FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State outhit Colorado School of Mines on Tuesday but fell short in its comeback effort, dropping a 16-12 contest at Larks Park. FHSU, which had seven doubles and three home runs as part of its 15-hit effort on the day, is now 3-8 overall this season.

Austin Unrein led the Tigers with three hits on the day, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, a double and a home run. Connor Ross has three hits as well, going 3-for-5. The Tigers’ team-leader in RBI was Cooper Langley  (2-for-5), who drove in four and had a double and a home run. Kevin Czanecki (two RBI), Gus Strunk  (two RBI), Nick Hammeke (two RBI) and Andre Vieyra also had doubles for the Tigers while Czarnecki also hit his first home run of the season.

On the mound, Tyler Patty started the game and threw into the fifth, giving up nine runs (six earned) on seven hits while striking out six. Will Amen threw the remainder of the fifth, allowing one run (earned) with two strikeouts and two walks, while Ty Thomas (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs in 0.2 innings off three hits. Kyle Vogt threw the final 3.2 innings of play, giving up two more runs (both unearned) with four strikeouts.

FHSU fell behind 4-0 through the first 2.5 innings, but stormed back with six runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-4 lead. With one out, Hammeke doubled to right before taking third on Caleb Cherryholmes’ single up the middle. Strunk followed with a double to right center to score two, coming home himself on Unrein’s home run to right in the next at-bat. Czarnecki and Langley continued the rally with back-to-back doubles to score Czarnecki, and after Connor Ross reached on a single, both runners moved up on an error – which allowed Langley to score.

After CSM struck with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth, FHSU with another three, coming on Langley’s two-out, three-run blast. After Unrein doubled and Czarnecki walked, Langley took a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall for his third home run of the season, knotting the game at 9-all.

From there, however, the Tigers’ bats were held quiet as the Orediggers built up a 16-9 lead over the next 3.5 innings. In the bottom of the eighth, FHSU scored three, but it was too late for the Tigers as CSM held on for the win. Unrein led off the eighth with a walk, scoring on Czarnecki’s home run to left in the next at-bat. With one out, Ross doubled to left and took third on a Casey Sedbrook groundout. During Vieyra’s at-bat, Ross came home on a wild pitch to close out the Tigers’ scoring.

For Colorado Mines, Clark Martin (1-0) earned the win after throwing a scoreless fifth inning and Connor Lambert was credited with the save, tossing the final four innings. Lambert and Shane Johnson each had four RBI for the Orediggers, who hit a combined five home runs in the game.

Fort Hays State heads to Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday for another midweek game, taking on Newman at 3 p.m.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State’s Trey Herman shot a two-round total of 146 (2-over par) at the Dave Falconer Classic, hosted by Arkansas Tech University at Chamberlyne Country Club in Danville, Ark. He helped the Tigers to a 17th-place finish in their first event of the spring.

Herman shot an even-par 72 in the first round before carding a 2-over par 74 in the second round. His score was five strokes back of winner Mauricio Lira from Henderson State, who won the tournament with an overall total of 141 (3-under par). Herman was just a stroke back of a five-way tie for seventh at 1-over par.

Dylan Wonnacott and Grant Storey  each carded two-round totals of 158 to tie for 77th. Wonnacott shot rounds of 85 and 73, while Storey shot 80 and 78. Kade Megaffin had rounds of 83 and 76 for a total of 159, tying for 83rd, and Billy Frey had rounds of 87 and 90 for a total of 177, tying for 109th

The Tigers shot a two-round total of 621 as a team. Washburn won the tournament by seven strokes over Southwestern Oklahoma State, with a total of 584.

The Tigers return to action in two weeks at the Broncho Invitational, hosted by Central Oklahoma, in Edmond, Okla., March 23-24.

The Fort Hays State Lady Tigers drop two spots to No. 6 in the latest USA Today/WBCA Division II rankings. Emporia State, who beat FHSU 49-46 in the MIAA tournament title game Sunday, jumps up one to No. 9 while Pittsburg State, who lost to the Lady Hornets in the semifinals, falls three spots to No. 16. Wayne State, who won the NSIC regular season title but lost in the finals of their conference tournament, drops two to No. 19. They are the top-four seeds in the NCAA II Central Regional which begins Friday at Gross Coliseum.

The rest of the regional field, Northern State, Arkansas Tech, Harding and Minnesota State, are all receiving votes.

Dropped Out: Rollins College (Fla.).

Others receiving votes: University of Southern Indiana 57; California State University – Dominguez Hills 42; Colorado Mesa University 42; Northern State University (S.D.) 41; Arkansas Tech University 38; Rollins College (Fla.) 33; Midwestern State University (Texas) 31; California Baptist University 18; Harding University (Ark.) 17; Kentucky State University 17; West Chester University of Pennsylvania 16; Northern Michigan University 15; Ashland University (Ohio) 14; Minnesota State University – Mankato 13; Lander University (S.C.) 9; Florida Institute of Technology 8; Benedict College (S.C.) 7; University of Central Missouri 6; University of Charleston (W.Va.) 6; California State Polytechnic University – Pomona 5; University of West Florida 4; West Liberty University (W.Va.) 4; Missouri Southern State University 3; Grand Valley State University (Mich.) 2; Western Washington University 1.

Game times and ticket prices have been announced for the NCAA II Women’s Basketball Central Regional Tournament hosted by Fort Hays State. The Lady Tigers will play Minnesota State at 5pm Friday March 13 at Gross Coliseum.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and are all general admission. There will be at least 100 “change out” tickets behind each team’s bench every game.

The Lady Tigers are 28-3 and are making their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their first since 2005. They are the MIAA regular season champs and lost 49-46 to Emporia State in the MIAA Tournament Championship on Sunday in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Central Regional
Hosted by Fort Hays State
Hays, Kan.

First Round – Friday, March 13
Game 1: #3 Pittsburg State vs. #6 Northern State, 12pm
Game 2: #2 Emporia State vs. #7 Arkansas Tech, 2:30pm
Game 3: #1 Fort Hays State vs. #8 Minnesota State-Mankato, 5pm
Game 4: #4 Wayne State vs. #5 Harding, 7:30pm

Semifinals – Saturday, March 14
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5pm
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7:30pm

Championship – Monday, March 16
Game 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 7pm

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Kelly Moton hit a driving layup and was fouled with 31 seconds to play to give Emporia State the lead back. Moton would hit two more free throws with seven seconds left lifting No. 10 Emporia State to a 49-46 win over No. 4 Fort Hays State in the MIAA tournament finals Sunday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. It’s the Hornets third straight MIAA tourney title and their eighth overall as they improve to 25-4. The Lady Tigers fall to 28-3.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights

The Lady Tigers trailed most of the day. The Hornets close the first half on an 11-2 run, holding FHSU to one field goal over the final 9:30. ESU pushed the lead to 11 early in the second half but Fort Hays State rallied with a 16-5 run to grab their only lead on a Niclola Kacperska 15-foot jumper with 55 seconds to play.

Both teams saw the effects of playing three games in three days. The Tigers shoot just 33-percent including 5-of-19 from 3-point range. The Lady Hornets hit just 33-percent and were 3-of-17 from beyond the arc. FHSU hit just 5-of-12 free throws and the Hornets 8-of-9.

Kacperska led the FHSU with 19 points, Kate Lehman added 13 and Jill Faxon 11. Kelly Moten led the Lady Hornets with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Kacperska and Lehman were named to the All-Tournament team.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Kate Lehman scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds leading No. 4 Fort Hays State to a 59-53 win over Central Missouri in the MIAA tournament semifinals Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. FHSU (28-2) avenges three straight MIAA tournament losses to the Jennies and advance to their first MIAA tournament finals Sunday at 3:30pm. FHSU will face Emporia State who defeated Pittsburg State 67-53 in the other semifinal.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights

The Lady Tigers led by six at the half and were up as many as seven in the second half. UCM, who’s biggest lead with three midway through the first half, rallied to tie the game 46-46 with 5:33 to play but the Lady Tigers outscore them 13-7 the rest of the way.

FHSU shot just 28-percent from the floor and were 5-of-16 from 3-point range but hit 20-of-30 free throws. UCM hit on 34-percent but were 0-for-10 from beyond the arc and 9-of-12 from the free throw line. The Lady Tigers outrebound the Jennies by four and had 24 offensive rebounds resulting in 18 points.

Lehman hit 12-of-20 free throws and blocked five shots to become the first women’s basketball player in NCAA II history to score over 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and block over 500 shots.

Chelsea Mason hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 while Nicola Kacperska added 12. Keriann Shaw grabbed 12 rebounds.