KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s track and field team swept the initial MIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors, with individuals picking up both the track award and the field honor. Malcom Gardner was named the conference track athlete of the week while teammate Sam Dreiling earned co-field athlete of the week accolades.

Gardner earned the award after placing second in the 200m dash at the season-opening ESU Spring Invitational last Friday (March 16), crossing the line in 20.95. He was the top Division II finisher in the event, defeating all but one of the 51 other competitors in the race. His time was more than four-tenths of a second faster than the NCAA DII provisional mark and would be the fastest time in Division II so far this season had it not been wind-aided.

Less than a week after earning All-American honors during the indoor season, Dreiling opened the outdoor campaign in a strong fashion. The junior won the pole vault competition in Emporia after clearing the 16-4.75 bar on his third and final attempt. He provisionally qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the process and currently sits in fifth on the national performance list.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped game three of the weekend series to Central Oklahoma on Sunday (Mar. 18), 17-10. The Tigers dipped to 9-15 overall and 1-11 in conference play, while the Bronchos moved to 18-8 on the season and 10-2 in MIAA action.

The Tigers were first to strike the scoreboard as they produced four runs in the home half of the first frame. Jason Nicholson led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. He came around to score on a RBI triple that hit the center field wall from Addison Kaasch. Kaasch scored on the next play, when Alex Weiss roped a double to right center. Weiss crossed home plate on an RBI groundout from Ryan Grasser, giving the Tigers the early 4-0 advantage.

Central Oklahoma answered right away with two runs in the second inning, then the Bronchos proceeded to take the lead in the third frame with a six-run offensive explosion that chased Tiger starter Ben Ramberg from the mound. Tanner Smith came on in relief and picked up two ground outs, only allowing one runner to score.

FHSU stormed back into the lead in the fifth inning, Smith shut the Bronchos down in the fourth and fifth frames, taking a 10-8 lead. Dayton Pomeroy started the inning by destroying a baseball through the crisp, cool western Kansas air over the left center wall, good enough for his team-leading eighth long ball of the season. Jordan Wilkerson got in on the action with a RBI double, scoring Cody Starkel from second. Then Nicholson added a couple more RBI to the scoresheet with a single up the heart of the defense, bringing around Wilkerson and Ryan Grasser. Kaasch earned his first double of the afternoon, plating Nicholson in the process. Kaasch crossed the plate on a Weiss RBI double through the right side.

The Bronchos quickly matched that six-run frame from the Tigers with a six-run inning of their own. UCO regained the lead for good after 5.5 innings, 14-10. UCO tacked on a run in the seventh and a pair of runs in the eighth, making it 17-10 as the Tigers were shut out the rest of the way.

Addison Kaasch had a big day at the plate after reaching base in all six trips to the batter’s box. Kaasch finished the game with one triple, three doubles, a single and a free pass to first. Starkel went 3-for-4 on the afternoon, while Nicholson reached base safely in half of his at-bats (3-for-6).

Smith (1-4) was charged with the loss in the contest. Austin Lambright earned the victory for the Bronchos. The Tigers weren’t able to capitalize in the game as they stranded 12 runners as opposed to the Bronchos six men left on base. There was not a shortage of runs in the clash between the Tigers and Bronchos as the teams combined for 27 runs on 33 hits in the contest.

FHSU will be back in action Tuesday (Mar. 20) as they travel over to Topeka, Kan. to take on Washburn in a mid-week conference clash. First pitch from Falley Field is set for 5 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against MIAA foe Central Oklahoma Saturday afternoon (March 17) at Larks Park. The Tigers dip to 9-14 overall and 1-10 in league play, while the Bronchos are now 17-8 on the year and 9-2 in league action.

Game One: Central Oklahoma 6, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers had plenty of opportunity to score in game one, matching the Bronchos in hits, 8-8. But the FHSU offense could not come up with the timely hits UCO managed, stranding 10 runners on base in the opener. Fort Hays State loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, but a double play and a strikeout brought the rally to a screeching halt.

After the Bronchos took a 2-0 lead on a second inning home run, Fort Hays State closed within one when Addison Kaasch singled home Ryan Grasser.

The potent Broncho offense added two more home runs later in the contest while the Tigers were unable to put another run up on the board through the final seven innings.

Sam Capps (1-2) took the loss for FHSU after allowing six runs on eight hits over five innings of work. The senior struck out four batters on the afternoon. Austin Weiser came out of the bullpen to tame the Bronchos, allowing only two baserunners on walks through four innings of relief.

Kaasch collected three of the eight Tiger hits, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI. Clayton Basgall collected the lone extra-base hit for FHSU, doubling down the left field line in the seventh inning.

Game Two: Central Oklahoma 17, Fort Hays State 6
Fort Hays State fell behind early and could not recover in the nightcap, falling by a final score of 17-6. The Bronchos swatted three home runs before rattling off six hits in the second inning to quickly lead 9-0.

Cody Starkel gave the Tigers their first run with a solo home run to right, closing the gap to 9-1 in the home half of the second. Fort Hays State added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings before pushing across three in the seventh, but UCO tacked on eight runs over the final four innings to secure the win.

Dayton Pomeroy drove in two runs and scored two more, finishing 2-for-4 with two doubles. Starkel added a second RBI later in the game, while Alex Weiss added an RBI on a 2-for-5 effort at the plate.

Ryan Ruder (2-4) took the loss after allowing five runs over 1.1 innings of work on the mound. Roger Kruse came on to silence the Broncho bats for three innings, holding UCO scoreless from the third through the fifth innings. The junior struck out six batters over 4.1 innings of relief, giving up three earned runs on six hits.

The Tigers will look to return to the win column on Sunday (March 18) when FHSU and UCO battle in game three at 1 p.m.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State earned a split in its doubleheader with Lindenwood on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. Lindenwood scored eight runs in the first inning of Game 1 and held on from that point for an 8-6 win, but the Tigers took Game 2 by a score of 7-2 to salvage the split. FHSU moved to 7-19 overall, 3-5 in the MIAA, while Lindenwood went to 14-12 overall, also 3-5 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Lindenwood 8, Fort Hays State 6
Fort Hays State starting pitcher Hailey Chapman struggled with command in the first inning, getting just one out before turning the ball over to Carrie Clarke, who could not get an out against the four batters she faced. Megan Jamison stopped the rally by getting the last two outs of the first, but not before Lindenwood plated all eight of its runs in the game. Chapman was charged with three runs and Clarke with four.

Jamison went on to have one of her best outings of the season in the pitching circle, holding the Lions scoreless for the next six innings. By the end of the game, she allowed just one run on four hits in 6.2 innings of work. She struck out five.

The Tiger offense began to gain momentum in the middle innings, scoring one in the third, two in the fourth, and three in the fifth. Grace Philop put the Tigers on the board in the third with an RBI single. In the fourth, Bailey Kennedy had an RBI double and Tess Gray followed with an RBI single. In the fifth, Gray cleared the bases with a three-RBI double. The Tigers had runners reach second and third in the seventh, but a groundout ended the game.

Lindenwood starter Marina Esparza went 4.2 innings in the circle for Lindenwood, allowing all six runs (two earned). She still picked up the win as Sam Dean came in to earn the save over 2.1 innings of work, allowing just two hits.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 7, Lindenwood 2
Like Game 1, Lindenwood did all of its scoring in the first inning. The Lions plated two runs to gain an early 2-0 lead, but that was all they would get against Sierra Rodriguez, who threw a complete game in the circle for FHSU.

The Tigers started their comeback in the second inning when Bailey Kennedy scored on a wild throw from the Lindenwood centerfielder. Kennedy moved to third on a Sara Breckbill single, but then came in to score after the throw sailed wide of home and to the backstop.

In the third inning, the Tigers jumped in front on a Bailey Boxberger three-run homer to centerfield. Later in the inning, Breckbill had an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-2. The Tigers added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when an error helped extend the inning. Grace Philop had an RBI groundout and Terran Caldwell followed with an RBI single.

Rodriguez settled in over the final six innings and in the end, finished with two runs allowed on seven hits and a walk. She struck out three.

Stormee Galka went the distance for Lindenwood in the circle, allowing seven runs (two earned) on 10 hits. She struck out one.

The Tigers head to Colorado for a pair of midweek doubleheaders on Tuesday (Mar. 20) and Wednesday (Mar. 21). The Tigers are at Metro State on Tuesday and Colorado Christian on Wednesday. The Tigers play another pair of conference doubleheaders in Hays next weekend when they host Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State slugged its way to a doubleheader sweep of Lincoln on Friday afternoon (Mar. 16), winning by scores of 23-5 and 13-5 in run-rule fashion with the wind howling out to centerfield. FHSU improved to 6-18 overall, 2-4 in the MIAA, while Lincoln fell to 3-17 overall, 0-6 in the MIAA.

The 23-5 win by the Tigers in Game 1 was the largest margin of victory in the program’s history, topping a 16-run spread achieved against Adams State in 2004. The Tigers pounded out 40 hits over the doubleheader, 22 in Game 1 and 18 in Game 2.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 23, Lincoln 5
Fort Hays State came up just three runs shy of its single-game record for runs, but posted its largest margin of victory in program history with the spread of 18 runs against Lincoln in a run-rule shortened contest.

A double by Grace Philop and triple by Terran Caldwell set the tone for a seven-run, eight-hit first inning by the Tigers. Caldwell tallied the first RBI of the inning, followed by an RBI single by Bailey Boxberger, RBI double by Veronica Knittig, two-RBI single by Lily Sale, RBI double by Bailey Kennedy, and an RBI single by Philop.

Lincoln put up a single run in the second, but FHSU exploded again for a big offensive inning in the third. The Tigers batted around twice, scoring 14 runs in the inning, and saw their lead grow to 21-1. Kennedy started the scoring parade with an RBI single and another run came around to score on a misplay by the centerfielder. Candace Bollig picked up a sacrifice fly RBI on a dropped fly ball by the outfielder, then the floodgates opened when Boxberger picked up a two-RBI double and Tess Gray hit a two-run home run. That chased Lincoln starter Madison Ragar from the game, who allowed 14 runs (13 earned) in just 2.1 innings of work. Delayne Patton relieved for the Blue Tigers, but did not get help from her defense to end the rally on an error that extended the inning further. Kennedy notched her third RBI of the game with another single, Bollig grabbed an RBI on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, and Boxberger unloaded the bases with a three-RBI double to the gap. Sarah Kay added on a pinch hit RBI single.

Fort Hays State tacked on two more runs in the fourth on an RBI single by Caldwell and RBI double by Bollig. Lincoln scored four runs in the fifth, but it was too little, too late with the run rule coming into effect after five innings.
FHSU starter Hailey Chapman went 4.1 innings to earn the win, moving to 2-10 on the season. She allowed 11 hits and a walk, while striking out five. Four of her five runs allowed were earned. Megan Jamison relieved for the final 0.2 innings, getting a grounder and flyout to end the game.

When the dust settled, Bailey Boxberger had a team-best six RBI for the game, more than doubling her total for the season after entering the day with just five. Bollig joined Kennedy for players with three RBI in the game. Caldwell, Gray, and Sale all finished with two RBI. Philop, Caldwell, and Boxberger all crossed the plate three times, while Kennedy joined the trio as players with three hits in the game.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 13, Lincoln 5
Fort Hays State kept its foot on the gas pedal in Game 2, jumping out to a 10-0 lead through two innings. The Tigers scored three in the first and seven in the second, roughing up Lincoln starter Delayne Patton over just 1.2 innings of work.

Sara Breckbill started the scoring in the first inning with a two-RBI single. Bailey Kennedy followed with an RBI single. In the second inning, Lily Sale started the seven-run rally with a double. She came in to score on a Grace Philop RBI single. A train of six straight hits by the Tigers continued with an RBI single by Terran Caldwell, RBI double by Candace Bollig, RBI double by Bailey Boxberger, and RBI single by Breckbill. Sarah Kay put an exclamation point on the inning with a rocket-shot two-run homer to left center.

Sierra Rodriguez cruised through three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth when she allowed five runs to Lincoln. Megan Jamison came on to get the final out of the inning. With the run-rule shortened game, Rodriguez still captured the win by going at least three innings in the five-inning contest. She allowed five runs on six hits with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work. Jamison finished the game, allowing two hits and a walk in 1.1 innings of work, while also striking out three.

Boxberger capped her eight-RBI afternoon between the games with a solo home run to open the bottom of the fourth. Later in the inning, Veronica Knittig picked up a pinch hit RBI single. The Tigers were able to force the run rule in the bottom of the fifth when Kennedy roped an RBI single to right field with the bases loaded. Kennedy finished the afternoon 6-for-7 at the plate. Sale finished the day 4-for-5 at the dish between the two games.

The Tigers will host Lindenwood in another conference doubleheader on Saturday (Mar. 17), starting at 12 pm. Lindenwood dropped a pair of games to Nebraska-Kearney on Friday.

HAYS, Kan. – The Hays High softball team opened their 2018 campaign with a couple of wins over Goodland at the Glassman Ballpark. The Indians scored 11 runs in the first two innings and rolled to a 14-0 win in game one. They scored scored two in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie then added five in the sixth and won the second contest 8-1.

The Indians travel to Andover Tuesday for games with McPherson and Andover.

Game 1: Hays 14, Goodland 0 (5 innings)
Kaitlyn Brown, Mackenzie Fagan and Calista Isbell all had two hits with Isbell driving in three runs. Fagan, Cassidy Prough, Shyann Schmumacher and Reanna Harman all drove in two runs.

Brown struck out ten and walked two without allowing a hit in 4 1/3 innings and picked up the win.

Game 2: Hays 8, Goodland 1
Macee Altman’s fifth inning RBI single broke a 1-1 tie. Jaysa Wichers singled home Altman to give HHS a 3-1 lead. The Indians would blow the game open with a five-run sixth. Kaitlyn Brown had three hits and scored two runs. Altman had two hits and drove in three. Kaitlyn Brown had two RBIs.

Jaysa Wichers allowed one run on four hits with 14 strikeouts and four walks in the complete game win.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team fell behind early Wednesday (March 14) against Rockhurst and were unable to bounce back, falling 17-3 in seven innings. The Tigers are now 9-12 on the year while the Hawks improve to 5-7 this season.

The Hawks got the bats going early and often, scoring in all but one inning and pushing across multiple runs in four frames. Fort Hays State was outhit in the contest, 15-6.

Trailing 3-0, Dayton Pomeroy temporarily put the Tigers within two with a solo home run in the top of the second, the senior’s seventh long ball of the season.

The Tigers put together a bit of a rally in the top of the sixth, collecting four of their six hits in the frame. Singles from Alex Weiss, Cody Starkel and Ryan Grasser loaded the bases before Jonathan Mariani stepped up to the dish as a pinch hitter. The senior came through with a two-RBI double down the left field line, making the score 16-3.

Pomeroy picked up two of the Tigers’ six hits on the afternoon, adding a leadoff single in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Ruder (2-3) took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits over 1.1 innings, striking out a pair.

Fort Hays State will return to Larks Park and MIAA play this weekend when Central Oklahoma makes the trip to Hays. The three-game series begins at 5 p.m. Friday (March 16).

HAYS, Kan. – In their second-consecutive home match in as many days, the Fort Hays State women’s tennis team fell in an 8-1 contest to Washburn. The Tigers now own a 6-5 record, alongside a 1-3 MIAA mark.

The lone win for FHSU came in doubles play as the Tiger duo of Nicole Lubbers and Laura Jimenez-Lendinez took down the Ichabod team of Makenna Gonzales and Ally Burr at a score of 8-3. In the other double matches, Natalie Lubberrs and Ellea Ediger dropped an 8-2 match to Alexis Czapinski and Logan Morrissey. The decisive match in doubles went to Alysha Nowacki and Jacquell Engelbrecht as they defeated Macy Moyers and Lauren Lindell 8-4.

Singles play was all Ichabods, led by Czapinski in the No. 1 spot claiming a 6-2, 6-1 win over Natalie Lubbers. Jimenez-Lendinez dropped a 6-4, 6-4 match to Morrissey, while Moyers fell 6-1, 6-3 to Engelbrecht. Ediger claimed a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Nowacki, and Lindell was slipped up by Madison Lysaught in a three-set match, 7-5, 5-7, 10-4. Nicole Lubbers took the loss to Gonzales 6-4, 6-3.

The Tigers get over a week off to get back into the season as they take on a Missouri road trip with a match at Northwest Missouri State on March 24 (Saturday), followed by Missouri Western for a 10 a.m. tilt on Sunday (March 25).

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State hosted a Pro Day at the Schmidt/Bickle Indoor Training Facility Monday with scouts from nearly 15 NFL teams on hand to see NFL Draft hopeful Nathan Shepherd work on specific defensive drills, while also taking measurements for FHSU senior kicker Brandon Brown.

Nathan Shepherd

Brown, along with senior long snapper Reid Buckingham from Emporia State, performed measurable tests for scouts. Brown went on to have a successful performance kicking field goals outdoors from several distances.

Shepherd did not perform any tests that are measurable since he already put up tremendous numbers in the NFL Combine just over a week ago. Rather, he performed specific defensive lineman drills for a few NFL defensive line coaches on hand along with the scouts. Shepherd worked out for about 15-20 minutes before talking with local media invited to the session.

Fort Hays State also had four juniors participate in Pro Day drills, potentially grabbing the attention of scouts for next year.

Below are Shepherd’s NFL Combine numbers…
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 315
Arms: 32 3/8″
Hands: 10 1/8″
40-Yard Dash: 5.09 seconds
Vertical Jump: 31 inches
Broad Jump: 112.0 inches
3 Cone Drill: 7.5 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.53 seconds

There has been plenty of buzz surrounding Nathan Shepherd throughout the NFL community since his breakout performance at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and then his solid performance at the NFL Combine. His prospect grade of 5.64 at the NFL Combine projects him with a chance to become a starter in the NFL.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team could not keep up with No. 7 Central Missouri Sunday (March 11), falling 11-6 in the series finale. The Tigers move to 9-11 on the year and 1-8 in MIAA play while the Mules are now 16-3 overall and 8-1 in conference contests.

The Tigers outhit UCM for the second time this weekend, 11-9, but the Mules took advantage of eight walks.

Freshman Dawson Sramek had his best outing so far this season at the dish, collecting three hits, including one double. Dayton Pomeroy drove in three of the six runs, including two on one swing of the bat in the form of his sixth home run of the season.

Central Missouri jumped in front with two runs in the first inning, but the Tigers quickly tied things up with two runs of their own. Alex Weiss punched a two-out single through the right side before Pomeroy crushed a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left, placing him in a tie for third in the MIAA in homers this season.

The Mules tacked on four more runs over the next three innings, but Fort Hays State got all four back in the bottom of the fifth to tie things up once again, 6-6. The Tigers got things going at the plate, collecting five hits in the inning, all singles. Marcus Altman, Sramek and Addison Kaasch all singled to open the inning, loading the bases for Clayton Basgall. The shortstop kept the line moving with a single of his own, driving in one run. Weiss drove in the next run with a fielder’s choice before Pomeroy added his third RBI of the afternoon with a single to left. Weiss later tied things up when he came in to score on a wild pitch, allowing Pomeroy to advance to third with just one out. Central Missouri got out of the jam without falling behind, striking out the next two batters to escape with the score tied.

The Tigers allowed five runs over the next two innings, allowing UCM to begin to pull away. The Tigers had runners reach base in the sixth and seventh frames, but the Mule bullpen finished the final five innings with 10 strikeouts and only three hits.

Sam Capps made the start for the Tigers, striking out a pair while allowing six runs on six hits over four innings of work. Tanner Smith (1-3) took the loss after allowing four runs over 2.1 innings of relief. Cody Rottinghaus came on to finish things off on the rubber, striking out three and allowing just two baserunners over the final 2.2 innings.

The Tigers will hit the road for one midweek game before returning to Larks Park for MIAA play next weekend, taking on Rockhurst in Kansas City, Mo. on Wednesday (March 14) at 4 p.m.

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State fell twice at the hands of Central Oklahoma on Saturday (Mar. 10) in an MIAA doubleheader. The Tigers dropped all four games over the weekend to start conference play. FHSU is now 4-18 overall, 0-4 in the MIAA, while Central Oklahoma improved to 17-7 overall, 7-1 in the MIAA.

Central Oklahoma 2, Fort Hays State 0

Two runs in the second inning for Central Oklahoma accounted for all of the scoring in the first game of the doubleheader. A two-out RBI single by Lexy Dobson and a bases loaded walk by Carrie Abrams was all the Bronchos needed as the Tigers went scoreless for a third consecutive game to open MIAA play.

The Tigers scratched out six hits against UCO starter Jayden Chestnut, who threw a complete game with two strikeouts. She did not allow a walk. The Tigers had runners reach second base in four innings, but never found a timely hit to drive in a run. Bailey Boxberger and Veronica Knittig each went 2-for-3 at the plate in the game.

Hailey Chapman took another tough loss in the pitching circle, allowing only five hits while walking two and striking out one.

Central Oklahoma 10, Fort Hays State 5

Central Oklahoma jumped out to an 8-0 lead through two innings, but the Tigers were able to avoid the run rule by plating four runs in the fifth to cut the lead in half. Another run by the Tigers in the sixth cut the lead to three, but the Bronchos tacked on two more in the bottom half of the inning and won the second game 10-5.

Tiger starting pitcher Sierra Rodriguez lasted only 1.1 innings before turning the ball over to Hailey Chapman, who relieved the remainder of the game. Rodriguez allowed seven runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout. Chapman allowed one run to the Bronchos in her first inning of relief, but then held them at bay until the two runs in the sixth. Chapman allowed eight hits and a walk, while striking out one.

An error by UCO helped trigger the four-run fifth inning for the Tigers. A ball put in play by Terran Caldwell was mishandled and a run scored from second on the play. Candace Bollig drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and later Bailey Kennedy knocked in two with a double. In the sixth, Bollig drove in another run with a single, but a double play ended any further threat from the Tigers.

Central Oklahoma starting pitcher Lauren Gibson went 5.0 innings in her winning effort, allowing five runs (three earned) on 10 hits with a walk and two strikeouts. JoBi Heath pitched the final 2.0 innings for a save, allowing two hits to go with a strikeout.

The Tigers are back at home next Friday (Mar. 16) when they host Lincoln University at 2 pm.

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Four Tigers were sent to the Division II National Championships, and four Tigers are coming back with All-American honors. Dean Cronin, Brett Meyer, Sam Dreiling and Jake Morrow all earned the honors after finishing in the top-12 at the championships. The 2018 National Championships were hosted at Pittsburg State University this past weekend.

Meyer kicked off the All-American finishes by coming in second place in the men’s mile with a 4:13.60 mark in the event. This improved Meyer’s 2017 finish which he placed fifth in the event. Cronin also captured a second place finish with his time of 1:48.89 in the 800-meter run. This was Cronin’s first indoor All-American status. Cronin both achieved a personal record and broke the FHSU school record with this time.

On field events, both pole vaulters Morrow and Dreiling finished in the top-12. Morrow finished in sixth place with a mark of 16 feet, 10 ¾ inches. Morrow’s mark ties the school record. Dreiling finished close behind in eighth place with his height of 16 feet, 6 ¾ inches.

As a team, the Tigers earned 20 team points to finish in a three-way tie for 11th place.