SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s golf team captures a 12th place finish at the Central Region Spring Preview (April 9-10) hosted at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Mo, a 5,911-yard, par-72 golf course. The Tigers shot rounds of 331 and 335 to finish 90-over par (666) for the tournament.
Junior Hannah Perkins led Fort Hays State as she earned a top-25 finish in a tie for 23rd individually. She posted identical rounds of 79 to finish 14-over par (158) for the week.
Taylor DeBoer tied for 52nd individually with rounds of 82 and 86. Freshman Katie Brungardt shot rounds of 81 and 90 on her way to a tie for 60th. Madison Roether shot rounds of 89 and 84.
Arkansas Tech took home the team title, shooting 25-over par (601). Southwestern Oklahoma State finished runner-up with rounds of 301 and 314 (615), while Northeastern State claimed third with a 616. Anna Pool of Central Oklahoma captured the individual crown with a 2-over par score (146) for the tournament.
The Tigers will take a week off before traveling to Grand Junction, Colo. to compete in the Maverick Spring Invitational, hosted at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa (April 16-17).
NEW ORLEANS – After both programs offered strong showings at the Colorado Invitational in Boulder over the weekend, both squads remain among the top teams in the nation in the latest installment of the USTFCCCA Coaches’ Poll, released Tuesday. The women fall back one spot to No. 12, while the men improve their seeding to No. 16 in Division II.
The FHSU women earned 72.18 points, while the men captured 59.23. The points were tabulated from the computer-based system within the poll. On the women’s side, the Tigers are one of three MIAA programs to earn a nod, alongside No. 2 Pittsburg State and No. 19 Missouri Southern. Three conference opponents for the men also made the rankings, with No. 1 Pittsburg State and No. 21 Central Missouri joining the Tigers.
The men are led by Decano Cronin who produced an automatic qualifying time at the Colorado Invitational in the 800-meter as he won the event at 1:48.66. Three other Tigers earned provisional marks at the competition, including Brett Meyer in the 800-meter (1:51.21), Kolt Newell in the high jump (6 feet, 9 inches) and TJ Dozier in both the hammer (186 feet) and the discus (163 feet, 3 inches). Malcom Gardner finished first in the 200-meters at 21.61.
Madison Wolf continues to lead the women as she boasts the top throw in Division II in the javelin at 167 feet, 3 inches. In Colorado, Wolf earned a provisional mark as she won the event. Kelly Wycoff leads the way on the track as she took second in her two solo events at the Colorado Invitational, with a 24.44 time in the 200-meters and finishing at 56.17 in the 400-meters.
Both Tiger squads are back in competition tomorrow and Thursday (April 11-12) as they travel to Kearney for the UNK Loper Invitational which has been reschuled.
Below are the latest USTFCCCA rankings.
Men
Rank Institution Points
1 Pittsburg State 235.00
2 Texas A&M-Kingsville 187.87
3 Angelo State 168.02
4 Texas A&M-Commerce 165.47
5 Colorado Mines 139.94
6 Chico State 107.60
7 CSU-Pueblo 106.07
8 Saint Augustine’s 98.22
9 Adams State 92.18
10 Grand Valley State 82.38
11 Cal State LA 82.21
12 Tiffin 79.94
13 West Texas A&M 79.31
14 Queens 64.78
15 Mount Olive 63.36
16 Fort Hays State 59.23
17 Ashland 57.90
18 UC San Diego 57.36
19 Academy of Art 56.63
20 Azusa Pacific 50.46
21 Central Missouri 48.94
22 Lee (Tenn.) 44.55
23 Western Oregon 43.52
24 Alabama-Huntsville 41.47
25 Eastern New Mexico 40.21
Women
Rank Institution Points
1 Angelo State 176.07
2 Pittsburg State 153.74
3 West Texas A&M 150.89
4 Grand Valley State 125.21
5 Alaska Anchorage 101.56
6 SF State 99.82
7 Texas A&M-Commerce 99.72
8 Azusa Pacific 86.34
9 New Mexico Highlands 85.42
10 UC-Colorado Springs 81.38
11 Fresno Pacific 77.65
12 Fort Hays State 72.18
13 Saint Augustine’s 70.82
14 Concordia (Ore.) 68.98
15 Walsh 67.21
16 Lewis 67.19
17 Cal State LA 65.67
18 Wayne State 59.63
19 Missouri Southern 53.58
20 Chico State 52.17
21 Cal State San Marcos 51.31
22 Mount Olive 50.56
23 Western Washington 43.48
24 Colorado Mines 42.67
25 Ashland 42.26
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Baseball made changes to the upcoming series against Northeastern State this week in Hays. Due to poor weather forecasted on the weekend, the teams will now play a doubleheader at Thursday (Apr. 12) starting at 4 pm and the final game of the series on Friday (Apr. 13) starting at 2 pm.
Gerard Wellbrock will have the radio call for the final game of the three-game series on Friday on KAYS (1400-AM, 94.3-FM).
Due to the change in the schedule, the annual “Pack the Park” event will now be on Friday, April 27. The Tigers open a three-game series that evening with Missouri Western beginning at 7 pm.
HAYS, Kan. – Due to weather forecasted for Hays this weekend and the rearrangement of the three-game series with Northeastern State, Fort Hays State will now hold its annual “Pack the Park” event on Friday, April 27. The Tigers host Missouri Western at 7 pm that evening. Heartland Building Center is the sponsor for the event once again, which features food and drink specials and giveaways all evening.
Admission for the game will be $5 for adults and $3 for students K-12. As always, FHSU students get in FREE with a valid Tiger Card.
Concession specials include $1.50 drinks, hamburgers and hot dogs. Additional activities include inflatable bounce houses for children of all ages.
Heartland Building Center will be giving away limited edition t-shirts to the first 200 fans, so be sure to get to Larks Park early! Gates will open at 6 p.m.
Fort Hays State Baseball’s Alumni Weekend, originally scheduled for the weekend of April 13-15, has been moved to the weekend of April 27-29.
Fort Hays State Softball has made an adjustment in its schedule for this week due to weather forecasted this weekend. Originally scheduled to play Friday and Saturday, the Tigers will now play Thursday and Friday instead. The doubleheader at Missouri Western begins at 4 pm on Thursday (Apr. 12), and the doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State begins at 2 pm on Friday (Apr. 13).
This is the third straight week where conference games scheduled for the weekend have been changed due to a poor weather forecast.
KEARNEY, Neb. – The Fort Hays State track and field teams have had their next competition moved up into a mid-week clash. The 2018 UNK Loper Invitational has been rescheduled to Wednesday and Thursday (April 11 and 12) due to forecasted weather conditions.
The meet, which was originally scheduled for this weekend, will be held at Kearney High School. The event will kick off Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs for both men and women. Thursday, the throws are set to begin at 11 a.m., with field and running events slated for 3:30 p.m.
Below is the link to the new schedule for the Invite.
Click below to listen to Tiger Talk with the “Voice of the Tigers” Gerard Wellbrock and Fort Hays State softball coach Adrian Pilkington and baseball coach Steve Johnson.
Tiger Talk airs on Monday evening at 6 p.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.
SALINA, Kan. – In the 2018 regular season finale, the Fort Hays State women’s tennis team suffered an 8-1 loss to Southwest Baptist in a match held in Salina. The Tigers, with the loss, falter to 6-10 overall, while ending with an 1-8 MIAA mark. Southwest Baptist improves to 13-3 overall, boasting a 7-3 conference record.
Haley Weidemann claimed the lone win on the day for the Tigers as she earned the 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles over Beatrix Federer of Southwest Baptist. Natalie Lubbers fell in a close 6-3, 6-3 match to Klara Vickov, while Ellea Ediger dropped a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Constanca Crespo. Laura Jimenez-Lendinez, Macy Moyers and Nicole Lubbers all dropped their singles contests to the Bearcats.
In doubles, Southwest Baptist claimed all three matches on the day. Vickov and Jill Van den Dungen defeated Lauren Lindell and Natalie Lubbers 8-0, with Moyers and Ediger dropping an 8-1 tilt to Lucia Diaz and her partner Crespo. Finally, Jimenez-Lendinez and Nicole Lubbers fell in a close 8-5 match against Federer and Sarah Brown to give the Bearcats the victory.
The 2018 regular season has come to a close for the Tigers with today’s loss.
BOULDER, Co. – Four provisional marks were met by the Fort Hays State men’s track and field team as they competed at the Colorado Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado this weekend. Aside from the provisonals, one automatic qualifier and multiple personal records were achieved by the Tigers.
Kolt Newell got things started for Fort Hays State as he was named the champion of the high jump, coming in at 6 feet, 9 inches, a provisional meeting standard. Teammate, Lucas Broxterman finished the event in sixth place with a height of 6 feet, 5 inches. Dean Cronin also brings home a championship as he won the 800-meter with a time of 1:48.66. This time not only sets a new FHSU record, but also gave Cronin a personal record and an NCAA automatic qualifying time.
Brett Meyer earned a provisional mark in the 800-meter, finishing his time in 1:51.21 and coming in fifth place. Jonathan Penrose broke his previous PR by over one second as he came in sixth place at 54.72 in the 400-meter hurdles. Malcom Gardner won the 200-meters, coming in at 21.61, while the 4×400 relay team finish their run in 3:18.69, good enough for a sixth place finish.
TJ Dozier defeated his field in the discus, winning the event with his distance of 163 feet, 3 inches, long enough for a provisional. Dozier also picked up a fourth place finish in the hammer, going for 186 feet, 10 inches and another provisional mark. Blayne Godshall captured a fourth place finish in the long jump as he hit a distance of 21 feet, 9 inches. In men’s shot put, Christian Delaney threw for 47 feet, ¾ inches to place eighth. Sam Dreiling claimed the runner-up title in the pole vault as he jumped for 16 feet, 4 ¾ inches.
Not only did FHSU compete at the Colorado Invitational, they also sent multiple athletes down south to compete in the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi. Weston Riner came away the top finisher for the men at the meet after he claimed 5,694 points in the decathlon to earn the runner-up position in the event.
Next for the Tigers will be a trip to Kearney for the UNK Loper Invitational April 13-14.
BOULDER, Co. – A trip to the west was just what the Fort Hays State women’s track and field team needed as they competed at the Colorado Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado on Saturday. The women, on the day, claimed three provisional marks while earning various personal record times and heights.
For another week, the sprint runner competed strongly in their events for the Tigers. Kelly Wycoff finished as runner-up in the 200-meter at 24.44 for a provisional, followed by Amber Forbes in third at 24.81 and Yanoudji Diarra with her eighth place time of 25.55.Wyoff also finished in second place in the 400-meter with her time of 56.17.In the 100-meters, Forbes claimed a second place finish at 12.08, while Diarra boosted a fifth place time at 12.48 and Lindsey Schupe claimed eighth place at 12.69.
Also on the track, Lindsey Roberts finished just 1.4 seconds off the school record in the 800-meter with her time of 2:15.91. Although it was short of an FHSU record, it was a new personal best for Roberts. The 4×100 team composed of Forbes, Diarra, Sharee Zombo and Wycoff set a new personal record with at time of 46.91 and a third place finish. In the 4×400 meter relay, the Tigers took fifth place with their time of 4:07.11
In field events, Tiger javelin throwers continued to dominate as Madison Wolf and Alexcia Deutscher took the top two spots in the event, both earning provisionals. Wolf threw for 161 feet, 9 inchhes, while Deutscher went for 139 feet, 1 inch. Summer Kragel tied her personal best as she finished in third place in the high jump at 5 feet, 5 ½ inches. This was the top mark for non-Division I jumpers at the event. Rohey Singhateh completed the long jump by coming in fourth place at 18 feet, ½ inches. At the pole vault event, the Tigers claimed fourth and fifth place with Selam Ball going 10 feet even, followed by Halie Turner at 10 even as well. Courtney Geiger finished in eighth place in the shot put with her throw of 41 feet, 5 ¼ inches, alongside a sixth place finish in the discus with her distance of 140 feet, 3 inches.
Aside from the Colorado Invitational, FHSU sent multiple athletes to the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi competition this weekend. For the women, Courtney Batchman claimed the runner-up position in the heptathlon with 3,989 points, while Haley George finished in fourth with 3,833 points. Mariah Hammersmith competed in the triple jump where she placed fifth at 35 feet, 5 ¼ inches.
Next up for the Tigers is the UNK Loper Invitational in Kearney April 13-14.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State fell twice on Thursday (Apr. 5) to MIAA-leading Washburn in extra innings. The Tigers rallied for two runs in the seventh inning of Game 1 to force extras, but eventually fell in 10 innings 4-3. They rallied back from a 6-0 deficit in Game 2 with five runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, but fell in eight innings 7-6. FHSU moved to 11-31 overall, 7-13 in the MIAA, while Washburn moved to 31-8 overall, 15-1 in the MIAA. It was the second straight day both games of a doubleheader were decided by one run, but this time the Tigers were on the short end in each game.
Adrian Pilkington Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Game 1: Washburn 4, Fort Hays State 3 (10 inn.) Washburn jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three innings in the first game of the doubleheader. A throwing error to open the game led to a two-run first inning for Washburn. A triple in the third led to another run in the third.
The Tigers went hitless through the first 3.2 innings against Washburn starting pitcher Megan Deiter, who entered the contest with a record of 13-0 and a sub-2.00 ERA. Grace Philop picked up the first hit for the Tigers in the fourth on a lined shot to the right center gap for a double. An inning later, Sara Breckbill put the first run on the board for FHSU with a solo home run to left center field.
Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers finally broke through against Deiter. Bailey Boxberger led off the inning with a single then Veronica Knittig put down a sacrifice bunt. After Breckbill flied out to left field, Tess Gray drew an important walk to put runners at second and first.
Bailey Kennedy, who joined the team in the middle of the game due to an academic obligation, came off the bench and got her timing down after a couple of strikes. She fouled off three pitches before finally lining a single to left center. Jeni Mohr came around to score from second after pinch running for Boxberger to make it 3-2. Washburn coach Brenda Holaday opted to turn the ball over to Lexi Crabtree in relief of Deiter. It did not pay off as Lily Sale dumped a single over the head of the second baseman and tied the game 3-3.
Neither team scored in the first two extra innings, but Washburn benefitted from a dropped throw at first base in the 10th. As the ball dribbled away, a runner came in to score from third base. It was the second unearned run of the game for Washburn. It proved to be the game-winner as the Tigers could not get a runner across in the bottom half of the inning. Kennedy wound up going 2-for-2 in the game, getting another base hit in the 10th. She reached second base, but the game ended on a ground out.
Hailey Chapman danced out of danger in the pitching circle throughout the game, stranding 14 Washburn runners in the game. That helped limit the damage by an Ichabod squad that finished the game with 18 hits. She threw all 10 innings for FHSU, striking out five.
Crabtree picked up the win in 3.1 innings of relief for Washburn. She allowed just two hits and struck out one. Deiter, getting no decision, remained undefeated on the year. She threw 6.2 innings and struck out 10, while allowing five hits.
Game 2: Washburn 7, Fort Hays State 6 (8 inn.) Washburn looked to be running away with game two of the doubleheader, but like in Game 1, the Tigers started a comeback in the fifth inning once again. This time the rally was twice as big in terms of runs. Washburn led 6-0 through 4.5 innings, but the Tigers rallied for five in the fifth and one in the sixth to force extra innings for the second straight game.
Washburn jumped out of the gates fast with three runs in the first inning on five hits. A solo home run in the fourth made it 4-0, then a sacrifice fly and an RBI-double added two more runs in the fifth.
Washburn pitcher Kelsee Henry was cruising along through four innings, but ran into a parade of four straight hits by the Tigers in the fifth to chase her from the game. Tess Gray put the Tigers on the board with an RBI double to left field. Lily Sale singled to put runners at first and third and then she stole second. Candace Bollig drove in two runs with a single up the middle, cutting the Washburn lead in half to 6-3. Terran Caldwell followed with a double to the left center gap to plate another run and make Washburn go to Lexi Crabtree in the pitching circle once again. With two outs, Bailey Boxberger kept the Tiger rally going with an RBI single up the middle.
The Tigers continued to apply the pressure in the sixth as Veronica Knittig led off with a single. Tess Gray picked up her second straight double and drove in Knittig all the way from first. Knittig was ruled safe at the plate on an overturned call by the umpire. Though she was tagged out initially, obstruction of the plate was called on the catcher, not allowing Knittig a legal path to home plate. The Tigers nearly had the go-ahead run score on a pinch hit single up the middle by Sarah Kay, but pinch runner Sydney Harsh was thrown out at the plate by the center fielder. Again, the catcher blocked off the plate as Harsh slid into her leg in front of the plate, but this time the umpires did not rule obstruction.
Neither team scored in the seventh, forcing extras once again, but Washburn prevailed once again thanks to a solo home run in the eighth by Taylor Kirk. It was her second solo homer of the game after doing the same back in the fourth inning. The Tigers got a pair of one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth, but Crabtree got a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Sierra Rodriguez pitched all eight innings for FHSU, allowing 13 hits. She struck out one. Crabtree earned her second straight win in relief for the day, moving to 5-5 on the season. She allowed one run on six hits, with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work. Henry pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
The Tigers go on the road for very important MIAA games at Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State next weekend. They need to make a charge in the MIAA standings as the top eight qualify for the MIAA Tournament.
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team jumped out to a seven-run lead before William Jewell rallied to take Thursday’s non-conference contest, 18-11. The Tigers dip to 13-22 overall while the Cardinals are now 14-12 this season, completing the season sweep of FHSU.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick start, batting around in the first inning to score four runs after WJC went down quietly in the top of the first. Back-to-back errors allowed the first two batters to reach safely before Alex Weiss and Dayton Pomeroy both singled to put the Tigers in front 2-0. Marcus Altman came through with a two-out base hit after an intentional walk, giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead after pulling a sharp single to left.
The Cardinals pushed one run across in the second before Fort Hays State added a pair in the home half of the inning. Addison Kaasch led off with a triple to right center, dropping one in on the warning track just out of the reach of the sprinting Cardinal center fielder. Clayton Basgall drove him home with a sacrifice fly before Dayton Pomeroy lifted a sky shot down the left field line, circling the bases after his 12th home run of the season.
After reliever Alex Ruxlow retired the Cardinals in order in the third inning, FHSU stretched its lead to seven after a leadoff walk to Ryan Grasser. Jordan Wilkerson then stepped up to the plate and crushed a 1-0 pitch sailing over the fence in left center, putting the Tigers in front 8-1.
William Jewell added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the Tigers went back up by seven on another home run. Another leadoff walk, this time to Cody Starkel, brought Grasser to the dish with one on and no outs. The Tiger second baseman unloaded on a 2-0 pitch, sending it soaring over the wall in left center to make the score 10-3.
The Cardinals started creeping back into the game with four runs in the sixth before tying things up at 10-10 with a trio of runs in the seventh. They added eight runs over the final two innings, totaling four home runs and six unearned runs over the final five innings. Weiss swatted the eighth home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth, going the opposite way with his third long ball of the season.
The Tigers will have the weekend off before traveling to Kearney, Neb. to take on the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney next Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State had a good start to the week in conference play on Wednesday (Apr. 4) with a doubleheader sweep of Emporia State at home. The Tigers rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the first game 2-1 before hanging on for a 4-3 win in the nightcap. FHSU improved to 11-29 overall, 7-11 in the MIAA, while ESU dropped to 14-26 overall, 5-11 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Emporia State 1 Emporia State pitcher Montana Mesler kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for six innings until the Tigers finally broke through with a seventh-inning rally. Fort Hays State pitcher Sierra Rodriguez did a good job matching Mesler, with her only run allowed in the sixth inning.
The teams were scoreless through five innings, both with just two hits to that point. A breakdown in communication by the Tigers led to the game’s first run in the top of the sixth when Kenzie Garvin of ESU popped a ball up on the infield. With a strong crosswind, the ball drifted between shortstop and third base, but neither Tiger fielder went for the ball and it fell safely. With all infielders out of position, Garvin continued on to second base for a double. McKenna Davis followed with a single and moved up on a throw to put runners at second and third and no outs.
Candace Bollig was able to thwart one sacrifice bunt attempt, throwing the batter out at first without allowing baserunners to advance. However, Caitlin VanVleck followed with a well-placed squeeze bunt toward third base that Bollig overran on her fielding attempt. The runner was already well down the line when she tried to field the ball, so there may have been no chance to get the runner at the plate. Rodriguez buckled down to get a pop up on the infield and a swinging strikeout to strand the bases loaded.
The Tigers put together a game-winning rally in their final at bat. Bailey Boxberger led off the seventh inning with a walk, then Bailey Kennedy followed with a single to right center field. With Jeni Mohr running for Boxberger, Sara Breckbill put down a sacrifice bunt, but the Hornets chose to go for the force play at third. Mohr beat out the throw by an eyelash to create a bases loaded situation with no outs.
Veronica Knittig wasted no time in getting home the tying run with an RBI single to left center field. That left the bases loaded for Tess Gray, who grounded into a fielder’s choice as the Hornet first baseman cut down the potential game-winning run at home plate. However, Mesler struggled with her command immediately after as Lily Sale drew a walk to give the Tigers a 2-1 win in walk-off fashion.
Rodriguez finished with five hits and a walk allowed to go with four strikeouts. She picked up her sixth win of the season in the circle. Mesler also had a complete game in 6.1 innings of work. She allowed the two runs on four hits and three walks.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 4, Emporia State 3 Grace Philop was the difference for the Tigers in game two, putting the Tigers ahead twice with her 3-for-4 performance at the plate and three RBI. She picked up all of her RBIs in clutch, two-out situations.
Emporia State opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but Fort Hays State matched it with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Three singles loaded the bases before Bailey Boxberger drew a walk to force in a run.
In the second inning, Philop pulled a ball into right field for a single that scored runners from second and third, putting the Tigers up 3-1. After Emporia State tied the game with a two-out, two-RBI single in the fourth, the Philop answered in the bottom half of the inning with a screaming grounder down the left field line that glanced the third base bag on the way by and plated what turned into the game-winning run.
Hailey Chapman settled in over the final three innings for a complete game win. Just two of her 10 hits allowed occurred during the final three innings. She allowed a walk and struck out three, picking up her fourth win of the season.
Destiny Ojigoh took the loss for Emporia State, allowing all four runs in a complete game effort. She allowed 11 hits and three walks to the Tigers, moving to 4-6 on the season.
