FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State head softball coach Adrian Pilkington has announced the signing of six student-athletes that will join the team for the 2020 season. This year’s signing class includes three freshmen and three transfers.

Loren Beggs joins the Tigers from Olathe Northwest High School in Olathe, Kan., the 2017 Kansas 6A State Champions. Beggs has helped the Ravens to the state semifinals as the starting third baseman each of the last three years, winning the title in 2017 before finishing runner-up last season. She was an all-conference selection and earned honorable mention All-State accolades.

Kyla Etter comes to Hays to serve in a pitcher/utility role from Eudora High School in Eudora, Kan. Etter earned 4A first team All-State honors as a pitcher after her junior season in 2018. She has been listed on the Lawrence Journal World All-Area team each of the last two seasons and has been named an all-conference honoree after each of the last three years. Etter led the Cardinals to a 17-5 record and a trip to the regional championship as a junior in 2018.

Haley Fox is the first of three transfers, joining the Tigers after two seasons at Colby (Kan.) Community College. Fox was an all-conference and all-region selection as a freshman infielder with the Trojans, batting .316 with 31 RBI and 15 extra base knocks. The shortstop ranked second on the team with five home runs and legged out a team-best two triples while appearing in 51 games. The Colorado Springs, Colo. native was a standout at Mesa Ridge High School, earning four all-conference selections, three Colorado Springs Metro League gold gloves and one CSML Most Valuable Player award.

Mahealani Haegele will also transfer to FHSU from Colby (Kan.) Community College. Haegele appeared in 30 games as a pitcher last season, making 26 starts for the Trojans and earning all-conference and all-region honors. She led the team with 80 strikeouts and ranked second on the pitching staff with 128.1 innings pitched and a 3.38 ERA. She made just one error in 69 chances in the field, posting a fielding percentage of .986. A native of Richland, Mich., Haegele was a two-time all-conference selection at Liberty High School.

Lexi Kagan is the third transfer from Colby (Kan.) Community College that will join the Tigers next season. Kagan also picked up all-conference and all-region accolades as a freshman, playing in 52 of the Trojans’ 53 games. She ranked third on the team with 163 at bats, compiling a batting average of .366 while posting a .422 on-base percentage. The infielder ranked third on the team with 60 base knocks and 38 RBI while stealing 10 bases on the year. Kagan hails from Castle Rock, Colo., where she was an all-state selection and earned three all-conference honors at Castle View High School.

Kristen Reed heads to FHSU from Fort Collins, Colo. where she earned numerous accolades as a first baseman/outfielder at Fossil Ridge High School. Reed earned a trio of all-conference selections while being named all-state honorable mention. She appeared in 83 games as a SaberCat, posting a .482 batting average, a .572 OBP, 122 hits, 89 RBI and 116 runs scored. Reed helped Fossil Ridge to four consecutive state tournaments, finishing second in the state in 2017 while reaching the state semifinals in 2015 and 2016. She was high school teammates with current Tigers Grace Philop and Megan Jamison.

FHSU Athletics

The No. 11 ranked Fort Hays State men’s soccer team gets set for the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championships this week with a matchup against No. 20 ranked Barry University on Thursday morning. The Tigers enter at 17-2-1 overall, while the Buccaneers enters the contest at 15-4-2. Kickoff is set to commence at 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) inside Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Fort Hays State enters the match riding a 14-match winning streak and a 15-match unbeaten slate. The Tigers won their second-consecutive MIAA championship in 2018 after finishing the regular season conference schedule an impressive 8-0. It was the first perfect record in the MIAA’s history (since 2012). The Tigers earned a spot among the final four teams after defeating Ohio Valley 2-0 in the national quarterfinal match. Fort Hays State earned its fourth central region championship within five years after defeating No. 19 ranked Northeastern State, 3-0.

Barry made its way to the national semifinal by upsetting No. 10 ranked Spring Hill College in the South Region Semifinal, 4-1. They then picked up another upset victory, this time over No. 24 ranked Lynn University in the South Region Championship. The Buccaneers and Fighting Knights were scoreless at the end of regulation and both overtime periods, before Barry defeated Lynn 4-2 in penalty kicks. In the National Quarterfinal against No. 8 ranked Lander University, the Buccaneers held off the Bearcats 2-1 to earn their third trip as one of the final four teams in team history.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals claimed Conner Greene off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals and designated fellow right-hander Burch Smith for assignment on Monday.

The 23-year-old Greene spent last season at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, going 4-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 40 appearances. He also made nine relief appearances for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, where the Royals got a close look at him.

Smith was acquired during last year’s winter meeting draft. He went 1-6 with a 6.92 ERA in 38 games for Kansas City, making six starts in spot duty last season

DENVER (AP) – Nose tackle Shelby Harris picked off Ben Roethlisberger’s 2-yard pass to Antonio Brown in the end zone with 1:03 remaining to seal Denver’s 24-17 win over Pittsburgh that snapped the Steelers’ six-game winning streak Sunday.

The Broncos (5-6) used four takeaways to counter a 97-yard touchdown toss from Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Roethlisberger was 41 of 56 for 462 yards, but he was intercepted twice and the Steelers (7-3-1) lost two fumbles in losing for the first time since September.

Phillip Lindsay rushed for 110 yards and the game-deciding touchdown on just 14 carries for Denver, which also ended the Chargers’ six-game winning streak last week and would have snapped Houston’s five-game roll were it not for a missed field goal as time expired.

Cornerback Bradley Roby and safety Darian Stewart were burned on Smith-Schuster’s long touchdown grab, but they made up for it when they teamed up on the final play of the third quarter for Denver’s third takeaway.

Roby forced James Connor to cough up the football after a 23-yard gain and Stewart recovered it at the Denver 21.

The Broncos then went 79 yards in 11 plays with Lindsay taking it in from 2 yards to break a 17-17 tie.

Earlier in the third quarter, Roethlisberger was backed up into his own end zone after the Broncos downed a punt at the 3, and he was knocked down by Harris as he uncorked the pass.

Smith-Schuster, who raced past Roby, hauled it in at the Pittsburgh 35, then evaded Roby and Stewart the rest of the way, finally shoving Stewart to the ground in front of the Broncos’ bench before running into the end zone to break a 10-10 halftime tie.

The Broncos tied it at 17 on Case Keenum’s 5-yard strike to Emmanuel Sanders two plays after Chris Harris Jr. intercepted a pass intended for Brown at the Steelers 43.

Brown, who burned Denver for 189 yards the previous time he played them, finished with just 67 yards on nine catches this time. Smith-Schuster got 189 yards this time, on 13 catches.

Roethlisberger had 25 completions by halftime, the most in the first half in the regular season by a Steelers QB since 1960, but it took a fake field goal for Pittsburgh to reach the end zone.

Kicker Chris Boswell threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to left tackle Alejandro Villanueva to tie it at 10.

Boswell took the direct snap and threw a perfect pass to a wide-open Villanueva – who was a receiver and tight end at Army and became the first Steelers O-lineman to catch a touchdown pass since Ray Pinney did it against the Browns in 1983.

The Steelers frittered away a shot at 10 more points in the first half.

Justin Simmons blocked Boswell’s 48-yard field goal attempt and safety Will Parks punched away the football just as tight end Xavier Grimble was about to score on a 24-yard catch-and-run. The ball went out of bounds in the end zone for a touchback.

INJURIES

Steelers: T.J. Watt left in the first quarter with a wrist injury, but returned after halftime. … TE Vance McDonald left in the third quarter with a hip injury, but returned in the fourth.

Broncos: CB Tramaine Brock hurt his ribs tackling Smith-Schuster in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, TE Jeff Heuerman (back) and OLB Shaq Barrett (hip) left the game.

UP NEXT

Steelers: Return home to host Chargers in another prime-time matchup.

Broncos: Travel to Cincinnati to face the league’s worst defense.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Freshman Erik Stevenson came off the bench to score a career-high 21 points and Wichita State rolled to a 90-61 victory over Rice on Sunday.

Stevenson sank 4 of 8 3-pointers and added five rebounds for the Shockers (3-3). Markis McDuffie had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists and Jaime Echenique scored 14. McDuffie came in averaging 21.6 points per game and needs 25 points to become the 47th Shocker to top 1,000 career points. Dexter Dennis scored 11 with six boards.

Wichita State shot 53 percent from the floor (18 of 34) to take a 49-24 halftime lead. The Owls (3-4) got no closer than 17 points after intermission.

Jack Williams and reserve Chris Mullins scored 12 points apiece to pace Rice. Mullins had 10 points in the first half, hitting both of his 3-point attempts while his teammates missed all 13-shot attempts from distance.

It was the second meeting between the schools and the first in 70 years. Rice beat the Shockers 72-66 in 1949. At the time it was the most points Wichita State had scored in a game.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — David Montgomery ran for three touchdowns, including the winner with 4:34 to go, and 25th-ranked Iowa State rallied from 17 down in the fourth quarter to stun Kansas State 42-38 on Saturday night and snap a 10-game skid against the Wildcats.

Montgomery had 149 yards rushing for the Cyclones (7-4, 6-3 Big 12), who clinched their best-ever finish in the Big 12.

Down 38-21, Iowa State scored twice in just 1:44 early in the fourth — on a short Brock Purdy TD pass and a 21-yard fumble return by Mike Rose — to pull within 38-35. The beleaguered Cyclones’ defense then made a stop, and Montgomery’s 18-yard touchdown run gave Iowa State an improbable lead.

Kansas State’s (5-7, 3-6) fate was sealed when a long pass to Dalton Schoen deep in Iowa State territory glanced off his fingertips with 1:20 left.

The Wildcats went 92 yards on eight plays after picking off Purdy and opened up a 31-21 lead on Skylar Thompson’s 9-yard TD pass to Chabastin Taylor late in the third. K-State’s Kevion McGee then intercepted Purdy again, and Isaiah Zuber’s second TD grab of the game made it 38-21 early in the fourth.

Purdy redeemed himself down the stretch though, finishing with 337 yards passing and two touchdowns for Iowa State.

Thompson threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Alex Barnes rushed for 184 yards and a TD for the Wildcats.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: The Cyclones revival since the start of last season had been sparked by their defense. But the cracks that began to show in a win over Baylor and a loss at Texas developed into sink holes against the Wildcats. Iowa State’s offense, bailed out so often by their teammates on the other side of the ball, finally returned the favor — and the defense showed up when it mattered.

K-State: If this proves to be Bill Snyder’s final game, what a brutal way to go out. All the Wildcats had to do was protect a 17-point lead with 12 minutes to go bowling, but they couldn’t do it.

UP NEXT

Iowa State hosts Drake of the FCS in a makeup for its canceled opener.

Kansas State’s season is complete.

Eight-Man Div I – Central Plains 52, Solomon 6

Eight-Man Div II – Hanover 58, Osborne 50

Class 1A – Smith Center 59, Olpe 0

Class 2A – Phillipsburg 27, Riley County 0

Class 3A – Sabetha 43, Pratt 42, 2OT

Class 4A – Bishop Miege 69, Goddard 31

Class 5A – St. Thomas Aquinas 49, Wichita Northwest 28

Class 6A – Derby 24, BV North 16

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Dean Wade knew Kansas State was in need of a spark, and he took it upon himself to provide it.

Wade scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half, Barry Brown added 16 and No. 12 Kansas State beat Lehigh 77-58 on Saturday.

“The first half we weren’t playing with any emotion or energy so my main focus was to do that,” Wade said. “I just wanted to be aggressive, but smart.”

The Wildcats (6-0) controlled the second half after the Mountain Hawks hung around and trailed by two at halftime.

“I think we wore them down as the game went on,” coach Bruce Weber said. “I told our guys these guys are pretty good and I didn’t think we played very good defense in the first half.”

Kamau Stokes scored 10 points, including two first-half 3-pointers, but the Wildcats continued to struggle with their long-distance shooting at home, making 6 of 20 3-point attempts.

James Karnik had 15 points and eight rebounds for Lehigh (4-2), and Pat Andree scored 12. Lehigh compiled 16 turnovers and made just nine field goals in the second half, shooting 28 percent. Lehigh shot 54 percent in the first half.

The Wildcats scored 18 points off Lehigh’s turnovers.

“Our defense is always something we take pride in,” Brown said. “We just focused on getting stops every time and we were able to get some easy baskets off those.”

Brown converted a three-point play to give K-State a 50-40 lead with 14 minutes remaining. That was part of a 12-5 run by the Wildcats that gave them a 57-45 lead.

Kansas State led 37-35 at halftime as neither team build a lead larger than five in the first 20 minutes. The Wildcats struggled against the Mountain Hawks’ matchup zone.

“We don’t see that very often and it’s even a hard thing to practice,” Weber said. “We needed to move the basketball and look inside and keep it going. They got us a little stagnant at times, but once we settled down we were able to find some things.”

Kansas State is off to its best start since 2004-05, when it won its first eight games. The Wildcats face Marquette next Saturday in their first road game of the season.

“This is a chance to take a big step as a team, but Marquette is a very good team,” Weber said. “They beat Louisville and played Kansas well, so it’s going to be a tough test.”

STAR WATCH

Brown recorded the 200th steal of his career and is now second in Kansas State history behind Jacob Pullen, who had 210 from 2007-11.

BIG PICTURE

The Wildcats have struggled with all three nonconference opponents this year, but have managed to win all three with big runs in the second half. They will need to come out with more urgency when Big 12 play begins.

Lehigh had an impressive start to the season with wins over Siena and Princeton, but couldn’t get over the hump against Power Five schools K-State and Miami.

UP NEXT

Lehigh hosts Arkansas State on Dec. 1.

Kansas State will take on arguably its toughest test of the season thus far when it travels to Marquette on Dec. 1.