The Fort Hays State softball team wins their first ever games as a nationally ranked team, sweeping Emporia State 7-1 and 6-3 at the Trusler Sports Complex Friday in Emporia. The Tigers have won four straight and nine of their last 10 and are now 17-3 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA. The Hornets fall to 10-7 and 0-2 in the MIAA. Fort Hays State plays two games at Washburn Saturday afternoon.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 7, Emporia State 1
Danie Brinkmann hit one of the Tigers three-home runs, a two-run shot in the first inning, leading the Tigers to a win in their conference opener. The Hornets got a solo homer in the second to to pull within one. Fort Hays State then blew the game open with five in the seventh on a Madie Holub hit a two-run homer and three-run shot from Tori Beltz.

Madie Holub moved to 9-0 with the complete game victory, allowing the one run on two hits, striking out 10 and walking one.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 6, Emporia State 3
The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead then held on the rest of the way to complete the sweep. Madie Holub drove in a run in the first on a sacrifice fly. Fort Hays State would add two unearned runs in the fifth scoring on an error and sacrifice fly.

The Hornets would get two in the bottom of the inning. Both teams scored a run in the sixth then the Tigers added two insurance runs in the seventh for the final margin.

Paxton Duran (6-3) allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits over 5 1/3 innings for the win. Madie Holub pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for the save.

Holub and Tori Beltz both had two hits.

The Fort Hays State baseball team split their doubleheader against Lindenwood Friday afternoon at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo. The Tigers won the opener 2-0 then lost 14-4 in the second game which ended after seven innings due to run-rule. FHSU is now 11-8 overall and 8-7 in the MIAA. Lindenwood moves to 7-11 and 7-7 in the conference. The two close out the series with a 1pm game Saturday.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Lindenwood 0
Shane Wade doubled driving in Jay Sanders in the second inning and that’s all the scoring the Tigers would need. Sanders RBI single drove in Kelton Rule two innings later for all of the scoring.

Alex Ellison (2-3) allowed seven hits but didn’t give up a run over six innings of work. Kyle Leroy pitched the seventh for the save as the Tigers get their second shutout in three games.

Sanders and Ryan Busboom had two hits in the game.

Game 2: Lindenwood 14, Fort Hays State 4 (7 innings)
The Tigers scored two in the top of the first, but Lindenwood responded with four in the bottom of inning. The Tigers scored two more in the third to tie, but Lindenwood took the lead back for good with a four-run fourth. They would blow the game open with four in the sixth. The Lions pounded out 15 hits in the game and Fort Hays State committed four errors which led to four unearned runs.

Starter Tayler Davis (2-2) takes the loss, allowing eight runs (all earned) on six hits over 3 2/3 innings.  Clayton Garland went 2-for-3 and Jordan Miller drove in two runs.

Fort Hays State junior forward Dwayne Brunson was named to the Daktronics All-Central Region Second Team for the 2012-13 season on Thursday (Mar. 14). Brunson was also named to the All-MIAA First Team for the 2012-13 season.

Brunson, a junior from Queens, N.Y., transferred to FHSU from Barton (Kan.) Community College prior to the 2012-13 season. He led the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots. He averaged 14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds per game, and 2.1 blocks per game. Brunson also shot the ball at a very high rate at 60.3 percent from the field and 84.5 percent from the free-throw line. He had seven double-doubles in points and rebounds and scored in double figures in 22 games. He reached at least 20 points in seven games, including a season high 35 points at Nebraska-Kearney, the most points scored by a player under head coach Mark Johnson. He also reached double figures in rebounds nine times this year.

Below is the Daktronics All-Central Region Team for 2012-13…

Daktronics All-Central Region Men‘s Basketball First Team
Name Institution
Clayton Vette !                      Winona State
Cameron McCaffrey            Augustana College
Will McNeill                           Washburn
Jarvis Williams                     Minnesota State
Kori Forge                             Arkansas-Monticello

! – Central Region Player of the Year

Daktronics All-Central Region Men‘s Basketball Second Team
Bryton Hobbs                      Northeastern State
Zach Roddenberry             Harding
Josh Gibbs                          Central Oklahoma
Dominique Long                Central Missouri
Dwayne Brunson         Fort Hays State
Alex Novak                           MSU-Moorhead

Fort Hays State sophomore center Kate Lehman was named to the Daktronics All-Central Region Second Team for the 2012-13 season on Thursday (Mar. 14). Lehman was also named to the All-MIAA First Team, the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, and the MIAA All-Defensive Team for the 2012-13 season. She was also named to the All-MIAA Tournament Team.

Lehman, a native of Newton, Kan., led FHSU in scoring at 16.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.2 blocked shots per game. Lehman led NCAA Division II in blocked shots and blocked shots per game with 123 for the season. Lehman produced nine double-doubles in points and rebounds and reached double figures in scoring in 26 games and double figures in rebounds in 10 games. She also recorded four or more blocked shots in 22 games, with nine as her season and career high.

Below is the Daktronics All-Central Region Team for 2012-13…

First Team
Laura Kinderknecht, Washburn, G, 5-7, Sr., St. Mary’s Kan.
Anika Whiting, Concordia-St. Paul, F, 6-2, So., Ashland, Wis.
Carly Boag, Minot State, F, 6-2, Jr., Tamworth, Australia
Alex Feeney, Augustana College, F, 6-0, Sr., Bismarck, N.D.
Keuna Flax, Central Missouri, F, 5-11, Jr., Haltom City, Texas

Central Region Player of the Year: Laura Kinderknecht, Washburn

Second Team
Kate Lehman, Fort Hays State, C, 6-4, So., Newton, Kan.
Taylor Lewis, Northeastern State, G, 5-7, Sr., Broken Arrow, Okla.
Ali Wilkinson, Minnesota State-Mankato, F, 6-0, Jr., Blue Mounds, Wis.
Roselis Silva, Arkansas Tech, G, 5-6, Sr., Caracas, Venezuela
Lizzy Jeronimus, Pittsburg State, F, 5-11, So., Lenexa, Kan.

Fort Hays State picked up its second straight doubleheader sweep at home, defeating Northwest Missouri State 3-0 and 11-3 Wednesday. Fort Hays State moves to 10-7 overall and 7-6 in the MIAA with the wins. The Bearcats are now 4-14 overall and 4-11 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 3, NW Missouri State 0
Jesse Hart throws a complete game shutout in the seven-inning contest, the first shutout by a Tiger pitcher since Andy Lewton on February 26, 2011 against Arkansas-Fort Smith.

After allowing two hits in the first, Hart allowed just five hits over the final six innings. The Bearcats got runners to third base in the fourth and fifth innings, but Hart got groundouts to end both threats. Hart struck out two and did not allow a walk, moving to 3-0 on the season.

Clayton Garland lead off the bottom of the first with a solo homer. Kelton Rule added an RBI single later in the inning. Jordan Miller pushed the third run across in the second with a RBI single.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 11, NW Missouri State 3
The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with four in the fifth and five in the sixth.

FHSU tied the game on a Ryan Busboom solo homer in the second. The one run was all starter Chase Newman was charged in his 2.2 innings of work. Nathan Zimmerman got the Tigers out of a jam with the final out in the third. He would go 3 1/3 innings and pick up the win to move to 3-0, striking out three, walking two and allowed four hits.

FHSU took the lead in the fourth on a Chris Santoscoy RBI single, but the Bearcats tied the game up in the fifth with a two-out single.

Fort Hays State opened the fifth with three straight singles and a bases-loaded walk to Shane Wade. Jordan Miller knocked in a run on a fielder’s choice and Horace Johnson scored on a throwing error by the Bearcats. Sam Thornton would score the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.

In the sixth, Horace Johnson had a two-RBI double, Wade followed with a RBI double, Thornton had a RBI groundout, and Clayton Garland had a RBI single.

For the second time in her career, Maddie Holub has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Pitcher of the Week, announced on Wednesday, March 13. This comes on the heels of being named both the MIAA Pitcher and Hitter of the Week on Tuesday, March 12. She also received this honor last year as a junior on April 25, 2012.

Last week in Florida, Holub improved to 7-0 overall on the season by going 4-0 for FHSU in her four starts. She had four complete games and averaged 11.5 strikeouts per seven innings and 1.6 per inning. She was the winner for FHSU over two nationally ranked opponents, No. 11 Tampa on its home field and No. 24 Winona State. She did not allow an earned run in her first 40 innings of the season until allowing just one against Wayne State in a 2-1 win in eight innings. Against Tampa, she won a match-up between two of the premier strikeout pitchers in Division II with 11 strikeouts and just three hits allowed, while her counterpart Kayla Cox had 19 strikeouts in the game, but FHSU won 1-0. She also won 1-0 against University of Mary with 12 strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Against Wayne State, she struck out 10 in an eight-inning game. Against No. 24 Winona State, she struck out 13, allowing four hits and just two runs in a 12-2 win. Holub has reached double figures in strikeouts in all seven of her starts this year and averages 12.2 per seven innings. Her season ERA was at 0.41 following the week in Florida.

-FHSU Sports Information-

Fort Hays State softball enters the national rankings for the first time in the program’s NCAA Division II history, ranked No. 21 in the latest NFCA Division II Poll released on March 13. Fort Hays State is currently 15-3 overall. The doubleheader sweep at Newman Tuesday was not figured into the most recent rankings.

Fort Hays State is one of two programs from the MIAA referenced in the March 13 poll, as Central Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 8. Fort Hays State made a splash nationally this past week in Florida with a win over No. 11 Tampa at Tampa, and then a win over then No. 24 Winona State, which moved up a spot this week to No. 23.

Fort Hays State has received votes in the poll in previous years, but finally makes its way into the national rankings in the program’s 14th year of existence at the NCAA Division II level.

Below is the complete Top 25 poll for March 13, 2013…

Rk	Team	Record	Pts	Previous Rk
1	West Texas A&M (13)	19-1	393	3
2	Valdosta State (2)	20-5	377	1
3	Indianapolis (1)	18-2	368	4
4	Armstrong	17-2-1	343	6
5	Southeastern Oklahoma State	21-6	339	2
6	Rollins	28-2	324	7
7	Grand Canyon	18-5	282	13
8	Central Oklahoma	14-4	271	9
9	North Georgia	19-6	268	8
10	Texas Woman’s University	22-6	263	12
11	Tampa	16-5	230	11
12	Colorado School of Mines	17-2-1	212	10
13	West Virginia Wesleyan	13-5	174	15
14	Sonoma State	18-7	168	25
15	Molloy	11-3	154	20
16	California (Pennsylvania)	11-0	149	17
17	West Alabama	14-5	127	19
18	Grand Valley State	10-2	123
19	Midwestern State	19-4	121	22
20	Cal State Dominguez Hills	15-7	117	5
21	Fort Hays State	13-3	112
22	Francis Marion	17-9	84
23	Winona State	13-3	39	24
24	Columbus State	20-9	33
25	North Alabama	18-8	29

Others Receiving Votes: Gannon (28), LIU Post (20), Abilene Christian (16), UC San Diego (12), Flagler (7), Dixie State (6), Augustana (SD) (4), Drury (4), Adelphi (2), USC Aiken (1).

Fort Hays State picked up a doubleheader sweep in non-conference play at Newman University in Wichita, Kan. on Tuesday. The Tigers won game one in come-from-behind fashion, 5-3 in eight innings, and then won game two 6-2. Fort Hays State improved to 15-3 overall heading into MIAA play.

Fort Hays State 5, Newman 3 (8 inn.)
The Tigers held the early advantage after a RBI single by pitcher Paxton Duran in the second, but Newman took advantage of a bases loaded situation with no outs in the fifth and scored three runs in the inning.

Tori Beltz kept the Tigers alive with a two-out, two-RBI double in the sixth to tie the game, which would eventually force extra innings.

The game was decided by the international tiebreaker in the eighth as Danie Brinkmann was placed on second to start the inning. Amanda Vaupel immediately gave the Tigers the lead with a RBI double and two batters later, Beltz drove home Vaupel with her second double of the game to put FHSU up 5-3.

After starter Paxton Duran struggled at the beginning of the fifth, Maddie Holub entered with one out in the inning and shut the door on the Jets the remainder of the game. She allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out seven in her relief appearance of 3.2 innings. She moved to 8-0 on the season with the win.

Fort Hays State 6, Newman 2
Maddie Holub started game two of the doubleheader and held the Jets scoreless over the first two innings, not allowing a hit and striking out two.

Once Fort Hays State exploded for five runs in the third, head coach Erin Kinberger went with Jordan Jones the rest of the way in the pitching circle to give Holub rest entering conference play this weekend. Jones allowed two runs the rest of the way, just one earned, as she picked up the win in 5.0 innings of relief. She allowed seven hits and struck out four, moving to 2-0 on the season.

Holub broke a scoreless tie in the third with a RBI double. Amanda Vaupel knocked Holub in with a RBI single. Paxton Duran immediately followed with a two-RBI double and then she later scored on a throwing error by the Newman catcher. Courtney Dobson drove home the final run for FHSU in the fourth with a RBI groundout. FHSU led 6-0 before Newman picked up single runs in the fifth and seventh.

Fort Hays State opens MIAA play at Emporia State, the defending conference champion, on Friday, then make the short trip up to Topeka for another conference doubleheader at Washburn on Saturday.

– FHSU Sports Information –

The Fort Hays State women’s golf team finished third at the two-day Central Missouri Invitational in Branson. The Tigers shot a two-round 778, 42 shots behind first-place Missouri Western. Northwest Missouri State finished one-shot back of the Griffons.

Carmen Thompson and Samantha Hobson led the way for the Tigers, both shooting a 187 to tie for seventh, 21 back of the lead.

Fort Hays State senior softball player Maddie Holub swept the MIAA Softball Athlete of the Week awards for Tuesday (Mar. 12) as she was named Hitter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week. She helped FHSU to a 6-2 record on the team’s trip to Florida this past week, which included two wins over nationally ranked opponents.

Holub had a huge week at the plate in Fort Hays State’s eight games in Florida. She batted .464 with five home runs, three doubles, a triple, and 10 RBI with with eight runs scored, slugging 1.179 for the week. All five of her home runs came in a six-game stretch at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. After posting a shutout win as a pitcher against No. 11 Tampa by a score of 1-0 to start the week, she had a double and scored Fort Hays State’s only run in the second game of the doubleheader with Tampa. Her bat really came to life in the six-game stretch at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. Against Post University, her two-run home run in the fourth broke a scoreless tie as FHSU went on to win 3-0. She helped her own cause as a pitcher in a 1-0 in-region win against University of Mary, delivering the only run of the game with a RBI single in the fifth. With FHSU trailing 3-0 early to St. Anselm, she triggered a three-run fourth with a solo home run and FHSU went on to win 5-4 in eight innings. Against Wayne State, she put FHSU on the board in the first with a solo home run as FHSU picked up a big in-region win against Wayne State (Neb.), 2-1 in eight innings. She had her biggest game against #24 Winona State, going 4-for-4 with a pair of two-run home runs in a 12-2 in-region win. She was just a double short of the cycle in that game. In the week’s finale against Grand Valley State, she drove home the only run of the game for FHSU with a RBI single.

Meanwhile in the pitching circle, Holub improved to 7-0 overall on the season by going 4-0 for FHSU in Florida this past week. She had four complete games and averaged 11.5 strikeouts per seven innings and 1.6 per inning. She was the winner for FHSU over two nationally ranked opponents, No. 11 Tampa on its home field and No. 24 Winona State. She did not allow an earned run in her first 40 innings of the season until allowing just one against Wayne State in a 2-1 win in eight innings. Against Tampa, she won a match-up between two of the premier strikeout pitchers in Division II with 11 strikeouts and just three hits allowed, while her counterpart Kayla Cox had 19 strikeouts in the game, but FHSU won 1-0. She also won 1-0 against University of Mary with 12 strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Against Wayne State, she struck out 10 in an eight-inning game. Against No. 24 Winona State, she struck out 13, allowing four hits and just two runs in a 12-2 win. Holub has reached double figures in strikeouts in all seven of her starts this year and averages 12.2 per seven innings. Her season ERA currently sits at 0.41.

-FHSU Sports Information-

The Fort Hays State baseball doubleheader against Northwest Missouri State has been moved from Tuesday to Wednesday at 2 pm at Larks Park in Hays.

Fort Hays State will play at home for the first time since February 19, due to the winter weather throughout the Midwest over the past few weeks.

The Tigers enter the doubleheader at 8-7 overall, 5-6 in the MIAA.