For the second time this season, Fort Hays State senior Maddie Holub was named the NFCA/Louisville Slugger Division II National Pitcher of the Week on Wednesday, April 10. This is the third time in Holub’s career that she’s earned this honor after earning the honor once in 2012. She was named the National Pitcher of the Week on March 13 earlier this year.

Holub had a tremendous week in the pitching circle, going 4-0 with an 0.25 ERA and threw the first perfect game in Fort Hays State softball history against Northwest Missouri State on Saturday in a 1-0 win. In her perfect game, 17 of the 21 outs were strikeouts, three outs were pop ups on the infield (two in foul territory), and the other was a soft ground out to first base. The perfect game was impressive in that it was just a day after her 12-inning complete game effort in a 2-1 win vs. Missouri Western on Friday in a battle of nationally ranked teams as she threw 195 pitches in that game, also striking out 17 batters. The nationally ranked match-up between #18 Fort Hays State and #24 Missouri Western featured the two All-MIAA First Team selections from 2012 at pitcher, Holub and Jackie Bishop, as both held the opposition scoreless through nine innings before the international tiebreaker came into effect starting in the 10th inning. The 17 strikeouts in each game topped her single-game record of 16 strikeouts at FHSU, which she reached four times previously in her career.

Holub also had a complete-game 14 strikeout effort in a 2-1 win over Panhandle State on Tuesday, the only game in which she surrendered an earned run for the week. She went past the 800 career strikeout milestone in that game.

Holub closed out the week by picking up a win in game two against Northwest Missouri State right after her perfect game, throwing the last two innings before she won the game with her bat to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth with a bases-loaded two-out RBI single. She held the Bearcats hitless in those two innings of relief, which gave her nine hitless innings against NWMSU on Saturday. Holub also won the game with her bat in her perfect game effort, plating the only run of the game with a RBI double in the fourth.

For the week, Holub had 51 strikeouts in 28.0 innings, averaging 12.8 strikeouts per seven innings or 1.8 per inning, and a WHIP of 0.39 and opponent batting average of .102, allowing just nine hits and two walks for the week. Holub is now 18-1 overall on the season.

-FHSU Sports Information-

The Fort Hays State men’s golf team finished seventh at the First Federal Bank Invitational in Branson, Mo. on Tuesday (Apr. 9). The Tigers were in fourth after the first day of competition, but slipped three spots on day two in the 10-team field. The Tigers shot 614 overall as a team with rounds of 304 and 310.

Trey Herman was the top individual for FHSU in the tournament, finishing in a tie for 17th. He had a two-day total of 151 with rounds of 75 and 76. Mark Cunningham II was just a stroke back of Herman in a tie for 21st with rounds of 75 and 77. Luke Gordon improved three strokes on the second day, shooting rounds of 79 and 76 for a 155 to tie for 31st. Travis Kleweno rounded out the scoring for FHSU in a tie for 39th. He shot rounds of 75 and 81 for a total of 156. Sam Christianson also competed and had rounds of 87 and 82.

Tournament host Henderson State won the team title with a 586. Tyler Koivisto of St. Cloud State was the individual champion with an even par total of 142, shooting a pair of 71s.

-FHSU Sports Information-

Fort Hays State senior Maddie Holub is the MIAA’s Pitcher of the Week for a fifth time this season after going 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA.

Holub threw the first perfect game in Fort Hays State softball history against Northwest Missouri State on Saturday in a 1-0 win. In her perfect game, 17 of the 21 outs were strikeouts, three outs were pop ups on the infield (two in foul territory), and the other was a soft ground out to first base.

The perfect game came one day after her 12-inning complete game effort in a 2-1 win vs. Missouri Western in a battle of nationally ranked teams as she threw 195 pitches in that game, also striking out 17 batters.

The 17 strikeouts in each game topped her single-game record of 16 strikeouts at FHSU, which she reached four times previously in her career.

Holub also had a complete-game 14 strikeout effort in a 2-1 win over Panhandle State on Tuesday, the only game in which she surrendered an earned run for the week.

Holub closed out the week by picking up a win in game two against Northwest Missouri State right after her perfect game, throwing the last two innings before she won the game with her bat to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth with a bases-loaded two-out RBI single.

She held the Bearcats hitless in those two innings of relief, which gave her nine hitless innings against NWMSU on Saturday. Holub also won the game with her bat in her perfect game effort, plating the only run of the game with a RBI double in the fourth.

For the week, Holub had 51 strikeouts in 28.0 innings, averaging 12.8 strikeouts per seven innings or 1.8 per inning, and a WHIP of 0.39 and opponent batting average of .102, allowing just nine hits and two walks for the week. Holub is now 18-1 overall on the season.

-MIAA –

Fort Hays State junior Jordan Miller has been named the MIAA Baseball Hitter of the Week after hitting .765 for the week (13-for-17) with a slugging percentage of 1.118 and on base percentage of .810.

Miller was nearly perfect in the three game series with Lincoln over the weekend, going 9-for-10 at the plate with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He reached base in 12 of his 13 plate appearances, finishing the series with one home run, three doubles, five runs scored, seven RBI, and was a perfect 5-of-5 in stolen base attempts.

Earlier in the week in a doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney, he went 4-for-7 with four singles and a run scored. He saw his season batting average jump 71 points for the week from .358 to a team-leading .429.

Fort Hays State used a three-run sixth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit and defeat Lincoln 5-2 for the three-game series sweep Sunday afternoon at Larks Park in Hays.  The Tigers improve to 19-14 and 15-13 in the MIAA.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Lincoln scored two in the fourth to grab the 2-0 lead. The Tigers cut the lead in half, scoring a run on a Chris Santoscoy ground ball to short.

Game Highlights

The Tigers would take the lead an inning later. Ryan Busboom’s double off the left field wall tied the game, scoring Clayton Garland who opened the inning with a double. Kelton Rule drove in Busboom with a double then scored on  Chris Santoscoy’s two-out single to center.

Busboom knocked in an insurance run in the seventh for the final margin.

Michael Edlefson (2-1) picks up the win in an emergency start, going a season-high seven innings allowing two runs on five hits. Kyle Leroy worked around a leadoff walk to nail down his fourth save.

Fort Hays State sweeps Lincoln Saturday night at Larks Park. The Tigers take the opener 6-5 then roll to a 15-2 run-rule win in game two. They improve to 18-14 overall and 14-13 in the MIAA. Lincoln falls to 3-22 and 2-18. The two play the series finale Sunday at 1pm which can be heard in KAYS (1400-AM).

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Game 1: Fort Hays State 6, Lincoln 5
Kelton Rule’s one-out single to right field scored Ryan Busboom from third to break a 5-all tie and lift the Tigers to the win. Busboom led off the inning with a single then moved to third on a wild pitch.

Nathan Briar (1-1) pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief for the win, striking out six and walking none. Starter Alex Ellison didn’t allow a run over the first three innings. He left the game when he took a line drive off his face to lead off the fourth. Nathan Zimmerman five up three of the Blue Tigers runs in their four-run fourth.

Jordan Miller homered and drove in two to lead the Tiger offense. He finished the doubleheader going 6-for-6 with seven RBI and four runs scored.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 15, Lincoln 2 (7 inn.)
The Tigers scored in every inning to complete the doubleheader sweep. They put the game away with four runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Tayler Davis (5-2) picks up the victory, allowing two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and only one walk.

Jordan Miller went 4-for-4 with three doubles, five RBIs and two runs scored. Ryan Busboom hit a solo homer in the first.

Game 2 Highlights

Fort Hays State’s Maddie Holub threw a perfect game and won each game with her bat in a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Missouri State on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Hays. The 18th-ranked Tigers won game one 1-0 in Holub’s perfect game, and then won 4-3 in eight innings in game two. Fort Hays State moved to 33-5 overall and 13-1 in the MIAA with the wins.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 1, Northwest Missouri State 0
Holub tied her single-game strikeout record of 17 set the day before in a 12 inning win over Missouri Western. Three of her four other outs were pop ups on the infield and the other was a ground out to first base unassisted. The Bearcats did not get a ball past the infield in the game.

Holub also drove in the game’s only run in fourth. It followed a Courtney Dobson. It was the second time this year that Holub has thrown a no-hitter in a 1-0 win and drove in the only run for the Tigers.

Holub collected the first perfect game in Fort Hays State’s softball history and it was the seventh no-hitter in the school’s NCAA Division II history. Holub has now had a hand in four of the seven no-hitters thrown at FHSU, with three of those as complete game efforts.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 4, Northwest Missouri State 3 (8 inn.)
Fort Hays State scratched and clawed to a 3-3 tie in the sixth after trailing twice and then won the game in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded two out walk-off single by Maddie Holub.

The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo home run and then extended the lead to 2-0 in the fifth with another run.

Fort Hays State made its first push at the Bearcats in the bottom of the fifth plating two runs to tie the game. Courtney Dobson’s RBI double to cut the lead to 2-1, then Danie Brinkmann delivered another RBI double for the tie.

Northwest Missouri State rallied for a run in the sixth to take the lead back at 3-2, but the Tigers once again reeled the Bearcats in when Biana Adame had a two-out RBI single to tie the game again in the sixth.

Holub entered to pitch in relief of starter Paxton Duran in the seventh and continued where she left off in game one by retiring the Bearcats in order in the seventh, but FHSU could not push a run across in the seventh, which forced extra innings.

Holub held the Bearcats once again in the eighth, her only baserunner allowed was hit by a pitch. In the bottom half of the inning, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out. The Tigers attempted to bunt the run in with Courtney Dobson at the plate, but the lead runner was cut down at the plate. With two outs, Holub stepped up to deliver a seeing-eye game winning single through the left side for the 4-3 win.

– FHSU Sports Information –

The 18th-ranked Fort Hays State softball team swept a big doubleheader with 24th-ranked Missouri Western on Friday at Tiger Stadium in Hays. The Tigers won an epic game one battle between two of the top pitchers in the conference in 12 innings by a score of 2-1, then took the second game in run-rule fashion 11-3 in six innings. Fort Hays State moved to 31-5 overall, 11-1 in the MIAA, while Missouri Western went to 24-10, 8-4 in the MIAA.

Erin Kinberger Postgame Interview

Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Missouri Western 1 (12 inn.)
In a battle between two of the best pitchers in the MIAA, Maddie Holub and Jackie Bishop kept the game was scoreless through nine innings before the international tiebreaker was put into effect.

Missouri Western broke the scoreless tie in the 10th on a one-out triple by Sarah Elliott.

Fort Hays State tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Bianca Adame hit an RBI double down the left field line to plate the runner from second base.

Holub stranded a runner at third with her 17th strikeout to end the top of the 12th, breaking her single-game strikeout record of 16, which she reached four times prior all in seven-inning contests.

In the bottom of the inning, Amanda Vaupel laid down a  sacrifice bunt to advance Danie Brinkmann to third. Jenna Lang then hit a a hard chopper back up the middle that the shortstop was unable to field cleanly, scoring pinch-runner Adara Erickson with the game-winning run..

In her 12-inning complete game, Holub allowed six hits, hit four batters, and walked one to go with her 17 strikeouts. The run she allowed was unearned. She moved to 16-1 overall with the win.

Bishop also went the distance for Missouri Western, pitching 11.1 innings with only three hits allowed, five walks, and 11 strikeouts. She went to 12-4 with the loss. Both Holub and Bishop were All-MIAA First Team selections last year and Bishop was the MIAA Pitcher of the Year in 2012.

Game 1 Highlights

Game 2: Fort Hays State 11, Missouri Western 3
The Tiger scored three runs in the first, four in the second, and two in the third to take a commanding 9-0.

Missouri Western scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth to pull back within six at 9-3, but Fort Hays State scored one run each in the fifth and sixth to win by run-rule. Amanda Vaupel had her second sacrifice fly RBI of the game to plate the run in the fifth and Courtney Dobson had a walk-off RBI single up the middle to score a runner from second to end the game in the sixth.

Paxton Duran pitched a complete game for the Tigers, moving to 13-4 on the season. She allowed three hits with three walks and struck out one. Only one of the three runs she allowed was earned.

Dobson went 3-for-3 with an RBI two walks and four runs scored. Vaupel had four RBI.

Fort Hays State turns around to face Northwest Missouri State on Saturday at 12 pm at Tiger Stadium in Hays.

Game 2 Highlights

Fort Hays State freshman guard Craig Nicholson has been named to the Division II Bulletin All-Freshman Team. Earlier this year, the Wichita native was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-MIAA selection.

Nicholson led the MIAA and ranked second in the nation in assists per game, averaging 6.9, breaking the single-season record of 6.6 set by Raymond Lee in 1982-83. Nicholson also averaged 13.8 points per game, scoring in double figures in 23 of 28 games and reaching 20 points four times.

Below is the entire Division II Bulletin All-Freshman Team for 2012-13…

Craig Nicholson – Fort Hays State
Alex Fertig – Cal State-Monterey Bay
Wayne Dedrick – Alabama-Huntsville
Lucas Barker – Kentucky Wesleyan
Andre Gibbs – Philadelphia
Quamain Rose – North Carolina-Pembroke
Christian Graves – Malone
Derrick White – UC-Colorado Springs
Mike McCahey – Saint Anselm

The Fort Hays State baseball team rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to beat Nebraska-Kearney 5-4 in game one of their MIAA doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Larks Park in Hays. The Lopers turned the tables on the Tigers erasing a 4-0 first inning deficit for a 10-5 win in game two. The split leaves Fort Hays State at 16-14 overall and 12-13 in the MIAA. The Lopers are also 16-14 but 16-12 in conference play.

Steve Johnson Postgame

Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Nebraska-Kearney 4
Clayton Garland’s single to right field scored Sam Thornton with the game winning run as the Tigers erase an early 4-1 deficit. Ryan Busboom led off the sixth inning with a double stole second then scored on a throwing error to tie the game.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning, but the Lopers answered with three in the top of the second for a 4-1 lead.

Kyle Leroy picked up the win in relief, getting the final out in the seventh to move to 2-1. Starter Jesse Hart gave up four runs on six hits, walking six and striking out four over 6 2/3 innings.

Game 1 Highlights

Game 2: Nebraska-Kearney 10, Fort Hays State 5
Fort Hays State struck for four runs in the first but the Lopers come back with three in the third and two in the fourth to take the lead. They would add two more in the eighth and one in the ninth. Clayton Garland’s solo home run to lead off the sixth was the Tigers only run after the first inning.

Loper starter Alejandro Sosa shook off the rough early start to pick up the win. He retired 10 straight and 16 of 17 batters  from the third through eighth innings.

Shane Wade had a two-run double, Ryan Busboom a RBI single and Clayton Garland an RBI sac fly in the first for the Tigers.

Starter Michael Edlefson retired the first six to start the game but takes the loss, giving up five runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings.

Game 2 Highlights

Fort Hays State sophomore Samantha Hobson was named the MIAA Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week on Wednesday (Apr. 3) for her efforts at the Regis Invitational on Monday and Tuesday (Apr. 1-2).

Hobson finished second individually at the Regis Invitational in Lakewood, Colo. at the Fox Hollow Golf Course. She helped the Tigers rally from a fifth-place standing after the first day of competition to finish second overall in the final standings.

Hobson shot her lowest collegiate round on the second day, a 3-over par 75 after an 84 on the first day. She jumped from seventh individually after the first round to second in the final standings. It was the third time Hobson shot in the 70s this year and the 75 was well under her season stroke average of 83.1.

She collected her team-leading second Top 5 finish of the season.

-FHSU Sports Information-