ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Ryan Yarbrough helped extend Tampa Bay’s shutout streak to 23 innings, and the Rays got their only run via video replay in a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

Yarbrough (12-5) pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief of Rays opener Hunter Wood. The rookie left-hander gave up two hits and a walk while striking out six, earning his major league-leading 10th relief win.

Yarbrough and three others combined for Tampa Bay’s second straight shutout. Jose Alvarado pitched the ninth for his fifth save and stretched the Rays’ streak of scoreless innings, which included 14 over the weekend in Boston.

Willy Adames drove in the game’s first run. After singles by Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier in the second inning, Adames hit a two-out chopper over third base. Adames beat Rosell Herrera’s throw across the diamond, but it took a 43-second review to reverse the original out call.

The run came off right-hander Jorge Lopez, who pitched five innings in his second major league start. Lopez (0-3) gave up five hits and three walks.

Kiermaier had three of Tampa Bay’s eight hits after coming into the game batting .127 in August.

Royals reliever Jake Newberry struck out three in 1 2/3 innings in his major league debut.

Wood pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up two hits with two strikeouts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (left shoulder) “felt really good” after a bullpen session, according to manager Ned Yost, who will determine Tuesday whether Duffy will pitch Thursday night’s series finale.

Rays: INF Daniel Robertson said recent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb went well and he has no pain. Robertson hasn’t given up on getting at-bats during the final days of the season. “There won’t be any rushing it,” he said. … LHP Vidal Nuno (strained right hamstring) will make his second rehab start Tuesday night with Class A Charlotte and should be back in September.

MINORS MATTERS

LHP Matthew Liberatore, taken by the Rays in the first round of the 2018 draft, allowed three hits and struck out eight over five innings to get his first pro win in the GCL Rays’ 6-0 victory over the Twins. He has a 0.98 ERA over 27 2/3 innings in eight starts.

UP NEXT

LHP Blake Snell (14-5) will pitch Tuesday night’s game against Royals RHP Glenn Sparkman (0-1). Snell, whose 2.10 ERA ranks second in the AL, has not given up a run in two straight starts of five innings each.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s soccer team is ready to get back into action for the 2018 season as they have been picked fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The rankings, released Monday (August 16), tabbed the Tigers in their position after capturing 88 points.

With the 2017 season now in the rearview mirror, Fort Hays State looks to build off a year in which they accomplished a 10-6-4 overall record, alongside a 7-3-1 MIAA tally. Last season, the Tigers made it into the MIAA conference semifinals where they fell to eventual national champions in Central Missouri, 3-0. This loss came after a thrilling 14-round shootout at home against Missouri Southern, winning 11-10 in penalty kicks.

Focusing on this season, the Tigers will see a mix of old and new on the pitch, with both returning and incoming players looking to make contributions. Coach Blake Reynolds, now in just his second season at the helm of Fort Hays State, brings in a strong recruiting class to pair up alongside his returners. The Tigers bring back 12 athletes who saw time last season, with two red-shirts coming back as well. Additionally, 12 incoming freshmen will wear the FHSU jersey for the first time. For another year, Australia will be represented on the roster as junior Nikita Woods heads to Hays from Larimer County Community College. Woods continues to expand her soccer journey after calling Corrimal, Australia her home prior to her collegiate career. Woods comes off two years with the Golden Eagles, amounting 25 goals and 10 assists in her time. Another junior transfer being welcomed to the Tigers roster is Chloe Montano from Calabasas, Calif. Montaño brings in two years of experience from Santa Barbara City College where she contributed 12 goals alongside 11 assists. The freshman class is represents four states, with players coming to Hays from Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and California.

The Tigers are coming off a season which they out-scored their opponents 23-17, while also outshooting the same opponents 247-211. Fort Hays State will look to fill the void of former leading scorer Eden Stoddard who led the team with eight goals during the 2017 season. This year, junior forward Darby Hirsch is the returning leading scorer for the Tigers with three contributed last season. Only Olympia Katsouridis and Catalina Hernandez, along with Hirsch, have a goal to their name on this season’s roster.

Other notable returners for the Tigers are Paige Utterback, Taryn Schnell and Shayla Podlena. Both Utterback and Schnell participated in all 20 games last season, while Podlena started 13 matches. Megan Kneefel will be the anchor in goal for the Tigers as she is back for her junior season after starting six games and recording 40 saves with a 4-2-2 sophomore season record.

Preseason for the Tigers is just around the corner as they play host to Kansas Wesleyan in their lone exhibition game on August 24 at 6 p.m. The regular season gets started with a trip to Fayette, Iowa where the Tigers will face-off against home team Upper Iowa on August 30, followed by a tilt September 1 against Southwest Minnesota State. Fort Hays State will make its first regular-season home appearance On September 14 against Emporia State slated for 7 p.m.

Below is the 2018 MIAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

2018 MIAA Women’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Central Missouri (11) – 121
2. Missouri Western (1) – 108
3. Northeastern State – 98
4. Fort Hays State – 88
5. Central Oklahoma – 85
6. Missouri Southern – 66
7. Washburn – 62
8. Emporia State – 45
9. Lindenwood – 43
10. Northwest Missouri – 40
11. Nebraska Kearney – 23
12. Southwest Baptist – 14

HAYS, Kan. – Jmari Davis hauled in four touchdown passes, three of them from starting quarterback Jacob Mezera, to highlight Fort Hays State’s second and final scrimmage of their preseason camp Saturday morning at Lewis Field.

Head coach Chris Brown

Senior QB Jacob Mezera

RS-Freshman WR Jmari Davis

The redshirt-freshman from Muskogee, Oklahoma caught a 44-yard strike from Mezera on the first possession between the No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense. He then grabbed a 50-yard pass from Mezera on the first play of the second session with both No. 1 units.

His third touchdown catch came from backup signal caller Chance Fuller from 58-yards out. He rounded out his day by catching an 18-yard pass from Mezera during a session inside the red zone.

Fuller, a redshirt freshman from Arlington, Texas, also connected with redshirt-freshman Manny Ramsey on a 35 touchdown strike with the No. 2 offense and defense.

True freshman Blake Sullivan out of Goddard hit fellow freshman Terrance Anglin for three touchdown passes with the No. 3 offense and defense.

The No. 1 defense picked off two passes, one by defensive end Irick McDonald which was returned 50-plus yards for a touchdown. Starting safety Connor Shadeed also had an interception against the No. 1 offense during the two-minute drill.

With the start of classes Monday, the Tiger shift to afternoon practices starting Monday as they prepare for their season opener vs. Central Missouri on Thursday August 30th.

Fort Hays State’s Doyin Jibowu has been named the D2Football.com Preseason All-American Team. The Devner senior was named All-America Honorable Mention by the Don Hansen Football Committee last season and was an All-Super Region 3 First Team selection by D2CCA and Don Hansen Football Committee at safety.

2018 D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team

Jibowu led the Tigers with five interceptions which ranked second in the MIAA. He finished with 62 tackles which ranked fourth on the team, which included 7.5 tackles for loss.

The Tigers are picked ninth in the D2Football.com Preseason poll.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team will open the 2018 season as the 11th-ranked team in the MIAA, according to the annual preseason coaches poll released Thursday (August 16) by the league office. The Tigers finished 11th in the league a year ago and were picked to finish in the same spot by the head volleyball coaches in the MIAA.

Nebraska Kearney was picked to defend its MIAA co-regular season and tournament championships, earning 108 points and eight first place votes. Co-regular season champions Missouri Western picked up a pair of first place votes and is ranked second with 94 points. The Tigers acquired 27 points in the voting process, three behind a tie for ninth between Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern.

The Tigers, coming off an 11-23 campaign, return 12 letterwinners and five redshirt freshmen from a year ago while adding four talented newcomers in the mix.

Fort Hays State and head coach Jessica Wood-Atkins opens the regular season on Friday, August 24 in Goodwell, Okla. Click in the window below for an in-depth season preview.

2018 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Nebraska Kearney (8) – 108
2. Missouri Western (2) – 94
3. Central Oklahoma – 92
4. Central Missouri – 85
5. Washburn (1) – 72
6. Northwest Missouri – 67
7. Lindenwood – 60
8. Emporia State – 50
t9. Pittsburg State – 30
t9. Missouri Southern – 30
11. Fort Hays State – 27
12. Southwest Baptist – 11

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team got a chance to play in a game day environment Wednesday with the annual Black and Gold Scrimmage at Gross Coliseum. The teams played five sets with the black beating the gold 3-2.

Azlyn Cassaday led the black team with 19 kills and 11 digs.

Isabelle Reynolds hit .306 and led the gold with 21 kills while freshman Kayla Vitztum added 11 kills but also committed 11 errors.

FHSU coach Jessica Wood-Atkins

Jessica Wood-Atkins is in her first season as the Tigers head coach and thought they played okay in their first time out.

“I thought we had a really good day. We tried to to pair the teams pretty evenly” Wood-Atkins said. “We wanted to see some matchups, middles versus middles, setters versus setters and they did well.”

With over half of her roster either freshman or sophomores, Wood-Atkins will be relying on some of the younger talent this season.

“Our young ones are going to have to step up but I think that they have the ability to” Wood-Atkins said. “We’re going take our bumps, they’re going to have their days. They’re just getting used to the speed still.”

The Tigers open their season a week from Friday at the Oklahoma-Panhandle State Tournament.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State football team wrapped up their first week of camp Saturday morning with the first of two scheduled scrimmages. The Tigers ran around 70 plays which did not include full tackling and nearly half of the plays were with the redshirts and younger players.

“We didn’t do a lot with the ones and twos. We’ve got to get these young guys ready to see if they can play or not,” Brown said. “I thought they made some great plays on both sides of the ball.”

“Even though we didn’t get a lot of plays with the ones and the twos, there’s still a chance to see who can play for us, who can’t, who needs more work.” Brown said.

Chris Brown Press Conference

Offensive Lineman Romello Burke

Safety Connor Shadeed

Backup quarterback Chance Fuller hit redshirt freshman Manny Ransey on a long pass setting up a seven-yard touchdown pass between the two for the offenses first score. Fuller later connected with redshirt-freshman Jmari Davis on a 50-yard touchdown strike.

Redshirt-freshman cornerback Keylon Kennedy picked off a pass and returned it 60-plus yards for a touchdown to highlight the defense.

Brown says a lack of depth on both the offensive and defensive line is a concern.

“I think we’ll be fine. We’ve just got a couple of guys that are banged up right now. We’re just holding them out to make sure they’re healthy game one.”

The Tigers continue with preseason camp Monday with their second and final scheduled scrimmage on Saturday. They open the season at home August 30th vs. Central Missouri.

HAYS, Kan. – After winning the first conference championship in program history and reaching the NCAA Division II championship tournament for the sixth-straight season, the Fort Hays State men’s soccer team has bolstered its roster with a 16-man 2018 signing class.

“This 2018 recruiting class is our largest group since the program began, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome this group of student-athletes to FHSU,” said head coach Brett Parker. “This class not only addresses some immediate needs for the upcoming season but also gives us a wealth of talent that we look forward to developing for the future.”

The 2018 group of incoming Tigers includes 11 freshman and five transfers. Brief information and coaches comments on all 16 players can be found below.

Name	Position	Hometown	Previous School
Miguel Baca	D	Dodge City, Kan.	Dodge City HS
Mariano Benitez	D	Dallas, Texas	Richland College
Alec Bevis	D	Wichita, Kan.	Bishop Carroll HS
Mariano Escobedo	D	Mesquite, Texas	Northeastern JC
Babila Fomune	MF	Oklahoma City, Okla.	Putnam City North
Agustin Meza	F	Asuncion, Paraguay
Rogelio Lopez	MF	Katy, Texas	Cypress Lake HS
Hugo Miguez	GK	Pontevedra, Spain
Sergio Morgado	D	Dallas, Texas	Skyline HS
Alonso Rodriguez	MF/F	Salamanca, Spain
Sami Sabrah	MF/F	Wichita, Kan.	Allen County CC
Omar Salmon	GK	El Paso, Texas	Univ. of the Incarnate Word
Franklin Solorio	MF	Houston, Texas	Mayde Creek HS
Ethan Stroyan	GK	Bloomington, Ill.	Normal Community West HS
Zach Wagner	F	Hays, Kan.	Hays HS
Moritz Walther	MF/D	Wiesloch, Germany	Metro State

Miguel Baca: Four-year letter winner for Coach Saul Hernandez at Dodge City High School. 2016 and 2017 6A First-Team All-State Selection.  2016 Kansas 6A Co-Defensive Player of the Year. 2016 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and 2016-17 USA Today First Team All-America selection. Led Dodge City High School to the 2016 Kansas 6A State Championship. Finished second in the 2017 Kansas State Cup with Kansas Rush Wichita and Coach Mario Felix.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Miguel is one of the most decorated and accomplished student-athletes in the state of Kansas. He has had an incredible high school career at Dodge City winning a state championship as well as being named Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and playing in the high school All-American game this past December. We expect Baca to come in and compete for a significant role as a freshman.”

Mariano Benitez: Transfer from Richland College. Played in 22 games with eight starts in two seasons at Richland, contributing two assists. Helped lead the Thunderducks to the 2016 NJCAA National Championship and a runner-up finish in 2017. Played for the Dallas Texans USSDA for Coach David Hudgell.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Mariano brings a winning pedigree to our program and will give be a big addition to our depth and quality with our backline. He has played at a very high level for a number of years which will make the transition to our program an easy one.”

Alec Bevis: Earned four letters for Coach Mike Skaggs at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School. three-time first Team All-State and All-City selection. Captained Bishop Carroll to 5A State runner-up place as a senior. Played club soccer for the Wichita Cyclones and Coach Terry Arndt, winning the 2013 Kansas State Cup and finishing second in 2016 and 2017.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Alec is a player that we’ve wanted to be a part of our program for a long time. Physically and athletically he is ready for the college game and has the potential to be a dominant player at FHSU.”

Mariano Escobedo: Transfer from Northeastern (Colo.) Junior College where he played two seasons for Coach David Groves. Made 29 starts in 37 career appearances at NJC, helping the Plainsmen to an NJCAA Region IX runner-up finish. Named All-Region IX Honorable Mention.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Mariano is a very versatile defender that we expect to fill a number of roles for us the next two seasons. He has had a lot of success at the collegiate level already and we expect a smooth transition for him to the Division II level.”

Babila Fomune: Four-year letter winner for Coach Tom Pecore at Putnam City North High School. Two-time All-District and All-Conference selection at PC North. Won five Oklahoma state championships with OKC Energy ’99 club team for Coach Jesse Faily.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Bobi is yet another quality player to join us from Coach Pecore’s PC North program. We have had the opportunity to watch him develop for the past few years and Bobi has become a dominant player in Oklahoma. He has the potential to be a big-time player at our level.”

Rogelio Lopez: Competed for Coach Frank Cartagena at Cypress Lakes High School.  Helped Cypress Lakes to the 2017 District Championship. Named Texas 6A first Team All-District 17 in 2018 and VYPE Player of the Year. Played club soccer for Chivas Houston and Coach Angel Estrada.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Rogelio is a very exciting attacking player that our staff feels can develop into a player similar to 2017 All-American Derick Gonzalez. He is a very technical, dynamic and quick player that we look forward to watching develop over the next four years.”

Agustin Meza: Played for the youth teams at Sol de America in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Agustin is very skilled, left-footed attacking player that we expect to continue our long tradition of Paraguayan players at FHSU. His experience with Sol de America competing against the top teams in South America will make the transition to the DII level much easier.”

Hugo Miguez: Competed with Pontevedra FC in the Division De Honor league in Spain.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Hugo is a very important addition to the squad as goalkeeper was a very important position in this recruiting class. He has competed at the highest level of youth soccer in Spain against some of the top teams in the world. His distribution and shot stopping are outstanding and we expect him to come in and compete for the goalkeeping position this season.”

Sergio Morgado: Competed for the USSDA Dallas Texans for the past three seasons. Started 12 of 21 games played this season for the U18/19 squad. Made 25 appearances with 18 starts for the Texans U15/16 team last season.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Sergio is a very technical and versatile player that will be able to fill a number of roles at the next level. He has competed for several years at the highest level of youth soccer with the Texans DA which will significantly help his transition to the college game.”

Alonso Rodriguez: Played in the Spanish First Division De Honor for club U.D. Santa Marta and coach Sergio Hernandez. Won the 2015-16 Castilla Y Leon State Championship and Liga Nacional Championship in 2016-17.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Alonso is a crafty attacking player that we expect to make a major impact in our squad from day one. His experience playing in the Division De Honor against some of the best youth teams in the world has prepared him very well for the level of NCAA Division II soccer.”

Sami Sabrah: Transfer from Allen County Community College and Coach Doug Desmarteu. Scored five goals and added two assists his sophomore year, earning second team All-Jayhawk honors.  Played for Cloud County CC as a freshman after graduating from Wichita North HS.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Sami is another attacking player that can make an impact at a number of different positions and areas on the field. He has great pace and 1v1 ability that will complement our other players very well. We are excited to finally get him in an FHSU uniform!”

Omar Salmon: Transfer after redshirting in 2017 at NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word. Four-year letter winner at El Dorado High School and Coach Pedro Espinoza where he was a two time All-District performer. Played club soccer for FC Dallas El Paso and Coach David Medina.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Omar is a very important signing for us to solidify our goalkeeping position for years to come. We’ve been very fortunate to have some excellent goalkeepers in our program and we look for Omar to continue this trend for the next four years.”

Franklin Solorio: Four-year letter winner for Coach Van Daniels and Mayde Creek High School where he was captain as a senior. Competed for Coach Steven Grave with the USSDA Houston Dynamo Youth (Formerly Texas Rush) where he started 11 games during the 2016-17 season.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Franklin is a player that we are very excited about and feel that he can make an immediate impact on our midfield. He is a very composed box-to-box type midfield that will thrive in our system at FHSU.”

Ethan Stroyan: Played for Coach Valentine Walker at both Normal Community West HS and for Central Illinois United club. Honorable Mention All-Conference as a senior in 2017.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Ethan has the potential to be an excellent goalkeeper at our level. His size and frame are outstanding and we are thrilled to watch him develop at FHSU.”

Zach Wagner: Four-year letter winner and three-time captain at Hays High School for Coach Silas Hibbs. Named first team All-WAC and first team All-State as a senior. Finished his career at HHS as the school’s career assist leader. Played club soccer for the Kansas Rush Academy Gray 99/00 for Coach Dauda Kante. Was a three-year captain, leading Rush to the 2018 Kansas State Cup championship.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Zach is a player that I’ve known since he was 11 years old and I’ve watched him develop into a top quality student-athlete. The commitment level he has shown over the years travelling to Kansas City to compete with his Rush team is rare. It is very exciting to add a local player and we expect Zach to have an excellent career as a Tiger.”

Moritz Walther: Played one season at Metro State University of Denver. Played in 20 games with 18 starts for the Roadrunners in 2017. Scored three goals and added an assist in 1378 minutes played.
Coach Parker’s comments: “Mo is a big time addition for us and gives us a rare combination of size and technical ability that we haven’t had in the past. He is very familiar with DII soccer and what it takes to compete at this level. We expect Mo to make an instant impact in a number of areas this season.”

HAYS – The Fort Hays State football team dressed out in full pads for the first time in the 2018 season.  The defending MIAA champs will hold their first planned scrimmage on Saturday.  Coach Chris Brown expects to run 60-70 plays.  The scrimmage not only helps find the starters for the upcoming season, but according to Brown, it also helps find the depth they are looking for at all positions.

Brown has also been pleased with the way that the kids themselves have been managing the practices.

The Tigers open the season at Lewis Field Stadium on August 30th.  The Thursday night game will be against the University of Central Missouri.

 

Coach Chris Brown

After averaging 8.1 points per game as a sophomore and helping guide the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2017-18, Taylor Rolfs – Fort Hays State has been selected as a member of the USA D-2 Women’s Basketball Team that will tour Brazil in early August.

Rolfs, an upcoming junior guard for the Tigers, was among ten NCAA Division II athletes to earn a spot on the USA roster. Members of the team have been recognized at the national, regional and conference levels due to their performance on the court. Rolfs is the only player from FHSU on the team that features four other players from the MIAA. Nine of the ten on the roster are from schools in the Central Region of NCAA Division II.

Rolfs and the team will head to Orlando, Florida for their orientation on July 30^th. From there, the athletes begin their Brazilian tour, which runs through August 8^th. The team will begin their trek in Sao Paulo, Brazil where they play their first contest on August 1^st in the city of Jundiai against the U22 Club Team. From there, Team USA will travel to the city of Osasco to compete against its top club team. On August 3^rd, the team will fly to Rio de Janeiro for the remainder of their competition until their departure on August 8^th.

Besides basketball, the trip to Brazil will include educational, cultural and social aspects through city, school and sports club visits.

Defending national champion Central Missouri brings has three players on the team, along with head coach Dave Slifer and assistant Tammy Slifer. Rolfs reunites on the floor with Washburn’s Reagan Phelan. The pair played prep basketball together at Central Plains High School in Claflin, Kansas.

Below is the roster for the 2018 USA Basketball DII Team.

Sydney Crockett – Central Missouri
Morgan Fleming – Central Missouri
Megan Hintz – Minnesota State-Moorhead
Sammy Kozlowski – Minnesota-Duluth
Brianna Kusler – Northern State
Reagan Phelan – Washburn
Lynsey Prosser – Augustana
Taylor Rolfs – Fort Hays State
Megan Skaggs – Central Missouri
Katie Speegle – Alabama-Huntsville

Tentative Game Schedule 
Wednesday, August 1
USA D-2 Women vs. Jundiai
Thursday, August 2
USA D-2 Women vs. Osasco
Saturday, August 4
USA D-2 Women vs. Mangueira
Monday, August 6
USA D-2 Women vs. Fluminense

Street and Smith’s College Football Yearbook and Lindy’s Sports College Football National Preview, released in the summer of 2018, have Fort Hays State football ranked No. 4 in their preseason polls for NCAA Division II. The Tigers are coming off their most successful season in program history, reaching the Super Region 3 Semifinals of the NCAA Playoffs in 2017 with an 11-1 overall record. The Tigers claimed their first MIAA Championship in the process, going undefeated in the regular season.

Fort Hays State went into the NCAA Playoffs last year ranked No. 4 in the nation, but finished at No. 8 in the final AFCA Division II Poll. The Tigers made the playoffs for the first time since the 1995. It was their third appearance in the Division II playoffs overall. Street and Smith’s and Lindy’s do not conduct polls for Division II throughout the year. The official preseason poll from the AFCA, along with the supplemental weekly poll from D2Football.com, will release at a later date, but Fort Hays State’s amazing run in 2017 definitely grabbed the attention of several national football information sources.

Ferris State, which knocked the Tigers out of the playoffs last year, sits at No. 3 in the Lindy’s Poll, but all the way down at No. 19 in the Street and Smith’s Poll. The first week of the season will feature a big match up in Hays when Central Missouri comes to town. The Mules are tabbed No. 10 in the Lindy’s Poll and No. 18 in the Street and Smith’s Poll. The Mules came to Hays last year in Week 2 of the season as the No. 13 ranked team in the nation by the AFCA. An unranked FHSU team at the time posted a convincing 35-6 win, grabbing the attention of the Division II football world. The Tigers jumped into the AFCA Top 25 Poll for the remainder of the year after that win, ascending all the way to No. 4 by regular season’s end. The run also included an MIAA Championship clinching win at defending national champion Northwest Missouri State by a score of 13-12 in Week 10. Northwest Missouri is among the top 10 in both magazine polls.

The Tigers return three of their eight 2017 All-America selections this year, which includes senior linebacker Jose Delgado, senior defensive back Doyin Jibowu, and junior punter Dante Brown. All three received All-America status from the Don Hansen Football Committee last year. Eleven of the 21 All-MIAA selections for FHSU from last year also return.

The Tigers play 6 times at home in 2018 starting with the season opener against Central Missouri on August 30.

Below are the preseason polls from both magazines.

Lindy’s Sports College Football Preview – Division II Preseason Poll
1. West Florida
2. Indiana (Pa.)
3. Ferris State
4. Fort Hays State
5. Northwest Missouri State
6. Minnesota State
7. Texas A&M-Commerce
8. Midwestern State
9. West Alabama
10. Central Missouri
11. Central Washington
12. Indianapolis
13. Colorado State-Pueblo
14. California (Pa.)
15. Ashland
16. Valdosta State
17. Colorado School of Mines
18. Edinboro
19. Assumption
20. Carson-Newman
21. Humboldt State
22. Bowie State
23. Southwest Baptist
24. Hillsdale
25. Adams State

Street & Smith’s College Football Yearbook – Division II Preseason Poll
1. West Florida
2. Indiana (Pa.)
3. Minnesota State
4. Fort Hays State
5. Grand Valley State
6. Texas A&M-Commerce
7. Indianapolis
8. Harding
9. Northwest Missouri State
10. Midwestern State
11. Central Washington
12. Shepherd
13. Ashland
14. Colorado State-Pueblo
15. Sioux Falls
16. West Georgia
17. Assumption
18. Central Missouri
19. Ferris State
20. West Alabama
21. Findlay
22. Carson-Newman
23. Virginia State
24. Edinboro
25. Colorado School of Mines

INDIANAPOLIS – For the fourth-consecutive season, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team ranked second in the nation in attendance for NCAA Division II. The Tigers averaged 2,053 fans throughout their 16 home contests inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The 2017-18 season saw a total of 32,849 fans come through the Coliseum to support the Tigers.

2017-18 NCAA Women’s Basketball Attendance Report

Fort Hays State extends its streak of ranking in the top five nationally in attendance to six-straight years, while maintaining a spot in the top ten for nine-continuous seasons. This season’s average was slightly lower than previous seasons. However, the average of 2,053 in 2017-18 comparatively puts the Tigers above over 80% of NCAA Division I programs, with only 68 of the 349 Division I schools seeing more home fan support than the Tigers.

The strong support from the stands helped the Tigers to a dominating 15-1 record on their home court. Fort Hays State owns a 91-5 record over the past six seasons when hosting their competition.

Four other MIAA programs rank in the top ten nationally, including Emporia State at No. 4 (1,756) and No. 5 Washburn (1,582). Pittsburg State comes in at No. 9 (1,239) and Nebraska-Kearney rounds out the top ten (1,210). Because of this strong showing, the MIAA continues to be the strongest attended conference with 201,117 (986 per game) fans funneling into conference games throughout the season, leading the nation for the 10th year in a row.

For the 11th-straight season, Northern State remains as the top-attended Division II women’s basketball program, drawing 42,788 total fans for an average of 3,056 per night. Northern State and Fort Hays State were the only two Division II schools in the nation to average better than 2,000 fans per game.