Results

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Tennis ran its win streak to eight matches with a 6-3 win over McPherson College on Tuesday at the FHSU Tennis Courts in the first home match of the spring. The Tigers swept doubles play, then split singles matches with the Bulldogs to secure the win. FHSU is now 8-2 overall, while McPherson went to 1-2.

The Tigers were able to hold off the Bulldogs in all three doubles matches. The No. 1 match was the closest as Natalie Lubbers and Lauren Lindell won 8-6 over Zipf and Bwalya. The No. 2 team of Laura Jimenez-Lendinez and Macy Moyers notched an 8-4 win over Bouwmeester and Striegel, while the No. 3 team of Nicole Lubbers and Jessica Johnson won 8-3 over Curtis and Hoffman.

In single play, the Lubbers sisters and Moyers notched wins. Natalie Lubbers won at No. 2 over Besa Bwalya in three sets, 6-2, 6-7, 10-4. Moyers took the No. 4 match in straight sets 6-0, 7-5 over Lea Striegel. Nicole Lubbers won 6-3, 6-4 over Madison Hoffman at the No. 5 position. Lindell dropped a hard-fought three set match at the No. 3 position, falling in the final set 11-9.

The Tigers open MIAA play this weekend as they welcome Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma to Hays. The match with NSU on Friday begins at 11 am, while the match Saturday with UCO starts at 10 am.

POTTSBORO, Texas – Fort Hays State Women’s Golf opened the spring portion of its 2016-17 schedule on Monday and Tuesday (Mar. 6-7) at the Lion Invitational at Tanglewood Resort, hosted by Texas A&M-Commerce. The Tigers finished 13th in the team standings out of the 16 teams competing.

Hannah Perkins led the way for FHSU with a total score of 178, shooting rounds of 90 and 88 to tie for 41st. Madison Roether had the lowest round of the tournament for FHSU with an 87, then followed with a 95 for a 182 total. Taylor DeBoer carded 92 and 94, Kelsey McCarthy shot 94 and 93, and Kylie McCarthy posted 95 each day.

Imkaleen Meyer of Newman University set the pace winning individually by four strokes at a total of 155. St. Mary’s University (Texas) won the team title with a two-day total of 649. Newman was close behind at 653. Fort Hays State shot a total of 733 as a team over two days.

The women return to action in two weeks at the Holiday Inn Express MWSU Spring Invitational in St. Joseph, Mo. (Mar. 20-21).

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State head baseball coach Steve Johnson has announced a change in the weekend trip to play Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo. The three-game MIAA series will now begin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 before a doubleheader starts at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 10. Live stats and live video will be available for all three games.

The Tigers enter the weekend 7-10 on the year and 1-5 in conference play after taking one of three games against Central Oklahoma last weekend, while the Bearcats are 9-6 overall and 1-5 in the league after getting swept by Missouri Western their last time out.

Fort Hays State holds a 22-11 edge in the all-time series with the Bearcats, including a 10-8 margin in games played in Bolivar. However, SBU has won six of the last seven meetings. The series began in 2007 when the Tigers joined the MIAA.

Dayton Pomeroy continues to lead the team with a .350 batting average, totaling 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBI. The Tigers have 16 home runs as a team, fourth most in the MIAA. Sam Capps leads the Tiger starters with a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings of work, while Cole Schumacher has yet to give up a run out of the pen and Clayton Basgall has a 1.69 ERA to go along with three saves.

The Bearcats are hitting .330 as a team, ranking fourth in the league. Their team ERA is last in the league at 7.57, giving up 10 or more runs seven times so far this season. Jovany Urbieta and Hunter Hisky are both batting .418 with 23 hits so far this season, tying for the team lead with six doubles each.

FHSU Sports Information

EDMOND, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team held on to defeat Central Oklahoma Sunday afternoon, 8-7, salvaging the finale of the three-game set. The Tigers gave up an early lead before going back on top with a two-out rally in the sixth and held on down the stretch to secure their first conference win and first win away from Larks Park this season.

Fort Hays State improved to 7-10 on the year and 1-5 in MIAA play while the Bronchos dip to 12-3 overall and 4-2 in the league after their first home loss of the season.

The Tigers jumped in front early for the second day in a row, putting up three runs in the top of the first. Ty Lanfermen and Nick Hammeke both worked walks to open the contest and moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt from  Lanferman. Dayton Pomeroy then reached on an error, allowing Redington to come around and score. Clayton Basgall followed with a double down the left field line in the next at bat, plating a pair after the left fielder mishandled the ball.

The day ended early for the UCO starter, who faced seven batters and recorded just two outs. Fort Hays State had trouble solving Broncho reliever J.D. Cameron, who retired the first 10 batters he faced.

The Bronchos took the lead during the FHSU dry spell, scoring five runs in the second inning behind a grand slam and adding another run in the third. Tiger starter Alex Ruxlow (3-3) got into a groove after the shaky second inning, giving up just three hits and one walk over the next five innings. The junior ultimately turned in seven strong innings, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six, including three-straight punch-outs to open the game in the bottom of the first.

Fort Hays State finally got to Cameron the second time through the lineup, with Jace Bowman doubling to left to lead off the top of the fifth. The Tigers manufactured a run after Redington laid down a sacrifice bunt and Hammeke grounded out to short, making the score 6-4.

Cameron appeared to be back in control after inducing a pair of groundouts to open the sixth inning, but the Tigers put together a big two-out rally to take back the lead for good. Trevor Hughes singled to center before Bryce Witchuurch lifted a home run to center, tying things up at six. Bowman kept it going with a single before Redington followed with a home run of his own, putting the Tigers back in front 8-6.

The Tigers went to the bullpen after Ruxlow completed the seventh inning, calling on Easton Palmer. After the Bronchos scored a run on a double and a pair of Tiger errors, Basgall shifted from second base to the mound to try to finish things off. After forcing his first batter to pop up, Basgall picked off a runner to clear the bases. The junior completed the inning with his lone strikeout of the afternoon.

Central Oklahoma had one runner reach base in the ninth on an error, but the tying run was stranded at second when Basgall worked a pair of groundouts to secure his third save of the season.

Bowman turned in his first multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. In addition to collecting the save, Basgall doubled twice and drove in one run. Redington went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI after crushing his first home run of the season. Witchurch’s long ball was his first of the year as well, driving in two.

The Tigers will wrap up a 10-game road swing when they return to action next weekend against Southwest Baptist (March 10-12). The three-game set will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday from Bolivar, Mo.

FHSU Sports Information

EDMOND, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team jumped out to an early lead, but a late-inning rally by Central Oklahoma gave the Bronchos a 13-6 victory Saturday afternoon. The Tigers put up three runs in the first inning and led 6-2 in the middle of the fifth, but UCO put up 11 runs in the final four innings to steal the win.

The Tigers move to 6-10 on the year and 0-5 in league play after the loss, while Central Oklahoma is now 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the MIAA.

Ty Redington drew a walk to open the contest before a pitch hit Jake Lanferman two batters later. Clayton Basgall made Broncho starter Tyler Culver pay for the miscues with a two-out, three-run home run to center field.

The Bronchos responded with a run in the first and another in the second before FHSU padded its lead back to three with a pair of unearned runs in the third inning. Redington reached on a fielding error to open the frame before a double from Nick Hammeke put two runners in scoring position. Lanferman was then hit by a pitch for the second time to load the bases before the next two Tigers struck out swinging. Trevor Hughes came through with two outs, knocking a solid single to left to score Redington and Hammeke and put the Tigers in front 5-2.

Fort Hays State extended the lead to 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning after Hammeke worked a leadoff walk. Lanferman followed with a single to center before Dayton Pomeroy moved them up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt. Basgall picked up his fourth RBI of the afternoon when he lifted a sacrifice fly to left.

The Tigers struggled against the UCO bullpen, reaching base just once on a walk in the final five innings.

Basgall drove in four runs and scored another after his second home run of the season. Hammeke picked up his fifth double of the season and scored twice. Lanferman reached in three of his four plate appearances. Hughes collected the fourth and final Tiger hit, knocking in two runs and finishing 1-for-4. Redington scored a pair of runs despite not collecting a hit.

Sam Capps started the game for FHSU, allowing eight hits and five runs in 4.1 innings of work. The junior struck out nine Broncho batters, matching the most in a game for the Tigers this season. Easton Palmer (1-1) took the loss after giving up two runs in just 0.2 innings on the mound.

The Tigers will look to salvage one win in the series finale Sunday (March 5) at noon.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State fell behind 11-0 over the first 3 1/2 minutes and could never catch up as they lost their MIAA Tournament quarterfinal round game with Missouri Southern 76-67 Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights

MSSU (18-11) shot 61-percent in the first half including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc in building a 15-point halftime lead. The Tigers (18-11) scored the first eight points of the second half to pull within seven, but would get no closer as they shot 33-percent for the game and only 2-of-13 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Rob Davis finished with 20 points to lead the Tigers who lost for the first time to the Lions in the MIAA Tournament in five tries. Kyler Kinnamon scored nine points and dished out seven assists with three steals and no turnovers. Hadley Gillum, who fouled out with over seven minutes to play, finished with nine points. Brady Werth had a team best seven rebounds.

MIAA Freshman of the Year Elyjah Clark led MSSU with 20 points, 16 of them in the first half on 5-of-6 three-point shooting.

Results

SALINA, Kan. – Fort Hays State Tennis ran its win streak dating back to the fall portion of the season to seven matches on Wednsday (Mar. 1) with an 8-1 win at Kansas Wesleyan. Just like the spring opener a few days earlier, the Tigers won all doubles matches and five of six singles matches.

The Tigers surrendered just two points in doubles play. The No. 1 team of Natalie Lubbers and Lauren Lindell won 8-1 over Torres and Bower. The No. 2 team of Laura Jimenez-Lendinez and Macy Moyers won by the same count over Sanchez and Bearrick. The No. 3 team of Nicole Lubbers and Taylor Noel blanked Andrews and Lantz 8-0.

The Tigers posted shutouts in eight of 10 sets played by the No. 2 through No. 6 positions in singles. Natalie Lubbers (No. 2), Lindell (No. 3), and Haley Weidemann (No. 6) all shutout their opponents in straight sets. Moyers and Nicole Lubbers surrendered just one point each. Jimenez-Lendinez fell in the No. 1 singles match to Itzi Torres by a score of 7-5, 4-6, 10-7.

FHSU plays at home for the first time this spring season on Tuesday, March 7 at 2 pm against McPherson College.

FHSU Sports Information

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team raced out to an 8-0 lead then went on a 23-4 run to build a 30-point halftime lead and cruised to an 83-46 win over Missouri Southern in the first round of the MIAA Tournament Tuesday night at Gross Coliseum. With the win, the Tigers (22-7) advance to the quarterfinals where they will play Emporia State Friday at noon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Nikola Kacperska Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

FHSU held the Lions (12-17) to five made baskets in the first half and 24-percent for the game. The Tigers shot 52-percent for the game and hit 10 of their 14 3-pointers in the first half.

Nikola Kacperska hit all six of her 3-pointers in the first half and led the Tigers with 18 points. Madison Mittie hit three 3-pointers and scored 15. Jill Faxon added 10 points as the Tigers finish up the season 14-1 at home.

Desirea Buerge was the only Lion to reach double-figures, scoring 17 points.

ALVA, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team came away on the wrong end of a shootout with Northwestern Oklahoma State Tuesday afternoon inside Myers Stadium, 17-6. The teams combined for 30 hits, 10 extra-base hits and three home runs.

The loss moves the Tigers to 6-8 on the season as they remain winless away from Larks Park (0-7). The Rangers improve to 5-11 overall, ending a three-game skid. The win gives NWOSU the season series victory over Fort Hays State, improving to 3-0 against the Tigers in 2017. The teams will meet once more this year, this time in Hays on March 22.

The Tigers were playing from behind all afternoon after Pat Delano crushed a three-run shot over the fence in left in the bottom of the first. The Rangers scored in bunches all afternoon, putting up four runs in the second, six in the fifth and three more in the seventh inning.

Fort Hays State had baserunners in all but one inning, stranding 14 on base for the afternoon. The Tigers went without a run in the first after loading the bases with no outs before leaving a runner on third in the second. The Tigers finally got on the board in the third when Nick Hammeke lifted a one-out double to left center. Jake Lanferman reached on error, bringing Dayton Pomeroy to the dish. The junior demolished a no-doubter over the fence to close the gap to 7-3. Clayton Basgall followed with a triple over the center fielder’s head before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Cody Starkel. The Tigers hit for the cycle as a team in the inning after Jared Bogosian singled to left later in the frame.

The Tigers added a run in the fifth on a pair of errors by the Rangers. Ryan Imber reached on a fielding error by the third baseman before Ty Redington sent a routine grounder to the pitcher. The Ranger hurler chucked the ball down the right field line, allowing Imber to score from first.

The visitors picked up two more runs with a two-out rally in the seventh. Imber singled before Redington drew a walk. Hammeke picked up his fourth hit of the afternoon to knock in Imber before Lanferman came through with his third single, scoring Redington.

Hammeke finished the day with a career-high four hits, including two doubles, one run and one RBI. Lanferman finished 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI while Pomeroy was 2-for-5 with one run and three driven in. In total eight of the nine Tigers to start the game picked up at least one hit, while all nine reached base.

Alex Ruxlow (1-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings. Easton Palmer came on and retired eight-straight batters before the Ranger offense figured him out the second time through the lineup, ultimately surrendering five runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of work. Cole Schumacher did not give up a run in 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing two hits while striking out one.

The Tigers will head back to the Sooner State this weekend (March 3-5) to face off with Central Oklahoma in a three-game MIAA series. First pitch in Friday’s contest is set for 2 p.m. in Edmond.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. – Hadley Gillum recorded his fourth straight 20-point game and Fort Hays State closed on a 13-5 run after Northeastern State tied the game with 3:35 to play and the Tigers held off the upset-minded RiverHawks 61-53 Monday night at Gross Coliseum to advance to the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City.

The Tigers (18-10), who hit six of their eight free throw attempts in the final minute, held the RiverHawks (5-23) to nine points over the final eight minutes.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Hadley Gillum Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers struggled to get separation from the RiverHawks the entire second half, never leading by more than five until the final two minutes of the game. NSU gained the lead once at the 8:08 mark, but Trey O’Neil answered with a 3-pointer with 4:48 which gave the Tigers the lead back.

Tied 48-48 with 3:35 to play, the Tigers went on a 7-0 run, triggered by a pair of baskets from JaQuan Smith and Hadley Gillum to push the margin to six with 1:37 to play. .

Hadley Gillum led the Tigers with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Rob Davis, who earlier in the day was named to the All-MIAA first team for the second straight year, scored 12 as did Trey O’Neil. JaQuan Smith chipped in with 10.

Tanner Mouse led the RiverHawks with 14 points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball had three players named to the All-MIAA Team on Monday. Senior guard Rob Davis was a repeat first team selection, while junior forward Hadley Gillum and senior forward JaQuan Smith were honorable mention picks. Smith was also named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team.

Davis earns the repeat first-team nod as one of the top scorers in NCAA Division II throughout the season, currently averaging 21.9 points per game. He has reached at least 30 points in eight games this year and at least 20 points in 16 games. He reached double figures in 24 of 27 regular season games and has a total of 590 points this season. Davis produced a career-high 42 points at Emporia State on February 1, tying the sixth-highest scoring performance in school history. He became the 19^th player in school history to reach 1,000 points, passing the mark in early February, then passed 2,000 points for his entire collegiate career this past Thursday (Feb. 23).

Gillum earns the first All-MIAA honor of his career with the honorable mention nod. He ranks 15^th in the conference in scoring at 13.4 points per game and 11^th in rebounding at 6.3 per game. He has scored in double figures 17 times this year and reached 20 or more in a game seven times, including a career-high 27 points at Central Oklahoma. He has five double-doubles in points and rebounds to his credit this year as well.

In his only season with the Tigers, Smith earns both All-MIAA Honorable Mention and MIAA All-Defensive Team honors. Coaches voted Smith as one of five players on the all-defensive team. He ranks sixth in the MIAA in rebounding at 6.6 per game and sixth in blocked shots at 1.2 per game. He ranks third in scoring for FHSU at 7.9 points per game. Smith has three double-doubles in points and rebounds this season, reaching a season-high 17 points against Lincoln and 13 rebounds at Northeastern State. He blocked two or more shots in a game 11 times this year and has a total of 33 for the season.

2016-17 All-MIAA Men’s Basketball Team

Player of the Year
Justin Pitts, G, Jr., NWMSU

Defensive Player of the Year
Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU

Freshman of the Year
Elyjah Clark, F, Fr., MSSU

Coach of the Year
Ben McCollum, NWMSU

All-MIAA First Team
Justin Pitts, G, Jr., NWMSU**$
Rob Davis, G, Sr., FHSU %
Anthony Virdure, G, Sr., LU
Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU
Trey Lansman, C, Jr., UNK
**Unanimous Selection
% Two time repeat First Team Selection
$ Three time repeat First Team Selection

All-MIAA Second Team
Spencer Reaves, G, Jr., UCM
CJ Carr, G, Jr., MSSU
Zach Schneider, F, Sr., NWMSU
Chandler Diekvoss, F, So., LWU
Corbin Byford, F, Sr., UCO

All-MIAA Third Team
Jaylon Smith, G, Sr., LU
Chris Ebou-Ndow, G, Jr., NWMSU
Brandon Hall, G, So., ESU
Kyle Wolfe, F, Sr., UCM
Logan Hovey, F, Jr., SBU

All-Defensive Team
Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU
Marquiez Lawrence, F, Sr., UCM
JaQuan Smith, F, Sr, FHSU
Bakari Triggs, G, Jr., LWU
Chris Ebou-Ndow, G, Jr., NWMSU

Honorable Mention All-MIAA
Marquiez Lawrence, UCM
Jake Hammond, UCO
Josh Holiday, UCO
Josh Pedersen, ESU
JaQuan Smith, FHSU
Hadley Gillium, FHSU
Jackson Price, LWU
Elyjah Clark, MSSU
JJ Cratit, MSSU
Lawrence Brown, MSSU
Cole Clearman, MWSU
Yashua Trent, UNK
Isaiah MaKay, UNK
Ty Danielson, UNK
Montre’ Williams, NSU
Anthony Woods, NWMSU
DeVonte Mosby, NWMSU
Javion Blake, WU
Brian Patterson, SBU