FHSU Athletics
MIAA Tournament – May 1-4
Edmond, Okla. – Gerry Pinkston Stadium
University of Central Oklahoma
Opening Round – May 1 / Quarterfinals – May 2 / Semifinals – May 3 / Championship – May 4
Opening Round – Wednesday, May 1 – 5:30 p.m.
#10 seed Fort Hays State (26-24, 10-16 MIAA)
vs.#7 seed Missouri Western (31-19, 13-13 MIAA)
Winner moves on to face #2 seed Pittsburg State in Quarterfinals Thursday
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Fort Hays State is making its third MIAA Tournament appearance in the last four years, starting on Wednesday in Edmond, Okla. The tournament is taking place at Gerry Pinkston Stadium, home venue of the University of Central Oklahoma, selected as the host site this season. Fort Hays State enters the tournament as the No. 10 seed and will take on No. 7 seed Missouri Western in the opening round on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m.
First Year of Single-Elimination Format
This is the first time the MIAA is using a single-elimination format for the MIAA Tournament and the field has expanded to 10 teams this season. It is the second time in the last four years the format has changed from the traditional 8-team, double-elimination format the conference used for several years since FHSU joined the conference in 2006-07. Back in 2021, the tournament format changed to what is currently used for baseball, which is an 8-team format that starts with a best-of-3 series in the opening round, then moves to a 4-team double elimination tournament the following weekend between the four advancing teams in the best-of-3 series. That format lasted for only a year before the 8-team, double-elimination format was back in place in 2022 and 2023.
The League is Still Deep
The MIAA has 7 teams with at least 30 wins this season, including 3 teams with 40 or more wins. All of the teams with at least 40 wins (Pittsburg State, Central Oklahoma, Rogers State) are among the top 15 of the NFCA national rankings, and all occupy the top three spots in the NCAA Central Region Rankings. Last year, the MIAA had an unprecedented nine teams finish with at least 30 wins overall on the season, which included FHSU. One of those nine 30-win teams last year did not make the MIAA Tournament (Northeastern State). All 10 of the teams competing in the MIAA Tournament this year have at least 23 wins on the season and 11 of the 14 teams in the MIAA will finish with at least 20 wins on the season.
Opening Round
#7 seed – Missouri Western (31-19, 13-13 MIAA)Series Record: MWSU leads 29-13-Since FHSU has been a member of the MIAA (2007), Missouri Western has won a pair of MIAA Tournament titles (2014, 2016). The Griffons also won two regular season titles in that span, sharing with Nebraska-Omaha and Emporia State in 2011 and outright in 2016.-FHSU and MWSU have met in the MIAA Tournament seven times. FHSU holds a 4-3 advantage in those contests. The last time the teams met in the tournament was in 2015, which resulted in an 8-0 win for the Griffons in Overland Park, Kan.
-FHSU's last win over MWSU in the MIAA Tournament was in 2013 by a score of 3-0 in Overland Park, Kan., which was also the last time the Tigers defeated the Griffons outside of Hays.
-MWSU leads the all-time series with FHSU 29-13. The Griffons swept the regular season doubleheader this year in St. Joseph by scores of 4-2 and 13-5.
-By sweeping the doubleheader in St. Joseph earlier this season, MWSU has now won 15 straight games against FHSU on its home field.
-Offensively, Kalee Higdon leads the Griffons with a .394 batting average. Mackenzie DeVine leads MWSU in RBIs (35) and extra-base hits (19).
-Sydney Rader leads MWSU pitching with a 1.90 ERA and 15-6 record, recording 143 strikeouts in 154.2 innings. She has 5 shutouts for the season.
-Both FHSU and MWSU have won by shutout 8 times this season.