hunter Igo | Infielder | Derby, Kan. (Derby HS)
Hunter Igo will head across the state after a successful career at Derby High School in Derby, Kan. The infielder earned honorable mention all-league honors while lettering in baseball three times. Igo will also play football at Fort Hays State after earning numerous accolades with the Panthers, including a spot on the Topeka Capital Journal Top 11 Team for the entire state of Kansas and a pair of state titles.
Tanner Lukowski | Utility/Right-handed Pitcher | Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic HS)
Tanner Lukowski joins the Tigers from Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Neb. Lukowski picked up numerous honors as a junior in 2018, earning academic All-State honors, all-conference and all-region honors and All-State honors from Prep Baseball Report. He batted .372 with 21 RBI as a junior while compiling a 2-0 record with two saves and a 2.85 ERA on the mound.
Jordon McFarland | Right-handed Pitcher | Brighton, Colo. (Holy Family HS)
Jordon McFarland is the second signee from Holy Family (Colo.) High School. The right-handed pitcher was an honorable mention all-conference selection as a junior in 2018, compiling a 2.09 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 50.1 innings of work. The Brighton, Colo. native helped the Tigers to a fifth-place finish in the 4A State tournament.
Hunter Parker | Right-handed Pitcher | Aurora, Colo. (Western Nebraska CC)
Hunter Parker is the second pitcher to sign with the Tigers from Western Nebraska Community College. The Aurora, Colo. native was selected to participate in the Region IX All-Star Game as a freshman after striking out 51 batters over 44.2 innings of work. The righty ranked third on the team with a 10.3 K/9 rate.
Jason Robertson | Outfielder/Right-handed Pitcher | Flower Mound, Texas (Marcus HS)
Jason Robertson heads to Hays from Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. The outfielder/right-handed pitcher earned one letter with the Marauders while playing with Richard Austin Baseball in the summer.
Corbin Truslow | First Baseman | Georgetown, Texas (Garden City CC)
Corbin Truslow joins the Tigers via Garden City (Kan.) Community College. The first baseman earned first team all-conference and all-region honors as a freshman in 2018 after clubbing 18 home runs, ranking 13th nationally. He finished the year batting .366 with 14 doubles, three triples, 75 RBI and a .485 on-base percentage. Truslow was a member of the football team at Colorado School of Mines for one year before transferring to GCCC. A native of Georgetown Texas, Truslow was a three-sport standout at East View High School, earning first team all-district honors in baseball while also excelling in football and track and field.
Padraic Walsh | Right-handed Pitcher | Aurora, Colo. (Dodge City CC)
Padraic Walsh is the second Conquistador to sign with the Tigers, heading to Hays from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. The righty was named All-KJCCC honorable mention following his freshman season, appearing in 10 games while making five starts. Walsh accumulated a record of 4-1, posting an ERA of 4.54 over 35.2 innings of work. He struck out 32 batters on the year while walking just 12. The Aurora, Colo. native earned three baseball letters at Smoky Hill High School, earning second team all-league honors as a senior after earning honorable mention status as a junior. Walsh also played basketball for two seasons in high school.
Jaxson Webb | Outfielder/Right-handed Pitcher | Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence Free State HS)
Jaxson Webb has signed with the Tigers after playing at Lawrence Free State High School. The Lawrence, Kan. native started every game in center field for the Firebirds last spring, helping Free State to a regional championship. Webb also participated in football, basketball and scholar’s bowl. Additional honors include scholar-athlete of the month by MidCo Sports Network and football all-conference honors.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball will be the No. 4 seed in the 2019 MIAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., slated for March 6-10 at Municipal Auditorium. The Tigers finished in fourth place alone in the MIAA and will take on No. 5 seed Lincoln University in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 7 at 12 pm. The MIAA released the official bracket on Saturday evening (March 2) after the conclusion of the 2018-19 regular season.
The MIAA Tournament has a new format this year as only 10 teams qualify for the tournament as compared to 12 in the past. There are no longer any first-round home site games. The entire tournament is in Kansas City.
On Wednesday, opening round games feature the No. 7 vs. No. 10 seed and No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed. Winners of those games move on to Thursday to meet the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the quarterfinals. The winner of the 7/10 matchup plays the No. 2 seed and the winner of the 8/9 matchup plays the No. 1 seed.
Fort Hays State’s portion of the tournament begins on Friday when quarterfinal matchups of the No. 4 vs. 5 seed and the No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed take place for both the men and women. Winners will move on to the semifinals on Saturday. The winner of the (No. 4) Fort Hays State/(No. 5) Lincoln game would potentially meet No. 1 seed Northwest Missouri State, No. 8 seed Emporia State, or No. 9 seed Northeastern State in the semifinals.
Fort Hays State produced its 12th consecutive winning season and reached 18 wins in a season for the 15th time under head coach Mark Johnson by finishing the regular season 18-10 overall and 12-7 in the MIAA. The Tigers enter the tournament winners of their last two games after defeating Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State in the final week of the regular season in Hays. Under Johnson’s guidance, the Tigers have qualified for the conference tournament in all 13 years of their membership with the MIAA. FHSU owns a record of 12-11 in the tournament in that span.
Single session tickets are available for $20, while student tickets are $5 per session and children ages 6 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the FHSU Athletic Office, Cunningham 138 or by calling 785-628-4050.
Tiger fans traveling to Kansas City are encouraged to meet up with other Fort Hays State fans at Johnny’s Tavern, the official hangout of #MIAAMadness and home of Tiger Spirit Parties, hosted by the FHSU Alumni Association. Fans can visit this link to view the complete schedule of Tiger Spirit Parties.
See the complete schedule for the 2019 MIAA Men’s Basketball Championship below.
Schedule
Wednesday, March 6 – Opening Round
No. 8 Emporia State vs No. 9 Northeastern State – Noon
No. 7 Lindenwood vs No. 10 Southwest Baptist – 2:15 p.m.
Thursday, March 7 – Quarterfinals Day One
No. 1 Northwest Missouri vs No. 8/9 Winner – Noon
No. 2 Washburn vs No. 7/10 Winner- 2:15 p.m.
Friday, March 8 – Quarterfinals Day Two
No. 4 Fort Hays State vs No. 5 Lincoln – Noon
No. 3 Missouri Southern vs No. 6 Pittsburg State – 2:15 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 – Semifinals
Semifinal One (Men’s Game 7) – Noon
Semifinal Two (Men’s Game 8) – 2:15 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 – Championship
Men’s Championship Game – 1 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After winning its second regular season MIAA championship, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team has earned the top seed in next week’s 2019 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. The official bracket was released Saturday evening (March 2) after the conclusion of the 2018-19 regular season.
As the top seed in the newly reformatted 10-team bracket, the Tigers will play their opening game in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 7 against the winner of No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 9 Missouri Western. First tip in Fort Hays State’s quarterfinal contest is set for 6 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Winners of all four quarterfinal contests will play in the semifinals on Saturday, March 9 before a champion is crowned on Sunday, March 10.
Fort Hays State wrapped up the regular season with a home win over Pittsburg State Saturday, turning in an overall record of 27-1 and a league mark of 18-1. It is the eighth-straight season the team has eclipsed 20 wins and the fourth time in the last five seasons the Tigers have won 25 or more games.
This is the eighth-straight season the Tigers have advanced to Kansas City and the MIAA Championship, reaching the quarterfinals each year. Fort Hays State is 10-9 all-time in the MIAA Tournament, including a 7-9 mark inside Municipal Auditorium.
Single session tickets are available for $20, while student tickets are $5 per session and children ages 6 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the FHSU Athletic Office, Cunningham 138 or by calling 785-628-4050.
Tiger fans traveling to Kansas City are encouraged to meet up with other Fort Hays State fans at Johnny’s Tavern, the official hangout of #MIAAMadness. Fans can visit this link to view the complete schedule of Tiger Spirit Parties, hosted by the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association.
The complete schedule for the 2019 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship can be found below.
Wednesday, March 6 – Opening Round
No. 8 Nebraska Kearney vs No. 9 Missouri Western – 6 p.m.
No. 7 Central Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Missouri Southern – 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, March 7 – Quarterfinals Day One
No. 1 Fort Hays State vs No. 8/9 Winner – 6 p.m.
No. 2 Central Missouri vs No. 7/10 Winner – 8:15 p.m.
Friday, March 8 – Quarterfinals Day Two
No. 4 Washburn vs No. 5 Emporia State – 6 p.m.
No. 3 Lindenwood vs No. 6 Pittsburg State – 8:15 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 – Semifinals
Semifinal (Women’s Game 7) – 6 p.m.
Semifinal (Women’s Game 8) – 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 – Championship
Championship Game – 3:15 p.m.
HAYS, Kan. – Brady Werth scored 20 points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds and Fort Hays State used 63-percent shooting in the second half to rally past Pittsburg State 71-61 Saturday in front of 3,175 Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.
Werth went 7-for-10 from the floor in the second half to become the 21st player in Tiger history to eclipse 1,000 points in a career.
Mark Johnson Postgame Interview
Brady Werth Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
The Tigers (18-10, 12-7 MIAA) got off to a hot start hitting nine of their first 16 shots and building an early five-point lead. They closed the half hitting only one of their last 16 shot and trailed by nine at halftime.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from A.J. Walker pushed the Gorillas (16-12, 9-10 MIAA) lead to 15 forty-five seconds into the second half.
The Tigers responded with a 25-9 run and took a 51-50 lead on a Brady Werth jumper with 9:50 to play.
Pitt State tied the game 58-58 on two Demetrius Levarity free throws with 5:30 to play. The Tigers then scored the next 13 points and built their big lead of 13 on a pair or Trey O’Neil free throws.
O’Neil finished with 13 points and Nyjee Wright added 11.
The Gorillas tandem of Grant Lozoya and Donavan Franklin, who averaged close to 44 points combined were held to a combined 20 on 8-of-26 shooting.
