By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

The TMP-Marian softball team is set to open the season Friday
at home against the Russell Broncos.

The Monarchs and head coach Melissa Schoepf return a lot of
experience from last year’s team that finished 12-10, losing in the 3A regional
semifinals. That includes six who started as underclassmen in the semifinals.

Schoepf said she believes the experience the five seniors
have gained from playing in the spring, as well as the summer and fall is a great
benefit.

“Their game knowledge has just grown so much from freshman
year to this year,” Schoepf said. “I’ve been able to notice at the plate, a
little more confidence with them that I hope we can carry over into games.”

&nbsp;Senior Jaci VonLintel
led the Monarchs in all major offensive categories last season. She finished
with a .486 batting average with three home runs and 35 RBIs. 

The Monarchs seniors also include Hannah Garcia, Madison
Augustine, Karli Komarek and Sophie Allen. 

Garcia, Augustine and Allen all started
at least 20 games last season with Komarek appearing in 17. 

Fellow senior
Julianna Baalman played in 20 games for the Monarchs last season but will miss
the spring season after suffering a knee injury during basketball.

Augustine went almost the entire way as the Monarchs’
starter in the circle, starting 21 games.

She finished with a 12-9 record and a 3.80 ERA in 119.2
innings.

First pitch between the Monarchs and the Broncos is set for
4 p.m. Friday at the Monarch softball complex.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostThe TMP-Marian softball team is set to open the season Friday
at home against the Russell Broncos.The Monarchs and head coach Melissa Schoepf return a lot of
experience from last year’s team that finished 12-10, losing in the 3A regional
semifinals. That includes six who started as underclassmen in the semifinals.Schoepf said she believes the experience the five seniors
have gained from playing in the spring, as well as the summer and fall is a great
benefit.“Their game knowledge has just grown so much from freshman
year to this year,” Schoepf said. “I’ve been able to notice at the plate, a
little more confidence with them that I hope we can carry over into games.” <div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1476129685&color=%232a4d75&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tmp-softball-season-preview-melissa-schoepf-march-23-202" title="TMP softball season preview - Melissa Schoepf (March 23, 202)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP softball season preview - Melissa Schoepf (March 23, 202)</a></div></div>&nbsp;Senior Jaci VonLintel
led the Monarchs in all major offensive categories last season. She finished
with a .486 batting average with three home runs and 35 RBIs. The Monarchs seniors also include Hannah Garcia, Madison
Augustine, Karli Komarek and Sophie Allen. Garcia, Augustine and Allen all started
at least 20 games last season with Komarek appearing in 17. Fellow senior
Julianna Baalman played in 20 games for the Monarchs last season but will miss
the spring season after suffering a knee injury during basketball.Augustine went almost the entire way as the Monarchs’
starter in the circle, starting 21 games.She finished with a 12-9 record and a 3.80 ERA in 119.2
innings.First pitch between the Monarchs and the Broncos is set for
4 p.m. Friday at the Monarch softball complex.

🥎 TMP-M set to open season against Russell

GREAT BEND - The Hays High girls soccer team opened their season with a 10-0 win at Great Bend Thursday. 

Freshman Annie Humphrey scores four goals. Kinslee Newell adds two. 

The Indians will be at the McPherson Invitational next week

Hays PostGREAT BEND - The Hays High girls soccer team opened their season with a 10-0 win at Great Bend Thursday. Freshman Annie Humphrey scores four goals. Kinslee Newell adds two. The Indians will be at the McPherson Invitational next week

⚽ HHS girls win season opener in Great Bend

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

A shot made in 1998 occasionally rears its head all these years later on the basketball court. In the NCAA Tournament that year, Valparaiso opened the bracket as a big underdog against Mississippi State. Valpo trailed 69-67 into the final seconds when Homer Drew called the Pacer play. An inbounds pass sailed over the midcourt line where it was quickly passed to a running Bryce Drew. The 3-point shot helped propel Valpo to the Sweet 16 as the No. 13 seed.

Great Bend-native Matt Keeley had a Cinderella story of his own going in the NAIA National Tournament. His Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) Spirit needed a buzzer-beater and two wins against two top-10 nationally ranked teams to advance to the Fab Four in Kansas City. OUAZ erased most of a 23-point deficit but came up a point shy of the upset against top-ranked College of Idaho to end the season with a 25-10 record.

"Our guys are starting to Ted Lasso it and hit the 'believe' sign," Keeley said of the run. "Confidence is contagious and it's a big-time drug. We were just on a roll and we were playing well. The locker room at the end was pretty devastating because we were convinced we were going to win it. We thought we had as good a shot as anyone. When it ends, it caught us offguard because we thought we had another day left in us."

The Spirit made the 800-mile trip from Surprise, Ariz. to Park City's Hartman Arena for round one of the tournament. For Keeley, a 2000 graduate of Great Bend High School, the trip was like a Homecoming.

"When the draw came out we were super excited, or I was," he said. "It had nothing to do with who we were playing and everything to do with where we were playing. It was so close to home, and knowing right away some friends and family were going to be able to get down there."

But the best finish in school history almost never happened. The Spirit trailed Baker University by four points in the final 30 seconds of the first round. OUAZ forced overtime, but again the outlook was bleak as Baker took the lead with just 2.7 seconds remaining.

"In overtime, we kind of controlled it," Keeley said. "We thought with 16 seconds to go we're going to win. We have the ball and we're ahead. Then a turnover and a clutch shot by one of their players, now with two seconds left we're going to lose. We run the old Valpo play."

The old Valpo play worked. Josiah De'LaCerda scored the final four points in regulation to force overtime, and his 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the Spirit into the second round.

"What's hilarious is we're in the locker room afterward and our guys are like, 'Coach, where did you come up with that play? That was awesome,'" said Keeley. "'Yeah, I just thought of it. It just came to me.' We had to show them the video because most of these guys weren't born until like 2001."

Things got a little easier after that. OUAZ downed seventh-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan to advance to the Round of 16 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. The NAIA Tournament was played in the historic building from 1937 to 1974, then has hosted each tournament since 2002. The building played host to three of the first NCAA Final Fours. It hosted its final NCAA Tournament game in 1964.

"Wilt Chamberlain played in that building, and John Wooden has coached in that building," Keeley said. "To take your team and be a part of that, and now they get to experience it, that's what was really fun. I hope I get to do that often. Winning is hard, so you never take it for granted, but to take a team and be a part of the history of the tournament and the history of that building, and they leave that legacy, that's probably the coolest thing."

OUAZ defeated Southeastern University (Fla.) 79-71 to advance to the school's first-ever Great 8. The Spirit then knocked off tenth-ranked Montana Tech 76-58 to advance to the Fab Four. There, OUAZ drew top-ranked College of Idaho, winners of 34-straight games, including 16 consecutive wins by double figures.

The Spirit trailed by 23 points with under 13 minutes to play in that contest. Keeley's team made a run. The coach nearly decided to begin fouling with more than six minutes to play. Instead, he waited until the final media timeout and began fouling with nearly three minutes remaining. The strategy paid off as the Yotes went 18 of 30 from the line in the second half. Two late missed Idaho free throws resulted in an offensive rebound and two made free throws. Those would prove to be the difference.

Twice in the final seconds, OUAZ was able to cut the gap to a single point. De'leCerda, hero of the first game of the tournament, put up a game-tying attempt near the buzzer. He rebounded the blocked shot and swished a jumper at the buzzer, but the shot came from inside the arc. The Spirit comeback bid came up one point shy at 73-72.

Keeley accepted the job in Arizona six years ago. He's received two regional coaching honors and reached the national tournament in back-to-back seasons. It's a far cry from the program's beginnings - using area high school gyms that made it recruiting difficult. Keeley hopes that will change after this year's run.

"We have been back in the office both (Monday and Tuesday), taking a swing at some guys maybe we couldn't have gotten to answer the phone in the past," he said. "All of a sudden, we're making plans to get them on campus and into their living rooms to present all the positives we have going on out here. We think there are several of them. We're definitely trying to take that momentum and show you're not helping to build it, now you're helping to sustain it."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678798785026.jpeg" alt="Matt Keeley" />
 <figcaption>Matt Keeley</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostA shot made in 1998 occasionally rears its head all these years later on the basketball court. In the NCAA Tournament that year, Valparaiso opened the bracket as a big underdog against Mississippi State. Valpo trailed 69-67 into the final seconds when Homer Drew called the Pacer play. An inbounds pass sailed over the midcourt line where it was quickly passed to a running Bryce Drew. The 3-point shot helped propel Valpo to the Sweet 16 as the No. 13 seed.Great Bend-native Matt Keeley had a Cinderella story of his own going in the NAIA National Tournament. His Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) Spirit needed a buzzer-beater and two wins against two top-10 nationally ranked teams to advance to the Fab Four in Kansas City. OUAZ erased most of a 23-point deficit but came up a point shy of the upset against top-ranked College of Idaho to end the season with a 25-10 record."Our guys are starting to Ted Lasso it and hit the 'believe' sign," Keeley said of the run. "Confidence is contagious and it's a big-time drug. We were just on a roll and we were playing well. The locker room at the end was pretty devastating because we were convinced we were going to win it. We thought we had as good a shot as anyone. When it ends, it caught us offguard because we thought we had another day left in us."The Spirit made the 800-mile trip from Surprise, Ariz. to Park City's Hartman Arena for round one of the tournament. For Keeley, a 2000 graduate of Great Bend High School, the trip was like a Homecoming.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678381237830.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"When the draw came out we were super excited, or I was," he said. "It had nothing to do with who we were playing and everything to do with where we were playing. It was so close to home, and knowing right away some friends and family were going to be able to get down there."But the best finish in school history almost never happened. The Spirit trailed Baker University by four points in the final 30 seconds of the first round. OUAZ forced overtime, but again the outlook was bleak as Baker took the lead with just 2.7 seconds remaining."In overtime, we kind of controlled it," Keeley said. "We thought with 16 seconds to go we're going to win. We have the ball and we're ahead. Then a turnover and a clutch shot by one of their players, now with two seconds left we're going to lose. We run the old Valpo play."The old Valpo play worked. Josiah De'LaCerda scored the final four points in regulation to force overtime, and his 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the Spirit into the second round."What's hilarious is we're in the locker room afterward and our guys are like, 'Coach, where did you come up with that play? That was awesome,'" said Keeley. "'Yeah, I just thought of it. It just came to me.' We had to show them the video because most of these guys weren't born until like 2001."Things got a little easier after that. OUAZ downed seventh-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan to advance to the Round of 16 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. The NAIA Tournament was played in the historic building from 1937 to 1974, then has hosted each tournament since 2002. The building played host to three of the first NCAA Final Fours. It hosted its final NCAA Tournament game in 1964.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679604028512.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"Wilt Chamberlain played in that building, and John Wooden has coached in that building," Keeley said. "To take your team and be a part of that, and now they get to experience it, that's what was really fun. I hope I get to do that often. Winning is hard, so you never take it for granted, but to take a team and be a part of the history of the tournament and the history of that building, and they leave that legacy, that's probably the coolest thing."OUAZ defeated Southeastern University (Fla.) 79-71 to advance to the school's first-ever Great 8. The Spirit then knocked off tenth-ranked Montana Tech 76-58 to advance to the Fab Four. There, OUAZ drew top-ranked College of Idaho, winners of 34-straight games, including 16 consecutive wins by double figures.The Spirit trailed by 23 points with under 13 minutes to play in that contest. Keeley's team made a run. The coach nearly decided to begin fouling with more than six minutes to play. Instead, he waited until the final media timeout and began fouling with nearly three minutes remaining. The strategy paid off as the Yotes went 18 of 30 from the line in the second half. Two late missed Idaho free throws resulted in an offensive rebound and two made free throws. Those would prove to be the difference.Twice in the final seconds, OUAZ was able to cut the gap to a single point. De'leCerda, hero of the first game of the tournament, put up a game-tying attempt near the buzzer. He rebounded the blocked shot and swished a jumper at the buzzer, but the shot came from inside the arc. The Spirit comeback bid came up one point shy at 73-72.Keeley accepted the job in Arizona six years ago. He's received two regional coaching honors and reached the national tournament in back-to-back seasons. It's a far cry from the program's beginnings - using area high school gyms that made it recruiting difficult. Keeley hopes that will change after this year's run."We have been back in the office both (Monday and Tuesday), taking a swing at some guys maybe we couldn't have gotten to answer the phone in the past," he said. "All of a sudden, we're making plans to get them on campus and into their living rooms to present all the positives we have going on out here. We think there are several of them. We're definitely trying to take that momentum and show you're not helping to build it, now you're helping to sustain it."

🏀 Great Bend native Keeley shares the ups, downs of NAIA tourney run

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Fort Hays State men's basketball team placed six student-athletes on the 2022-23 MIAA Academic Honor Roll, announced Thursday by the league office. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/elijah-nnanabu/6902">Elijah Nnanabu</a>&nbsp;was one of just three players across the entire conference to earn the Scholar-Athlete Award, his first-such honor. Other Tigers on the Academic Honor Roll included&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/traejon-davis/6896">Traejon Davis</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/geoff-hamperian/6899">Geoff Hamperian</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/bjarni-jonsson/6901">Bjarni Jonsson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/gabe-pieschl/6904">Gabe Pieschl</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/devin-walker/6905">Devin Walker</a>. To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete an individual must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 at the certifying member institution. They must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. The student-athlete must also earn All-MIAA honors during the current season. To be recognized on the Academic Honor Roll, one must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 at the certifying member institution. The individual must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. First-year student-athletes, including transfers and true freshmen, will be recognized at the conclusion of the school year when they meet the two terms of attendance requirement. 2022-23 MIAA Men's BasketballAcademic Honor RollNameGPAMajor<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/traejon-davis/6896">Traejon Davis</a>3.40Communication (Public Relations &amp; Advertising)<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/geoff-hamperian/6899">Geoff Hamperian</a>3.66HHP (Exercise Science) - Masters<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/bjarni-jonsson/6901">Bjarni Jonsson</a>3.35Computer Science*&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/elijah-nnanabu/6902">Elijah Nnanabu</a>3.54HHP (Exercise Science)<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/gabe-pieschl/6904">Gabe Pieschl</a>3.53HHP (Sport &amp; Exercise Therapy)<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/devin-walker/6905">Devin Walker</a>3.53HHP (Sport &amp; Exercise Therapy)&nbsp; * indicates MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679586011396.png" alt="FHSU-MBKB-Academic.png" />
 <figcaption>FHSU-MBKB-Academic.png</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Fort Hays State men's basketball team placed six student-athletes on the 2022-23 MIAA Academic Honor Roll, announced Thursday by the league office. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/elijah-nnanabu/6902">Elijah Nnanabu</a>&nbsp;was one of just three players across the entire conference to earn the Scholar-Athlete Award, his first-such honor. Other Tigers on the Academic Honor Roll included&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/traejon-davis/6896">Traejon Davis</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/geoff-hamperian/6899">Geoff Hamperian</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/bjarni-jonsson/6901">Bjarni Jonsson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/gabe-pieschl/6904">Gabe Pieschl</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/devin-walker/6905">Devin Walker</a>. To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete an individual must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 at the certifying member institution. They must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. The student-athlete must also earn All-MIAA honors during the current season. To be recognized on the Academic Honor Roll, one must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 at the certifying member institution. The individual must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. First-year student-athletes, including transfers and true freshmen, will be recognized at the conclusion of the school year when they meet the two terms of attendance requirement. 2022-23 MIAA Men's BasketballAcademic Honor RollNameGPAMajor<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/traejon-davis/6896">Traejon Davis</a>3.40Communication (Public Relations &amp; Advertising)<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/geoff-hamperian/6899">Geoff Hamperian</a>3.66HHP (Exercise Science) - Masters<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/bjarni-jonsson/6901">Bjarni Jonsson</a>3.35Computer Science*&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/elijah-nnanabu/6902">Elijah Nnanabu</a>3.54HHP (Exercise Science)<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/gabe-pieschl/6904">Gabe Pieschl</a>3.53HHP (Sport &amp; Exercise Therapy)<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/devin-walker/6905">Devin Walker</a>3.53HHP (Sport &amp; Exercise Therapy)&nbsp; * indicates MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Six FHSU men listed on MIAA Academic Honor Roll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team placed all eight returning student-athletes on the 2022-23 MIAA Academic Honor Roll, announced Thursday (March 23) by the league office. Four Tigers received special honors, including two Scholar-Athlete Award recipients and two MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kate-dilsaver/6841">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/megan-earney/6842">Megan Earney</a>&nbsp;were two of 16 MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners league-wide. It is the second-such honor for each individual. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/6845">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner/6848">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;both received the Scholar-Athlete Award alongside 16 other athletes in the league. It is the third Scholar-Athlete Award for Hollenbeck and the second for Wagner. Also earning a spot on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll was&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sydney-golladay/6844">Sydney Golladay</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ruddle/6846">Emma Ruddle</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jessie-sallach/6847">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kia-wilson/6849">Kia Wilson</a>. An MIAA Academic Excellence Award recipient must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 4.00 or better at the certifying member institution. The honoree also must have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete an individual must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 at the certifying member institution. They must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. The student-athlete must also earn All-MIAA honors during the current season. To be recognized on the Academic Honor Roll, one must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 at the certifying member institution. The individual must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. First-year student-athletes, including transfers and true freshmen, will be recognized at the conclusion of the school year when they meet the two terms of attendance requirement. 2022-23 MIAA Women's Basketball Academic Honor RollNameGPAMajor<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kate-dilsaver/6841">Kate Dilsaver</a>4.00Accounting<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/megan-earney/6842">Megan Earney</a>4.00Marketing<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sydney-golladay/6844">Sydney Golladay</a>3.48Elementary Education*&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/6845">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>3.65General Studies<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ruddle/6846">Emma Ruddle</a>3.83Nursing<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jessie-sallach/6847">Jessie Sallach</a>3.92HHP (Sport Management/Recreation)*&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner/6848">Katie Wagner</a>3.88Accounting<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kia-wilson/6849">Kia Wilson</a>3.87HHP (Sport &amp; Exercise Therapy)&nbsp; Bold&nbsp;indicates MIAA Academic Excellence Award * indicates MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679584916602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team placed all eight returning student-athletes on the 2022-23 MIAA Academic Honor Roll, announced Thursday (March 23) by the league office. Four Tigers received special honors, including two Scholar-Athlete Award recipients and two MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kate-dilsaver/6841">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/megan-earney/6842">Megan Earney</a>&nbsp;were two of 16 MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners league-wide. It is the second-such honor for each individual. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/6845">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner/6848">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;both received the Scholar-Athlete Award alongside 16 other athletes in the league. It is the third Scholar-Athlete Award for Hollenbeck and the second for Wagner. Also earning a spot on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll was&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sydney-golladay/6844">Sydney Golladay</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ruddle/6846">Emma Ruddle</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jessie-sallach/6847">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kia-wilson/6849">Kia Wilson</a>. An MIAA Academic Excellence Award recipient must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 4.00 or better at the certifying member institution. The honoree also must have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete an individual must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 at the certifying member institution. They must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. The student-athlete must also earn All-MIAA honors during the current season. To be recognized on the Academic Honor Roll, one must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 at the certifying member institution. The individual must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. First-year student-athletes, including transfers and true freshmen, will be recognized at the conclusion of the school year when they meet the two terms of attendance requirement. 2022-23 MIAA Women's Basketball Academic Honor RollNameGPAMajor<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kate-dilsaver/6841">Kate Dilsaver</a>4.00Accounting<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/megan-earney/6842">Megan Earney</a>4.00Marketing<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sydney-golladay/6844">Sydney Golladay</a>3.48Elementary Education*&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/6845">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>3.65General Studies<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ruddle/6846">Emma Ruddle</a>3.83Nursing<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jessie-sallach/6847">Jessie Sallach</a>3.92HHP (Sport Management/Recreation)*&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner/6848">Katie Wagner</a>3.88Accounting<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kia-wilson/6849">Kia Wilson</a>3.87HHP (Sport &amp; Exercise Therapy)&nbsp; Bold&nbsp;indicates MIAA Academic Excellence Award * indicates MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Eight FHSU women listed on MIAA Academic Honor Roll

HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State University will announce the official name change of its home venue for softball on Saturday. Tiger Stadium will officially become Fleharty Family Field with a ceremony between games of the home doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney, which begins at noon. The venue has carried the name of Tiger Stadium ever since it was built and opened for play in 1999, which was the first year of softball for Fort Hays State at the NCAA Division II level. Gene and Jo Ann Fleharty, long-time supporters of FHSU, partnered with the university in making several upgrades to the facility in recent years. In the summer of 2022, a new all-artificial turf playing surface was installed, along with bullpen and batting cage areas on each side of the field. New fencing was also installed along both sidelines. In 2019, a new inning-by-inning scoreboard with LED lighting was installed in place of the old board. In 2013, a permanent grandstand was installed behind home plate between the backstop and the press box. Family members Lyle and Diann Fleharty, Gerald and Cindy Fleharty, and Max Fleharty, assisted Gene and Jo Ann with funding for the scoreboard and permanent seating projects. Gene retired as a professor of Biology from Fort Hays State University, where he taught for 37 years. The Fleharty's have two children, Debra and Chris, along with four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679584555666.jpeg" alt="Fleharty Family Field (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fleharty Family Field (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State University will announce the official name change of its home venue for softball on Saturday. Tiger Stadium will officially become Fleharty Family Field with a ceremony between games of the home doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney, which begins at noon. The venue has carried the name of Tiger Stadium ever since it was built and opened for play in 1999, which was the first year of softball for Fort Hays State at the NCAA Division II level. Gene and Jo Ann Fleharty, long-time supporters of FHSU, partnered with the university in making several upgrades to the facility in recent years. In the summer of 2022, a new all-artificial turf playing surface was installed, along with bullpen and batting cage areas on each side of the field. New fencing was also installed along both sidelines. In 2019, a new inning-by-inning scoreboard with LED lighting was installed in place of the old board. In 2013, a permanent grandstand was installed behind home plate between the backstop and the press box. Family members Lyle and Diann Fleharty, Gerald and Cindy Fleharty, and Max Fleharty, assisted Gene and Jo Ann with funding for the scoreboard and permanent seating projects. Gene retired as a professor of Biology from Fort Hays State University, where he taught for 37 years. The Fleharty's have two children, Debra and Chris, along with four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 FHSU to celebrate naming of softball venue

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer

NEW YORK — Stories of New York City point guards have an almost mythical quality.

There are Hall of Famers and trailblazers such as Bob Cousy and Nate "Tiny" Archibald. In the 1980s, Kenny Smith and Kenny Anderson followed a similar path — from the same Catholic high school in Queens to the Atlantic Coast Conference to the NBA.

From Pearl Washington to Mark Jackson, Stephon Marbury to Sue Bird, tenacious players forged by rugged games played at the famous courts at Rucker Park and West Fourth Street are a part of basketball lore.

And while New York City high schools haven't been pumping out stars in recent years the way they used to, three of the four teams that have reached the NCAA Tournament's East Regional at Madison Square Garden have point guards with Big Apple backgrounds.

Michigan State's Tyson Walker and Kansas State's Markquis Nowell will renew their acquaintance in the Sweet 16 when the seventh-seeded Spartans (21-12) face the third-seeded Wildcats (25-9) on Thursday night.

"I grew up playing in parks with him," Nowell said. "I just want to give a big shoutout to New York City for breeding tough and gritty guards and just give him a shoutout."

The other point guard who's making a homecoming this week will only be able to watch his team at The Garden. No. 4 seed Tennessee managed to reach the second weekend of the tournament without the injured Zakai Zeigler, who blew out his left knee on Feb. 28.

"I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to be here in this situation," said Zeigler, who grew up on Long Island and finished his high school career in the Bronx. "So now that I'm back here and I can have some pizza, I feel great."

The Volunteers (25-10) face ninth-seeded FAU (33-3) in the late game of the doubleheader.

The 5-foot-8 Nowell became one of the breakout stars of this NCAA Tournament when he went off for 27 points in a second-round victory against Kentucky.

Nowell, whose Twitter handle is @MrNewYorkCityy and is @mr.newyorkcity on Instagram, grew up in Harlem, attended high school in the Bronx and went to college at Arkansas Little-Rock before transferring to Manhattan — Kansas, that is.

"I made a promise to myself back when I was in high school that I was going to do anything and everything in my power to be the best player that came out of New York," Nowell said. "So I kind of keep that edge and that kind of just reminds me every day that I wake up that I still have more work to do. Guys like Carmelo (Anthony), Bernard King and all the greats came out of New York, so that just keeps me grounded and keeps me working hard."

Ask Nowell about the New York City point guards he idolized in high school and he brings up the Mavericks' Kemba Walker, who led UConn to a national championship and was a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2011, and the Pelicans' Jose Alvarado, who played at Georgia Tech.

Alvarado went to Christ the King High School in Queens, a power in both boys and girls basketball that also produced Bird and the Spartans' Walker.

Like Nowell, Walker started his college career at a mid-major (Northeastern) and transferred after two seasons to Michigan State in 2021.

According to 247 Sports rankings, the last top-30 national recruit to come from a New York City high school was Moses Brown, a 7-footer who went to UCLA from Archbishop Molloy, where Smith and Anderson starred in the '80s.

"Are we as good as we once was? Well, if you take away all the kids that grew up in New York that go to prep school outside of New York ... and consider them New York, yes, we are," said Cardozo High School coach Ron Neclario, the winningest NYC public school coach ever. "Do we have as many high, high, high majors? Maybe not, but we have plenty of low-majors. We have plenty of mid-majors."

Where Nowell leans into his New York roots, Walker takes a low-key approach.

"Just got to be tough. Got a different type of finesse with you," he said.

Walker was also a difference-maker in the second round of the tournament, scoring 23 points to lead Michigan State past second-seeded Marquette.

"I think sometimes the New York swagger is a very cocky swagger, and sometimes that's good," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "He's kind of had the happy medium. He's got enough cockiness to be confident, and yet he's an unbelievable kid."

Izzo joked after beating Marquette about how Walker owed him cab ride and a slice of pizza for helping him earn a trip home.

"Got me my pizza last night," Izzo said. "I'm looking for the cab ride today."

Nowell is one of four Kansas State players from the New York area, along with Tykei Greene, Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Ismael Massoud. None has ever played at The Garden, only dreamed about it.

"I had my big brother, my father, my uncles working me out every day for a moment like this," Nowell said. "Standing here, being here at Madison Square Garden."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679536647349.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell, front center, practices before the team's Sweet 16 college basketball game at the NCAA East Regional of the NCAA Tournament Wednesday in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell, front center, practices before the team's Sweet 16 college basketball game at the NCAA East Regional of the NCAA Tournament Wednesday in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports WriterNEW YORK — Stories of New York City point guards have an almost mythical quality.There are Hall of Famers and trailblazers such as Bob Cousy and Nate "Tiny" Archibald. In the 1980s, Kenny Smith and Kenny Anderson followed a similar path — from the same Catholic high school in Queens to the Atlantic Coast Conference to the NBA.From Pearl Washington to Mark Jackson, Stephon Marbury to Sue Bird, tenacious players forged by rugged games played at the famous courts at Rucker Park and West Fourth Street are a part of basketball lore.And while New York City high schools haven't been pumping out stars in recent years the way they used to, three of the four teams that have reached the NCAA Tournament's East Regional at Madison Square Garden have point guards with Big Apple backgrounds.Michigan State's Tyson Walker and Kansas State's Markquis Nowell will renew their acquaintance in the Sweet 16 when the seventh-seeded Spartans (21-12) face the third-seeded Wildcats (25-9) on Thursday night."I grew up playing in parks with him," Nowell said. "I just want to give a big shoutout to New York City for breeding tough and gritty guards and just give him a shoutout."The other point guard who's making a homecoming this week will only be able to watch his team at The Garden. No. 4 seed Tennessee managed to reach the second weekend of the tournament without the injured Zakai Zeigler, who blew out his left knee on Feb. 28."I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to be here in this situation," said Zeigler, who grew up on Long Island and finished his high school career in the Bronx. "So now that I'm back here and I can have some pizza, I feel great."The Volunteers (25-10) face ninth-seeded FAU (33-3) in the late game of the doubleheader.The 5-foot-8 Nowell became one of the breakout stars of this NCAA Tournament when he went off for 27 points in a second-round victory against Kentucky.Nowell, whose Twitter handle is @MrNewYorkCityy and is @mr.newyorkcity on Instagram, grew up in Harlem, attended high school in the Bronx and went to college at Arkansas Little-Rock before transferring to Manhattan — Kansas, that is."I made a promise to myself back when I was in high school that I was going to do anything and everything in my power to be the best player that came out of New York," Nowell said. "So I kind of keep that edge and that kind of just reminds me every day that I wake up that I still have more work to do. Guys like Carmelo (Anthony), Bernard King and all the greats came out of New York, so that just keeps me grounded and keeps me working hard."Ask Nowell about the New York City point guards he idolized in high school and he brings up the Mavericks' Kemba Walker, who led UConn to a national championship and was a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2011, and the Pelicans' Jose Alvarado, who played at Georgia Tech.Alvarado went to Christ the King High School in Queens, a power in both boys and girls basketball that also produced Bird and the Spartans' Walker.Like Nowell, Walker started his college career at a mid-major (Northeastern) and transferred after two seasons to Michigan State in 2021.According to 247 Sports rankings, the last top-30 national recruit to come from a New York City high school was Moses Brown, a 7-footer who went to UCLA from Archbishop Molloy, where Smith and Anderson starred in the '80s."Are we as good as we once was? Well, if you take away all the kids that grew up in New York that go to prep school outside of New York ... and consider them New York, yes, we are," said Cardozo High School coach Ron Neclario, the winningest NYC public school coach ever. "Do we have as many high, high, high majors? Maybe not, but we have plenty of low-majors. We have plenty of mid-majors."Where Nowell leans into his New York roots, Walker takes a low-key approach."Just got to be tough. Got a different type of finesse with you," he said.Walker was also a difference-maker in the second round of the tournament, scoring 23 points to lead Michigan State past second-seeded Marquette."I think sometimes the New York swagger is a very cocky swagger, and sometimes that's good," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "He's kind of had the happy medium. He's got enough cockiness to be confident, and yet he's an unbelievable kid."Izzo joked after beating Marquette about how Walker owed him cab ride and a slice of pizza for helping him earn a trip home."Got me my pizza last night," Izzo said. "I'm looking for the cab ride today."Nowell is one of four Kansas State players from the New York area, along with Tykei Greene, Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Ismael Massoud. None has ever played at The Garden, only dreamed about it."I had my big brother, my father, my uncles working me out every day for a moment like this," Nowell said. "Standing here, being here at Madison Square Garden."

🏀 NYC guards lead Wildcats, Spartans to Sweet 16 in MSG

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer

The New York Jets and former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman agreed to terms on a one-year deal Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the contract.

The speedy and versatile Hardman gives the Jets and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett another playmaker on what could be a much-improved offense.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Jets hadn't announced the agreement. ESPN first reported Hardman and the Jets agreed to terms on a contract. Financial terms weren't immediately available, but NFL Network reported it could be worth up to $6.5 million.

The 25-year-old Hardman spent his first four seasons with the Chiefs after being a second-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2019. He has 151 catches for 2,088 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career and has rushed 20 times for 125 yards and two scores.

Hardman also adds value on special teams. He has averaged 9.0 yards on punt returns and 23.8 yards on kickoffs — with one touchdown return on each during his career.

With Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers saying last week he intends to play for the Jets this season and the teams continuing to work out details, New York has added a couple of playmaking pieces on offense.

Along with Hardman, the Jets also signed former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million deal last week. The addition of Hardman made fellow wide receiver Elijah Moore expendable.

New York traded Moore and the No. 74 pick in this year's draft to Cleveland for the 42nd overall selection, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized, but the Jets will have three of the top 50 picks in the draft next month: Nos. 13, 42 and 43.

One or more of those picks could factor in a potential trade for Rodgers.

The Jets still have a deep wide receiver room with AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims on the roster, to go along with Hardman and Lazard.

Hardman played in only eight regular-season games last season because of an abdominal injury. He returned for the AFC championship game and had two catches for 10 yards and rushed twice for 7 yards before reinjuring his abdomen. Hardman sat out the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

NOTES: The Jets announced they have re-signed FB Nick Bawden, who spent last season on injured reserve after being hurt in training camp. ... New York also made its signing of former Ravens OL Trystan Colon official.

AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed.

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football WriterThe New York Jets and former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman agreed to terms on a one-year deal Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the contract.The speedy and versatile Hardman gives the Jets and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett another playmaker on what could be a much-improved offense.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Jets hadn't announced the agreement. ESPN first reported Hardman and the Jets agreed to terms on a contract. Financial terms weren't immediately available, but NFL Network reported it could be worth up to $6.5 million.The 25-year-old Hardman spent his first four seasons with the Chiefs after being a second-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2019. He has 151 catches for 2,088 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career and has rushed 20 times for 125 yards and two scores.Hardman also adds value on special teams. He has averaged 9.0 yards on punt returns and 23.8 yards on kickoffs — with one touchdown return on each during his career.With Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers saying last week he intends to play for the Jets this season and the teams continuing to work out details, New York has added a couple of playmaking pieces on offense.Along with Hardman, the Jets also signed former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million deal last week. The addition of Hardman made fellow wide receiver Elijah Moore expendable.New York traded Moore and the No. 74 pick in this year's draft to Cleveland for the 42nd overall selection, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized, but the Jets will have three of the top 50 picks in the draft next month: Nos. 13, 42 and 43.One or more of those picks could factor in a potential trade for Rodgers.The Jets still have a deep wide receiver room with AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims on the roster, to go along with Hardman and Lazard.Hardman played in only eight regular-season games last season because of an abdominal injury. He returned for the AFC championship game and had two catches for 10 yards and rushed twice for 7 yards before reinjuring his abdomen. Hardman sat out the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.NOTES: The Jets announced they have re-signed FB Nick Bawden, who spent last season on injured reserve after being hurt in training camp. ... New York also made its signing of former Ravens OL Trystan Colon official.AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed.

🏈 AP source: Jets, WR Mecole Hardman agree on 1-year deal

FHSU Athletics HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State and Colorado School of Mines ended up playing just one game of what should have been the last two of a four-game series at Tiger Stadium on Wednesday (Mar. 22). An agreement by the coaches following game one clipped the second game of the doubleheader, but the Tigers completed a three-game midweek non-conference sweep of the Orediggers by a score of 3-1. With the win, Fort Hays State improved to 19-10 overall. Colorado School of Mines dropped to 11-18. The one run scored by Colorado School of Mines in the first inning on Wednesday was its only run of the entire series after two straight shutouts by the Tigers on Tuesday. After surrendering the one run,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;settled in for another strong performance in the pitching circle as she moved to 9-4 on the season with the win. Fort Hays State leveled the score in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;pushed the Tigers into the lead, 2-1, in the second with an RBI single.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;added to the Tiger lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single of her own. Egger finished with nine strikeouts in her complete-game effort in the circle. She yielded just four hits. Kat Miller took her first loss of the season for Colorado School of Mines, throwing 4.0 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. Lauren Decker pitched a scoreless final two innings for CSM. Shepard led the Tigers with three of the team's nine hits, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/madison-pierce/7086">Madison Pierce</a>&nbsp;and Stuke each had two. Fort Hays State returns to action on Saturday (Mar. 25) when it plays host to Nebraska-Kearney in an MIAA doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m. A ceremony for the official name change of Tiger Stadium to Fleharty Family Field will be held between the games.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679519958358.jpeg" alt="(FHSU Athletics photo/Nick Meis)" />
 <figcaption>(FHSU Athletics photo/Nick Meis)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State and Colorado School of Mines ended up playing just one game of what should have been the last two of a four-game series at Tiger Stadium on Wednesday (Mar. 22). An agreement by the coaches following game one clipped the second game of the doubleheader, but the Tigers completed a three-game midweek non-conference sweep of the Orediggers by a score of 3-1. With the win, Fort Hays State improved to 19-10 overall. Colorado School of Mines dropped to 11-18. The one run scored by Colorado School of Mines in the first inning on Wednesday was its only run of the entire series after two straight shutouts by the Tigers on Tuesday. After surrendering the one run,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;settled in for another strong performance in the pitching circle as she moved to 9-4 on the season with the win. Fort Hays State leveled the score in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;pushed the Tigers into the lead, 2-1, in the second with an RBI single.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;added to the Tiger lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single of her own. Egger finished with nine strikeouts in her complete-game effort in the circle. She yielded just four hits. Kat Miller took her first loss of the season for Colorado School of Mines, throwing 4.0 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. Lauren Decker pitched a scoreless final two innings for CSM. Shepard led the Tigers with three of the team's nine hits, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/madison-pierce/7086">Madison Pierce</a>&nbsp;and Stuke each had two. Fort Hays State returns to action on Saturday (Mar. 25) when it plays host to Nebraska-Kearney in an MIAA doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m. A ceremony for the official name change of Tiger Stadium to Fleharty Family Field will be held between the games.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Tigers Win Final Game vs. Orediggers and Sweep Series

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer

Jerome Tang took his time finding the right players to fit into the program he wanted to build at Kansas State.

They meshed just right, taking <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sweet-16-kansas-tang-63e449c8d08c70b3726732c7246bb7a5">Tang and the Wildcats to the Sweet 16</a> in a season that started with them being picked to finish last in the Big 12.

Anchored
 by fifth-year seniors Markquis Nowell, Desi Sills, Tykei Greene and 
Abayomi Iyiola, Kansas State is heading from the Little Apple to the Big
 Apple to face Michigan State at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

“To
 have guys who have 100 college games under their belt, there are just 
certain things that you pick up that it doesn’t matter how talented you 
are that you can’t gain it except through experience,” Tang said.

Super seniors have had a huge impact on the teams that have made it this far in <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness.</a>

Nine
 of the 16 remaining teams have players in fifth seasons granted by the 
NCAA due to the pandemic. They bring experience, leadership and presence
 with them on these deep runs into the bracket.

“There is no 
substitute for experience,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said. “They
 understand what type of urgency you have to play with this time of 
year. They will help the young guys with that.”

Terry has leaned on his “old” players since <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beard-mississippi-texas-81a865ff1626f1a9c1cbefa8b53b2c6a">former coach Chris Beard</a>
 was fired in December. Texas has six players 22 or older, including 
super seniors Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice, Timmy Allen and Christian 
Bishop.

Carr started his college career at Pittsburgh in 2017, had
 a three-year stint at Minnesota that included a redshirt year and is 
the Longhorns' leading scorer at 15.8 points per game. Rice, a New 
Mexico State transfer, chips in 12.8 points and hit seven 3-pointers 
against Colgate. Allen adds 10.3 points after transferring from Utah two
 years ago and Bishop has been a valuable role player in two seasons 
since leaving Creighton.

“We’ve been battle tested time and time again,” Allen said.

Souley
 Boum is Xavier's leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, helping the 
Musketeers reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 after stints
 at San Francisco and UTEP.

Jordan Miller is Miami's 
second-leading scorer at 15.1 points and is making his second trip to 
the Sweet 16 after starting his career at George Mason. Rasir Bolton has
 given Gonzaga another scoring option, 3-point shooting and clutch shots
 in two seasons since playing at Penn State and Iowa State.

David 
Singleton has been UCLA's sharpshooter in his five seasons in Westwood, 
hitting 43% from the 3-point arc. He suffered a sprained ankle against 
Northwestern in the second round, though the Bruins are hoping he can 
play Thursday against Gonzaga.

Even teams that didn't advance to the Sweet 16 had huge impacts from super seniors.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-furman-upset-f1cbb8736abedf5624bbf36a5f2c1281">Furman pulled off one of the biggest upsets</a>
 of March Madness' first weekend, knocking off No. 4 seed Virginia after
 reaching the Tournament for the first time since 1980. Jalen Slawson 
and Mike Bothwell were a big part of the Paladins' success, averaging 
more than 33 combined points after deciding to play together for a fifth
 season.

“They weren’t just scorers. They weren’t just really good
 basketball players. They became leaders,” Furman coach Bob Richey said.
 “They learned how to bear the burden of expectation. They learned how 
to bear the burden of people thinking, hey, is this story going to be 
written how it’s supposed to be written?”

The
 Wildcats weren't given much of a chance this season. Tang took a 
calculated approach to building his roster after 19 seasons as an 
assistant at Baylor, searching for players who would be the right fit.

Nowell,
 a 5-foot-7 guard who plays well above his size, averaged 12.4 points 
under Bruce Weber last season. He upped it to 17.1 while finishing 
second nationally with 7.8 assists per game.

Sills arrived in 
Manhattan following stints at Arkansas and Arkansas State. Greene played
 two seasons at Manhattan — the one in New York — and Stony Brook before
 heading to Kansas State. Iyiola, a 6-9 forward from Nigeria, played at 
Stetson, Arkansas and Hofstra.

The quartet helped Tang navigate a successful first season.

“I
 feel like we’re trying to set a standard, trying to build a legacy for 
the younger guys that that’s what you want to play in, the best 
tournament in the country," Sill said. "So we’re going to keep on 
working hard, just try to keep doing what we do so they know what the 
standards are when we leave.”

AP Sports Writers Jim Vertuno, Fred Goodall and Aaron Beard contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679498648397.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell celebrates after scoring against Kentucky during the second half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell celebrates after scoring against Kentucky during the second half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball WriterJerome Tang took his time finding the right players to fit into the program he wanted to build at Kansas State.They meshed just right, taking <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sweet-16-kansas-tang-63e449c8d08c70b3726732c7246bb7a5">Tang and the Wildcats to the Sweet 16</a> in a season that started with them being picked to finish last in the Big 12.Four have been downright super.Anchored
 by fifth-year seniors Markquis Nowell, Desi Sills, Tykei Greene and 
Abayomi Iyiola, Kansas State is heading from the Little Apple to the Big
 Apple to face Michigan State at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.“To
 have guys who have 100 college games under their belt, there are just 
certain things that you pick up that it doesn’t matter how talented you 
are that you can’t gain it except through experience,” Tang said.Super seniors have had a huge impact on the teams that have made it this far in <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness.</a>Nine
 of the 16 remaining teams have players in fifth seasons granted by the 
NCAA due to the pandemic. They bring experience, leadership and presence
 with them on these deep runs into the bracket.“There is no 
substitute for experience,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said. “They
 understand what type of urgency you have to play with this time of 
year. They will help the young guys with that.”Terry has leaned on his “old” players since <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beard-mississippi-texas-81a865ff1626f1a9c1cbefa8b53b2c6a">former coach Chris Beard</a>
 was fired in December. Texas has six players 22 or older, including 
super seniors Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice, Timmy Allen and Christian 
Bishop.Carr started his college career at Pittsburgh in 2017, had
 a three-year stint at Minnesota that included a redshirt year and is 
the Longhorns' leading scorer at 15.8 points per game. Rice, a New 
Mexico State transfer, chips in 12.8 points and hit seven 3-pointers 
against Colgate. Allen adds 10.3 points after transferring from Utah two
 years ago and Bishop has been a valuable role player in two seasons 
since leaving Creighton.“We’ve been battle tested time and time again,” Allen said.Souley
 Boum is Xavier's leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, helping the 
Musketeers reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 after stints
 at San Francisco and UTEP.Jordan Miller is Miami's 
second-leading scorer at 15.1 points and is making his second trip to 
the Sweet 16 after starting his career at George Mason. Rasir Bolton has
 given Gonzaga another scoring option, 3-point shooting and clutch shots
 in two seasons since playing at Penn State and Iowa State.David 
Singleton has been UCLA's sharpshooter in his five seasons in Westwood, 
hitting 43% from the 3-point arc. He suffered a sprained ankle against 
Northwestern in the second round, though the Bruins are hoping he can 
play Thursday against Gonzaga.Even teams that didn't advance to the Sweet 16 had huge impacts from super seniors.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-furman-upset-f1cbb8736abedf5624bbf36a5f2c1281">Furman pulled off one of the biggest upsets</a>
 of March Madness' first weekend, knocking off No. 4 seed Virginia after
 reaching the Tournament for the first time since 1980. Jalen Slawson 
and Mike Bothwell were a big part of the Paladins' success, averaging 
more than 33 combined points after deciding to play together for a fifth
 season.“They weren’t just scorers. They weren’t just really good
 basketball players. They became leaders,” Furman coach Bob Richey said.
 “They learned how to bear the burden of expectation. They learned how 
to bear the burden of people thinking, hey, is this story going to be 
written how it’s supposed to be written?”Kansas State still has pen to paper.The
 Wildcats weren't given much of a chance this season. Tang took a 
calculated approach to building his roster after 19 seasons as an 
assistant at Baylor, searching for players who would be the right fit.One was already there.Nowell,
 a 5-foot-7 guard who plays well above his size, averaged 12.4 points 
under Bruce Weber last season. He upped it to 17.1 while finishing 
second nationally with 7.8 assists per game.Sills arrived in 
Manhattan following stints at Arkansas and Arkansas State. Greene played
 two seasons at Manhattan — the one in New York — and Stony Brook before
 heading to Kansas State. Iyiola, a 6-9 forward from Nigeria, played at 
Stetson, Arkansas and Hofstra.The quartet helped Tang navigate a successful first season.“I
 feel like we’re trying to set a standard, trying to build a legacy for 
the younger guys that that’s what you want to play in, the best 
tournament in the country," Sill said. "So we’re going to keep on 
working hard, just try to keep doing what we do so they know what the 
standards are when we leave.”AP Sports Writers Jim Vertuno, Fred Goodall and Aaron Beard contributed to this report.

🏀 Super seniors lead the way into March Madness Sweet 16

Thomas More Prep-Marian senior Jaci VonLintel made it official Tuesday, signing her letter of
intent to play both basketball and softball at Barton County College next
season.

After spending her entire life playing both sports, VonLintel
said she is grateful to be given the opportunity to play both basketball and softball at
the next level.

“It feels great because I don’t have to give one up,” VonLintel
said. “Because I always thought like, ' Dang, I’m going to have to pick one.'But now, I have to opportunity to go play both and excel in both.”

VonLintel led the TMP-M basketball team in every major statistical
category last season. She averaged 13.8 points per game along with nine
rebounds, 5.5 steals, three assists and two blocks per game.

She was a two-time all Mid-Continent League selection,
earning first-team honors this past season.

On the softball diamond, VonLintel led the Monarchs with a
.486 average as a junior. She amassed a team-high 12 extra base hits with three
home runs and led the team with 35 RBI’s and was second with 31 runs scored.

The Monarchs softball season begins Friday at home against
Russell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679440854128.jpeg" alt="Courtesy TMP-Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy TMP-Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostThomas More Prep-Marian senior Jaci VonLintel made it official Tuesday, signing her letter of
intent to play both basketball and softball at Barton County College next
season.After spending her entire life playing both sports, VonLintel
said she is grateful to be given the opportunity to play both basketball and softball at
the next level.“It feels great because I don’t have to give one up,” VonLintel
said. “Because I always thought like, ' Dang, I’m going to have to pick one.'But now, I have to opportunity to go play both and excel in both.”<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1474493038&color=%232a4d75&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/jaci-vonlintel-signing-march-21-2023" title="Jaci VonLintel - Signing (March 21, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jaci VonLintel - Signing (March 21, 2023)</a></div></div>VonLintel led the TMP-M basketball team in every major statistical
category last season. She averaged 13.8 points per game along with nine
rebounds, 5.5 steals, three assists and two blocks per game.She was a two-time all Mid-Continent League selection,
earning first-team honors this past season.On the softball diamond, VonLintel led the Monarchs with a
.486 average as a junior. She amassed a team-high 12 extra base hits with three
home runs and led the team with 35 RBI’s and was second with 31 runs scored.The Monarchs softball season begins Friday at home against
Russell.

🏀🥎 TMP’s VonLintel headed to Barton as a two-sport athlete

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team swept Rockhurst in a midweek non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday (March 21). The Tigers trailed early in both contests, but were able to string together some big hits to come from behind for their wins. The Tigers improved to 13-16 overall, while the Hawks fell to 7-18 on the season. Game 1: Fort Hays State 8, Rockhurst 4 Luuk ter Beek got the nod in game one on the bump for FHSU. The Hawks got on the board in the opening frame, scoring two runs on a pair of hits and a fielding error by the Tigers. The Tiger starter began to settle in the following frame as he allowed only one hit and held the Hawks scoreless. With one out in the top of the third, ter Beek was struck hard by a single back up the middle and Tiger strikeout leader Andrew Hansen&nbsp;took over. Hansen held his own on the rubber allowing only one hit, while striking out four batters going into the fifth inning.

The Tigers scored the majority of their runs in the home half of the fourth, starting with a two-run pinch hit homer by Brady Kreutzer&nbsp;to bring home Zane Knox. Mikey Felton&nbsp;drew a walk in the next at bat and would later be brought home on an RBI triple from Ed Scott. Back-to-back walks by Trey DeGarmo and Isaiah Ural juiced the bases for Elliott Herrmann, who drew yet another walk to plate Scott. Boies wrapped up the Tiger rally by blasting a double to left field scoring DeGarmo and Ural, putting the Tigers in front 6-2.

The Hawks answered with two runs in the top of the fifth on a couple of hits, but Hansen struck out the final two batters to end the inning. DeGarmo drove in the final two runs of the game for FHSU with a blast over the right field wall to plate Colter Maldanado. Hansen retired the Hawks in order in the sixth, including his seventh punchout of the game. Cade Flaherty&nbsp;entered the game to close it out in the seventh. After allowing a leadoff single, Flaherty punched out the next two batters he faced on his way to closing out the game.

Kreutzer, Boies, and DeGarmo each collected two RBIs in the contest.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 4, Rockhurst 2 Rockhurst jumped out to another early lead in the night cap by drawing a bases loaded walk in the top of the first. Trailing early with no outs in the opening frame, the Tigers brought in reliever Jenner Kehe&nbsp;with the bases loaded. Kehe was able to escape the inning with no further damage done forcing a double play and an easy put out at third. Kehe retired every batter he faced in his four inning appearance.

The Tigers claimed the lead in the third as a walk drawn by Ridge Stephens&nbsp;and a bunt single by Maldonado set up a two-RBI single for DeGarmo into the right center gap. Ural doubled to the same spot to move DeGarmo to third, allowing him to cross the plate on a wild pitch. Boies later added the final run the for Tigers on an RBI single to plate Ural in the fifth inning. The Tigers led 4-1.

Nate Pitts&nbsp;took over on the mound for the Tigers in the fifth and kept the Hawks in check, but a perfectly placed hit down the left field line allowed Rockhurst to plate a run in the sixth. Pitts returned in the seventh to hold off Rockhurst and secure the series sweep.

Boies finished 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. The Tigers will be back at home this weekend (March 24-26) to host Pittsburg State for a three-game conference series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 2 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679450730168.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Isaiah Ural hits the ball in game one of an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Marko Minic)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Isaiah Ural hits the ball in game one of an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Marko Minic)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team swept Rockhurst in a midweek non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday (March 21). The Tigers trailed early in both contests, but were able to string together some big hits to come from behind for their wins. The Tigers improved to 13-16 overall, while the Hawks fell to 7-18 on the season. Game 1: Fort Hays State 8, Rockhurst 4 Luuk ter Beek got the nod in game one on the bump for FHSU. The Hawks got on the board in the opening frame, scoring two runs on a pair of hits and a fielding error by the Tigers. The Tiger starter began to settle in the following frame as he allowed only one hit and held the Hawks scoreless. With one out in the top of the third, ter Beek was struck hard by a single back up the middle and Tiger strikeout leader Andrew Hansen&nbsp;took over. Hansen held his own on the rubber allowing only one hit, while striking out four batters going into the fifth inning.The Tigers scored the majority of their runs in the home half of the fourth, starting with a two-run pinch hit homer by Brady Kreutzer&nbsp;to bring home Zane Knox. Mikey Felton&nbsp;drew a walk in the next at bat and would later be brought home on an RBI triple from Ed Scott. Back-to-back walks by Trey DeGarmo and Isaiah Ural juiced the bases for Elliott Herrmann, who drew yet another walk to plate Scott. Boies wrapped up the Tiger rally by blasting a double to left field scoring DeGarmo and Ural, putting the Tigers in front 6-2.The Hawks answered with two runs in the top of the fifth on a couple of hits, but Hansen struck out the final two batters to end the inning. DeGarmo drove in the final two runs of the game for FHSU with a blast over the right field wall to plate Colter Maldanado. Hansen retired the Hawks in order in the sixth, including his seventh punchout of the game. Cade Flaherty&nbsp;entered the game to close it out in the seventh. After allowing a leadoff single, Flaherty punched out the next two batters he faced on his way to closing out the game.Kreutzer, Boies, and DeGarmo each collected two RBIs in the contest.Game 2: Fort Hays State 4, Rockhurst 2 Rockhurst jumped out to another early lead in the night cap by drawing a bases loaded walk in the top of the first. Trailing early with no outs in the opening frame, the Tigers brought in reliever Jenner Kehe&nbsp;with the bases loaded. Kehe was able to escape the inning with no further damage done forcing a double play and an easy put out at third. Kehe retired every batter he faced in his four inning appearance.The Tigers claimed the lead in the third as a walk drawn by Ridge Stephens&nbsp;and a bunt single by Maldonado set up a two-RBI single for DeGarmo into the right center gap. Ural doubled to the same spot to move DeGarmo to third, allowing him to cross the plate on a wild pitch. Boies later added the final run the for Tigers on an RBI single to plate Ural in the fifth inning. The Tigers led 4-1.Nate Pitts&nbsp;took over on the mound for the Tigers in the fifth and kept the Hawks in check, but a perfectly placed hit down the left field line allowed Rockhurst to plate a run in the sixth. Pitts returned in the seventh to hold off Rockhurst and secure the series sweep.Boies finished 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. The Tigers will be back at home this weekend (March 24-26) to host Pittsburg State for a three-game conference series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 2 p.m.

⚾ Tigers sweep Rockhurst in midweek doubleheader

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State improved to 18-10 overall with a doubleheader sweep of Colorado School of Mines on Tuesday at Tiger Stadium. FHSU won game one by run rule, 8-0 in five innings, then completed 12 innings of shutout ball against CSM with a 2-0 win in game two. The Orediggers dropped to 11-17 overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;tied her career high for strikeouts in the first game in just five innings, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;continued a strong stretch of pitching with her third straight complete game.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 8, Colorado School of Mines 0 (5 inn.) Fort Hays State took control of game one with a five-run first inning and then tacked on one in the third and two in the fourth before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;sealed a run-rule victory in the fifth. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;started the first-inning rally with a single, then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;was hit by a pitch and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;beat out a bunt for a single to load the bases.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/loren-beggs/7075">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;immediately put two runs on the board with a double to the right-center gap, then Tiffany came in to score the third run on a passed ball.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;recorded the first out of the inning on a sacrifice fly RBI that scored Beggs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/madison-pierce/7086">Madison Pierce</a>&nbsp;doubled and then came in to score on a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/regan-curry/7080">Regan Curry</a>&nbsp;RBI single. Back-to-back singles by Ramirez-Johnson and Pierce in the third set up the sixth run for the Tigers, scored on a sacrifice fly RBI by Curry. Three straight singles by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lexi-mohr/7091">Lexi Mohr</a>, Shepard, and Stuke in the fourth set up the final two runs for the Tigers. Tiffany drove in the first on a fielder's choice, then Beggs picked up her third RBI of the game on a single.

Egger recorded at least two strikeouts in every inning and finished with just one hit allowed, that being a single up the middle in the third by Kendall Aragon. Egger even notched herself the rare four-strikeout inning in the third when one of her strikeouts reached base by wild pitch. Egger tied her career high for strikeouts in a game with 12, matching her total from seven-inning complete games against Rockhurst this season (Feb. 25) and Truman last season (Mar. 5, 2022). She moved to 8-4 on the season with her MIAA-leading fifth shutout of the season. Game 2: Fort Hays State 2, Colorado School of Mines 0 Game two was a pitcher's duel between&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;of FHSU and Allison Westbrook of Colorado School of Mines. Though Westbrook allowed fewer hits, Carlson kept Colorado School of Mines scoreless all seven innings for a 2-0 complete-game victory. The decisive blow was a two-run home run by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/regan-curry/7080">Regan Curry</a>&nbsp;in the fourth inning, which accounted for the game's scoring. Carlson retired the first seven batters she faced before Colorado School of Mines collected its first of seven hits in the game. A runner caught stealing by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/madison-pierce/7086">Madison Pierce</a>&nbsp;in the third was a big difference in keeping the Orediggers scoreless, since they had three hits in that inning. Carlson worked around two hits in the fifth and finished her shutout in the seventh after giving up a two-out double. She had two strikeouts in the game, both in the sixth inning with a CSM runner at second base. Carlson is now 6-3 on the season.

Westbrook allowed only three hits to the Tigers and walked three. She struck out one in the tough-luck loss as she now stands at 1-1 on the season. Fort Hays State and Colorado School of Mines will play another doubleheader on Wednesday (Mar. 22) starting at 12 p.m. FHSU enters with a five-game win streak.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679449799153.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Savanah Egger delivers a pitch in game one of an NCAA softball doubleheader against Colorado School of Mines on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (FHSU Athletics photo/Marko Minic)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Savanah Egger delivers a pitch in game one of an NCAA softball doubleheader against Colorado School of Mines on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (FHSU Athletics photo/Marko Minic)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State improved to 18-10 overall with a doubleheader sweep of Colorado School of Mines on Tuesday at Tiger Stadium. FHSU won game one by run rule, 8-0 in five innings, then completed 12 innings of shutout ball against CSM with a 2-0 win in game two. The Orediggers dropped to 11-17 overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;tied her career high for strikeouts in the first game in just five innings, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;continued a strong stretch of pitching with her third straight complete game.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1474472479&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/3-21-23-fhsu-sb-coach-interview" title="Adrian Pilkington Postgame vs. Colorado School of Mines (March 21, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Adrian Pilkington Postgame vs. Colorado School of Mines (March 21, 2023)</a></div></div>Game 1: Fort Hays State 8, Colorado School of Mines 0 (5 inn.) Fort Hays State took control of game one with a five-run first inning and then tacked on one in the third and two in the fourth before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;sealed a run-rule victory in the fifth. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;started the first-inning rally with a single, then&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;was hit by a pitch and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;beat out a bunt for a single to load the bases.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/loren-beggs/7075">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;immediately put two runs on the board with a double to the right-center gap, then Tiffany came in to score the third run on a passed ball.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;recorded the first out of the inning on a sacrifice fly RBI that scored Beggs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/madison-pierce/7086">Madison Pierce</a>&nbsp;doubled and then came in to score on a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/regan-curry/7080">Regan Curry</a>&nbsp;RBI single. Back-to-back singles by Ramirez-Johnson and Pierce in the third set up the sixth run for the Tigers, scored on a sacrifice fly RBI by Curry. Three straight singles by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lexi-mohr/7091">Lexi Mohr</a>, Shepard, and Stuke in the fourth set up the final two runs for the Tigers. Tiffany drove in the first on a fielder's choice, then Beggs picked up her third RBI of the game on a single.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1474396549&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/2-21-23-fhsu-sb-v-co-school-of-mines-game-1-hilights" title="Fort Hays State SB Game 1 Highlights vs. Colorado School of Mines (March 21, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State SB Game 1 Highlights vs. Colorado School of Mines (March 21, 2023)</a></div></div>Egger recorded at least two strikeouts in every inning and finished with just one hit allowed, that being a single up the middle in the third by Kendall Aragon. Egger even notched herself the rare four-strikeout inning in the third when one of her strikeouts reached base by wild pitch. Egger tied her career high for strikeouts in a game with 12, matching her total from seven-inning complete games against Rockhurst this season (Feb. 25) and Truman last season (Mar. 5, 2022). She moved to 8-4 on the season with her MIAA-leading fifth shutout of the season. Game 2: Fort Hays State 2, Colorado School of Mines 0 Game two was a pitcher's duel between&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;of FHSU and Allison Westbrook of Colorado School of Mines. Though Westbrook allowed fewer hits, Carlson kept Colorado School of Mines scoreless all seven innings for a 2-0 complete-game victory. The decisive blow was a two-run home run by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/regan-curry/7080">Regan Curry</a>&nbsp;in the fourth inning, which accounted for the game's scoring. Carlson retired the first seven batters she faced before Colorado School of Mines collected its first of seven hits in the game. A runner caught stealing by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/madison-pierce/7086">Madison Pierce</a>&nbsp;in the third was a big difference in keeping the Orediggers scoreless, since they had three hits in that inning. Carlson worked around two hits in the fifth and finished her shutout in the seventh after giving up a two-out double. She had two strikeouts in the game, both in the sixth inning with a CSM runner at second base. Carlson is now 6-3 on the season.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1474476067&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/3-21-23-fhsu-sb-v-colorado-school-of-mines-game-two-hilights" title="Fort Hays State SB Game 2 Highlights vs. Colorado School of Mines (March 21, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State SB Game 2 Highlights vs. Colorado School of Mines (March 21, 2023)</a></div></div>Westbrook allowed only three hits to the Tigers and walked three. She struck out one in the tough-luck loss as she now stands at 1-1 on the season. Fort Hays State and Colorado School of Mines will play another doubleheader on Wednesday (Mar. 22) starting at 12 p.m. FHSU enters with a five-game win streak.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Tigers pick up pair of shutout wins over Orediggers

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Men's Golf placed 16th&nbsp;at the Broncho Invitational, one of four MIAA designated events for the 2022-23 season held at Rose Creek Country Club.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;was the only Tiger to shoot in the 70s all three rounds, tying for 40th&nbsp;individually. The Tigers were ninth among the MIAA teams competing in the tournament. Fort Hays State as a team shot rounds of 322, 327, and 325 for a 974 total. Central Oklahoma won the event at +30 as a team, shooting 289, 305, and 300. Northeastern State was two strokes back in second place, while Washburn was the next MIAA team in the standings at fifth overall with a +49 total. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;carded rounds of 77, 79, and 78 to lead the Tigers. He had six birdies for the tournament. He tied four other golfers at +18 for the tournament at the par-72 venue.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/tanner-copeland/7103">Tanner Copeland</a>&nbsp;was next in the individual standings for the Tigers, tying for 62nd&nbsp;at +23. He had rounds of 75, 81, and 83. He had seven birdies for the tournament, including three in his 3-over par first round. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/parker-krob/7107">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;shot back-to-back rounds of 83 before an 81 to close out his tournament. He finished 80th&nbsp;and had four birdies for the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jacob-george/7105">Jacob George</a>&nbsp;finished 84th&nbsp;with rounds of 87, 84, and 83, carding two birdies in the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/august-nilsson/7111">August Nilsson</a>&nbsp;shot rounds of 90, 86, and 86 to finish in 88th. His lone birdie was in the final round. Bennett Baldwin of Central Oklahoma won the tournament at +3 overall with rounds of 69, 76, and 74. The Tigers return to action next week in Blue Springs, Mo. (Mar. 27-28) at the NSIC Conference Preview Invitational.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679479721452.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State Men's Golf placed 16th&nbsp;at the Broncho Invitational, one of four MIAA designated events for the 2022-23 season held at Rose Creek Country Club.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;was the only Tiger to shoot in the 70s all three rounds, tying for 40th&nbsp;individually. The Tigers were ninth among the MIAA teams competing in the tournament. Fort Hays State as a team shot rounds of 322, 327, and 325 for a 974 total. Central Oklahoma won the event at +30 as a team, shooting 289, 305, and 300. Northeastern State was two strokes back in second place, while Washburn was the next MIAA team in the standings at fifth overall with a +49 total. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jackson-rader/7110">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;carded rounds of 77, 79, and 78 to lead the Tigers. He had six birdies for the tournament. He tied four other golfers at +18 for the tournament at the par-72 venue.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/tanner-copeland/7103">Tanner Copeland</a>&nbsp;was next in the individual standings for the Tigers, tying for 62nd&nbsp;at +23. He had rounds of 75, 81, and 83. He had seven birdies for the tournament, including three in his 3-over par first round. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/parker-krob/7107">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;shot back-to-back rounds of 83 before an 81 to close out his tournament. He finished 80th&nbsp;and had four birdies for the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/jacob-george/7105">Jacob George</a>&nbsp;finished 84th&nbsp;with rounds of 87, 84, and 83, carding two birdies in the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/august-nilsson/7111">August Nilsson</a>&nbsp;shot rounds of 90, 86, and 86 to finish in 88th. His lone birdie was in the final round. Bennett Baldwin of Central Oklahoma won the tournament at +3 overall with rounds of 69, 76, and 74. The Tigers return to action next week in Blue Springs, Mo. (Mar. 27-28) at the NSIC Conference Preview Invitational.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ Tiger men finish 16th at Broncho Invite

By DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jerome Tang was tearing around his property on
 an unseasonably warm spring day not long ago, just before Kansas State 
headed down Interstate 70 for the Big 12 Tournament, when he noticed his
 four-wheeler was running out of fuel.

So, the Wildcats' coach did
 what anyone would do in a small town: He steered that bad boy onto the 
road, conveniently forgetting that it wasn't exactly street legal, and 
headed off for the service station.

“So I'm zooming down and the 
college kids are outside. They're hollering at you, happy to see you. I 
mean, how great is that?" Tang recalled. “My wife was upset. She's like,
 'You're going to get arrested. It's going to be on the news!'”

Tang glances around furtively, his ever-present smile growing just a bit wider.

“I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”

Not these days. Not in Manhattan, Kansas.

One
 year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight 
losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play 
Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. They've <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">already taken down mighty Kentucky</a> and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans — a program synonymous with <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> success — under the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">bright lights of Madison Square Garden</a>.

The
 fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight 
straight sellouts to end the regular season. Chants of “Eff K-U” during 
home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward 
their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to 
the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players 
swear.

This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa
 delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the 
engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about 
their everyday lives.

“I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard.</a> “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.”

Tang
 kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a
 year ago. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how 
quickly, and how high, <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25/status/1637614896367140864?s=20">he would have the Wildcats soaring.</a>

“We
 surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview
 with The Associated Press. “But like, you don't enjoy this, you 
shouldn't be doing it, right? Our guys, our young people, our community 
deserves to have someone that really appreciates them and desires to be 
around them. They deserve this.”

The first thing to understand 
about Tang's winding road to the heartland of America is fortunate to be
 here. Not here, as in Kansas State. Here, as in alive.

Born in 
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Tang moved to St. Croix with his 
mother and three siblings while his father chased work in the oil 
industry. He was about 5 years old and playing marbles beneath a car in 
his aunt's driveway when his cousin, not knowing he was there, got 
behind the wheel and drove away.

“Drove right over him,” remembers Tang's older sister, Kim. “He's lucky. He was in the hospital for weeks.”

Perhaps
 that brush with death somehow infused in Tang his profoundly deep faith
 — “I believe my gift is ministry,” he explains, “and my passion just 
happens to be basketball." Or perhaps it somehow led to a 
preternaturally optimistic outlook on life, which has served him well as
 he tries to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sports-manhattan-mens-college-basketball-texas-8d2a90d1813be03b4a5a9d91f69c28f0">resurrect Kansas State's basketball program</a>.

“He treats people the right way,” says Baylor coach Scott Drew, his longtime friend. “He just always sees the good in people.”

Tang
 grew up playing cricket and soccer, and when his family moved to the 
Houston area, it became baseball and football — this was Texas, after 
all. But in 1979, while watching Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat 
Larry Bird and Indiana State in the title game that truly gave birth to 
March Madness, Tang fell in love with basketball.

It
 was a bible scholarship that got him to North Central College. He later
 attended junior college before dropping out, partly because of money, 
partly due to immaturity. (He would earn his degree from Charter Oak 
State College years later.)

Tang returned to Texas, intent on 
becoming a youth pastor. But when the founder of Heritage Christian 
Academy, Dr. Jennifer Cooper, was searching for a basketball coach, she 
turned to Mike Allard, Tang's own youth pastor at Green’s Bayou Assembly
 of God. He recommended this energetic kid with a devout faith in both 
Jesus and basketball.

“We drove around in, like, a Cheech-and-Chong van to get places,” Tang says. “It was the best place in the world.”

Tang
 soon built the small school into a national power, pumping out 
prospects such as Von Wafer, who played at Florida State and in the NBA.
 And he was still there in 2002 when Drew was hired to clean up <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-nfl-business-mens-college-basketball-bd83e9e43e464016b6e29d6d9ec98818">an inconceivable mess at Baylor.</a>

Drew
 needed someone with an unflinchingly positive attitude who could 
recruit in Texas, and over dinner one night, Tang won him over, earning a
 job that Drew had very nearly given to someone else.

Nearly two 
decades later, inside a quiet football stadium at the end of an NCAA 
Tournament played entirely inside a COVID-19 bubble, Drew and Tang 
celebrated the Bears <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-win-defeat-gonzaga-1st-ncaa-basketball-championship-1d53c12b04f50a9ea50110e787cc6567">winning the 2021 national championship</a>.

“Scott
 allowed us to make mistakes,” says Tang, who has Drew's book, “The Road
 to Joy,” prominently displayed above his otherwise haphazard desk. “I 
mean, we were young, so we could make mistakes. And sometimes in this 
business, you're not allowed to make mistakes. I'll never be able to 
thank him for that.”

Gene Taylor remembers a moment last year when
 the Wildcats still had just five players on their roster, and he was 
rightfully nervous. The athletic director had hired Tang after a pair of
 lengthy linterviews, one in Kansas City and one at Tang's home in Waco,
 Texas, and entrusted him with a program long on tradition but short on 
recent success.

“I asked, ‘Are we OK?’” Taylor recalled, "and he said, ‘Gene, we're fine. I don’t just want guys; I want the right guys.'”

The right guys turned out to be a motley crew carefully assembled during that hot summer in the Flint Hills.

Nowell
 is the 5-foot-8 sparkplug that Kentucky coach John Calipari couldn't 
get himself to call by name — “That little guy,” coach Cal said — after 
he'd minced up his own Wildcats in last weekend's second-round tourney 
game.

Keyontae Johnson, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-all-america-mens-basketball-team-2ab037abcde5157ad840f7dcd22cc8a4">voted an All-American alongside Nowell</a>,
 was playing for Florida when he collapsed on the court during a game in
 December 2020. Most schools were unwilling to clear Johnson to play, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-florida-gators-kansas-top-25-college-basketball-today-keyontae-johnson-6b738fc1685d1e9fdfade4e2a1afc6be">due to his underlying heart condition</a>, but Tang was willing to take every step and precaution necessary to get him back on the court.

Cam
 Carter came from Mississippi State, David N'Guessan from Virginia Tech.
 Desi Sills arrived from Arkansas State, Abayomi Iyiola from Hofstra. 
Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who never even played basketball in high school, signed
 out of junior college, and a pair of freshmen were sold on Tang's 
unwavering vision for the future.

“Nobody," Kansas coach Bill Self said, “has done a better job of assembling talent in a short amount of time.”

Picked
 to finish last in the Big 12, the Wildcats finished third. The reward 
was a No. 3 seed in March Madness, where the Wildcats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-montana-state-c73a1a3cad7f67d1db2b315deb5917eb">knocked off Montana State</a> in the first round before toppling Kentucky last weekend.

Now, they're just two more wins away from their first Final Four in nearly 50 years.

“I
 like doing first stuff, you know?” Tang says, leaning forward in a 
purple wingback chair in the corner of his office, where boxes still 
remain unpacked a year after moving in. “Players, you ask them, do you 
remember your first dunk? They all remember their first dunk. Do you 
remember your third dunk? They don’t. Do you remember your first 
girlfriend? My first girlfriend was Pam Hubbard. My last was Careylyen, 
and I married her.

“You remember your firsts and your lasts,” Tang says, "and I like firsts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679420939010.jpeg" alt="Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang celebrates with members of the pep band after defeating Kentucky in a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang celebrates with members of the pep band after defeating Kentucky in a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA Associated PressMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jerome Tang was tearing around his property on
 an unseasonably warm spring day not long ago, just before Kansas State 
headed down Interstate 70 for the Big 12 Tournament, when he noticed his
 four-wheeler was running out of fuel.So, the Wildcats' coach did
 what anyone would do in a small town: He steered that bad boy onto the 
road, conveniently forgetting that it wasn't exactly street legal, and 
headed off for the service station.“So I'm zooming down and the 
college kids are outside. They're hollering at you, happy to see you. I 
mean, how great is that?" Tang recalled. “My wife was upset. She's like,
 'You're going to get arrested. It's going to be on the news!'”Tang glances around furtively, his ever-present smile growing just a bit wider.“I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”Not these days. Not in Manhattan, Kansas.One
 year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight 
losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play 
Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. They've <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">already taken down mighty Kentucky</a> and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans — a program synonymous with <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> success — under the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">bright lights of Madison Square Garden</a>.The
 fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight 
straight sellouts to end the regular season. Chants of “Eff K-U” during 
home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward 
their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to 
the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players 
swear.This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa
 delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the 
engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about 
their everyday lives.“I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8">Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard.</a> “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.”Tang
 kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a
 year ago. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how 
quickly, and how high, <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25/status/1637614896367140864?s=20">he would have the Wildcats soaring.</a>“We
 surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview
 with The Associated Press. “But like, you don't enjoy this, you 
shouldn't be doing it, right? Our guys, our young people, our community 
deserves to have someone that really appreciates them and desires to be 
around them. They deserve this.”The first thing to understand 
about Tang's winding road to the heartland of America is fortunate to be
 here. Not here, as in Kansas State. Here, as in alive.Born in 
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Tang moved to St. Croix with his 
mother and three siblings while his father chased work in the oil 
industry. He was about 5 years old and playing marbles beneath a car in 
his aunt's driveway when his cousin, not knowing he was there, got 
behind the wheel and drove away.“Drove right over him,” remembers Tang's older sister, Kim. “He's lucky. He was in the hospital for weeks.”Perhaps
 that brush with death somehow infused in Tang his profoundly deep faith
 — “I believe my gift is ministry,” he explains, “and my passion just 
happens to be basketball." Or perhaps it somehow led to a 
preternaturally optimistic outlook on life, which has served him well as
 he tries to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sports-manhattan-mens-college-basketball-texas-8d2a90d1813be03b4a5a9d91f69c28f0">resurrect Kansas State's basketball program</a>.“He treats people the right way,” says Baylor coach Scott Drew, his longtime friend. “He just always sees the good in people.”Tang
 grew up playing cricket and soccer, and when his family moved to the 
Houston area, it became baseball and football — this was Texas, after 
all. But in 1979, while watching Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat 
Larry Bird and Indiana State in the title game that truly gave birth to 
March Madness, Tang fell in love with basketball.Except, well, he wasn't very good.It
 was a bible scholarship that got him to North Central College. He later
 attended junior college before dropping out, partly because of money, 
partly due to immaturity. (He would earn his degree from Charter Oak 
State College years later.)Tang returned to Texas, intent on 
becoming a youth pastor. But when the founder of Heritage Christian 
Academy, Dr. Jennifer Cooper, was searching for a basketball coach, she 
turned to Mike Allard, Tang's own youth pastor at Green’s Bayou Assembly
 of God. He recommended this energetic kid with a devout faith in both 
Jesus and basketball.“We drove around in, like, a Cheech-and-Chong van to get places,” Tang says. “It was the best place in the world.”Tang
 soon built the small school into a national power, pumping out 
prospects such as Von Wafer, who played at Florida State and in the NBA.
 And he was still there in 2002 when Drew was hired to clean up <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-nfl-business-mens-college-basketball-bd83e9e43e464016b6e29d6d9ec98818">an inconceivable mess at Baylor.</a>Drew
 needed someone with an unflinchingly positive attitude who could 
recruit in Texas, and over dinner one night, Tang won him over, earning a
 job that Drew had very nearly given to someone else.Nearly two 
decades later, inside a quiet football stadium at the end of an NCAA 
Tournament played entirely inside a COVID-19 bubble, Drew and Tang 
celebrated the Bears <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-win-defeat-gonzaga-1st-ncaa-basketball-championship-1d53c12b04f50a9ea50110e787cc6567">winning the 2021 national championship</a>.“Scott
 allowed us to make mistakes,” says Tang, who has Drew's book, “The Road
 to Joy,” prominently displayed above his otherwise haphazard desk. “I 
mean, we were young, so we could make mistakes. And sometimes in this 
business, you're not allowed to make mistakes. I'll never be able to 
thank him for that.”Gene Taylor remembers a moment last year when
 the Wildcats still had just five players on their roster, and he was 
rightfully nervous. The athletic director had hired Tang after a pair of
 lengthy linterviews, one in Kansas City and one at Tang's home in Waco,
 Texas, and entrusted him with a program long on tradition but short on 
recent success.“I asked, ‘Are we OK?’” Taylor recalled, "and he said, ‘Gene, we're fine. I don’t just want guys; I want the right guys.'”The right guys turned out to be a motley crew carefully assembled during that hot summer in the Flint Hills.Nowell
 is the 5-foot-8 sparkplug that Kentucky coach John Calipari couldn't 
get himself to call by name — “That little guy,” coach Cal said — after 
he'd minced up his own Wildcats in last weekend's second-round tourney 
game.Keyontae Johnson, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-all-america-mens-basketball-team-2ab037abcde5157ad840f7dcd22cc8a4">voted an All-American alongside Nowell</a>,
 was playing for Florida when he collapsed on the court during a game in
 December 2020. Most schools were unwilling to clear Johnson to play, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-florida-gators-kansas-top-25-college-basketball-today-keyontae-johnson-6b738fc1685d1e9fdfade4e2a1afc6be">due to his underlying heart condition</a>, but Tang was willing to take every step and precaution necessary to get him back on the court.Cam
 Carter came from Mississippi State, David N'Guessan from Virginia Tech.
 Desi Sills arrived from Arkansas State, Abayomi Iyiola from Hofstra. 
Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who never even played basketball in high school, signed
 out of junior college, and a pair of freshmen were sold on Tang's 
unwavering vision for the future.“Nobody," Kansas coach Bill Self said, “has done a better job of assembling talent in a short amount of time.”Picked
 to finish last in the Big 12, the Wildcats finished third. The reward 
was a No. 3 seed in March Madness, where the Wildcats <a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-state-montana-state-c73a1a3cad7f67d1db2b315deb5917eb">knocked off Montana State</a> in the first round before toppling Kentucky last weekend.Now, they're just two more wins away from their first Final Four in nearly 50 years.“I
 like doing first stuff, you know?” Tang says, leaning forward in a 
purple wingback chair in the corner of his office, where boxes still 
remain unpacked a year after moving in. “Players, you ask them, do you 
remember your first dunk? They all remember their first dunk. Do you 
remember your third dunk? They don’t. Do you remember your first 
girlfriend? My first girlfriend was Pam Hubbard. My last was Careylyen, 
and I married her.“You remember your firsts and your lasts,” Tang says, "and I like firsts.”

Jerome Tang has rising Kansas State feeling sweet again

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State sophomore guard Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;was named to the NABC All-District Second Team for the Central Region on Monday. Hammeke was one of 10 players named to the region's all-district team, joining three other players from the MIAA. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference had five named to the team, while the Great American Conference had one. Hammeke adds this honor to an All-MIAA First Team selection for the 2022-23 season. He averaged 16.4 points and 3.6 assists per game for the season, scoring in double figures 27 of 30 games. He scored 20 or more seven times and 30 or more twice. A 36-point performance against Northeastern State on December 1, 2022 was his season high and he nearly matched that on February 18, 2023 with 35 at Missouri Southern. Hammeke gives Fort Hays State a player on the NABC All-District Team for a third-straight year. Jared Vitztum&nbsp;was also a second-team selection in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. Below is the 2022-23 NABC All-District Team for the Central Region.

First Team Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri State Jake Hilmer – Upper Iowa Jordan Janssen – Wayne State Sam Masten – Northern State Jaden Wells – Central Oklahoma

Second Team Matt Cartwright – Sioux Falls Kaleb Hammeke– Fort Hays State Owen Long – Emporia State Tyler McGhie – Southern Nazarene John Sutherland – Bemidji State

Coach of the Year:&nbsp;Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri St.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679413966564.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State sophomore guard Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;was named to the NABC All-District Second Team for the Central Region on Monday. Hammeke was one of 10 players named to the region's all-district team, joining three other players from the MIAA. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference had five named to the team, while the Great American Conference had one. Hammeke adds this honor to an All-MIAA First Team selection for the 2022-23 season. He averaged 16.4 points and 3.6 assists per game for the season, scoring in double figures 27 of 30 games. He scored 20 or more seven times and 30 or more twice. A 36-point performance against Northeastern State on December 1, 2022 was his season high and he nearly matched that on February 18, 2023 with 35 at Missouri Southern. Hammeke gives Fort Hays State a player on the NABC All-District Team for a third-straight year. Jared Vitztum&nbsp;was also a second-team selection in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. Below is the 2022-23 NABC All-District Team for the Central Region.First Team Diego Bernard – Northwest Missouri State Jake Hilmer – Upper Iowa Jordan Janssen – Wayne State Sam Masten – Northern State Jaden Wells – Central OklahomaSecond Team Matt Cartwright – Sioux Falls Kaleb Hammeke– Fort Hays State Owen Long – Emporia State Tyler McGhie – Southern Nazarene John Sutherland – Bemidji State Coach of the Year:&nbsp;Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri St.

🏀 FHSU's Hammeke named to NABC All-District Second Team

Colorado School of Mines (11-15) at Fort Hays State (16-10) Tuesday, March 21 - 2 PM (DH) Wednesday, March 22 - 12 PM (DH) Hays, Kan. - Tiger Stadium Radio - KAYS (94.3/1400)&nbsp;

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KAYS">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Fort Hays State Softball will host Colorado School of Mines in a four-game non-conference series Tuesday and Wednesday (Mar. 21-22) in Hays. The Tigers enter the week at 16-10 overall, while the Orediggers come into the series at 11-15 overall. The teams will play doubleheaders each day with action set to begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and then 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Live stream and stats will be available for the entire series at the links provided above. FHSU won three of four games in Colorado last week in non-conference action, while CSM most recently took three of four games in a conference series at Chadron State. The Opponent Colorado School of Mines (11-15) -Fort Hays State leads the all-time series with Colorado School of Mines 20-13. The teams last met in a doubleheader during the 2016 season. CSM won both games of that doubleheader by scores of 1-0 and 5-4. -The teams are meeting in Hays for the first time since 2005, when FHSU was still a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The last 12 games between the teams have been played in Golden. -The Orediggers are just 1-5 in non-conference games this season, all played in the state of Florida back in February. They fell in both games of doubleheaders with Palm Beach Atlantic and Barry, but split with Nova Southeastern. The Orediggers have played 20 straight conference games since, going 10-10. -Sidney Wilson leads CSM in batting average at .389, while ranking second on the team in RBIs with 14. Kayleigh Kruger leads the team in RBIs with 17. -Sadriena Rodriguez leads CSM pitchers with a 2.61 ERA, a 5-2 record, and 74 strikeouts in 67 innings of work. Tiger Notes Tigers Sweep Thunderwolves Fort Hays State is coming off a doubleheader sweep of CSU Pueblo on March 15. The Tigers won by scores of 6-3 and 5-2.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany's</a>&nbsp;second career grand slam helped lift the Tigers to victory in the first game. Tiffany and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/loren-beggs/7075">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;drove in three runs for the Tigers in the third inning of game two to push the Tigers into the lead, which they did not relinquish. Tiffany had six RBIs in the doubleheader.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;each threw complete games for the Tigers. Tigers Nearly Sweep Roadrunners Fort Hays State fell just one out short of a doubleheader sweep at MSU Denver. The Tigers were up 11-10 with one out to get in game one, but unfortunately saw the Roadrunners score the tying run on an RBI single then win the game on a walk-off home run. The Tigers went on to win game two 3-1, which started their current three-game win streak. When the Tigers Score Four Fort Hays State is 10-2 this season when scoring at least four runs in a game. The only losses when scoring four or more were on walk-off home runs, a 7-6 loss to Southern Nazarene and a 13-11 loss to MSU Denver. FHSU is 6-8 when scoring three or less runs this season. Seven Shutouts Seven of Fort Hays State's 16 wins this season have been by shutout. The 7 shutouts this season ranks second in the MIAA – only one behind defending national champion Rogers State which has 8. It ranks 13th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II. The 7 shutouts are already the most by a Tiger team during&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>'s tenure as a head coach. The 2013 team set the record for most shutouts by a team with 19. The 2002 (10) and 2009 (11) squads were the only others in the program's NCAA Division II history to reach double figures in shutouts for a season. Shepard of Speed <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;ranks among the top 10 players in the MIAA in stolen bases (T-3rd), on-base percentage (9th), hits (T-3rd), and hit-by-pitch (7th). She has 14 stolen bases, a .500 on-base percentage, 35 hits, and has been hit by a pitch five times. She is a perfect 14-of-14 on stolen base attempts this season. Efficient Running <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;have combined for 22 stolen bases so far this season. They are both perfect in their attempts, Shepard with 14 and Tiffany with 8.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;is 2-of-2, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sydnee-hoffman/7083">Sydnee Hoffman</a>&nbsp;is the only Tiger to be caught stealing this season at 1-of-2. The Tigers are 25-of-26 as a team. Tiffany Heating Back Up <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;has the longest current hitting streak for the Tigers, standing at six straight games. She is hitting .381 (8-for-21) in that stretch, bringing her season batting average back up to .329. She had a 1-for-19 stretch at the plate prior to her six-game hit streak. Tough to Strikeout <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;has just one strikeout in 64 at bats this season. She ranks eighth in NCAA Division II for toughest to strikeout. Put the Ball in Play Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA for fewest strikeouts as a team with 86 for the season. Central Oklahoma has the fewest with 80. Nebraska-Kearney leads the MIAA in strikeouts with 162. Moving Your Teammate Up Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifice bunts/hits with 19, only behind Washburn's 22. FHSU is also second in the conference in total sacrifices with 26 when adding on their seven sacrifice flies. Washburn leads the MIAA in total sacrifices with 30. Central Oklahoma leads the sacrifice fly category with 15 for the season. Solid Pitching Fort Hays State has a team pitching ERA of 2.87, which ranks sixth in the MIAA. Three of four Tiger pitchers have ERAs lower than 3.10 for the season, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;at 2.05. The Tiger pitchers rank second in the MIAA in strikeouts with 173, only behind Washburn (226). All four Tiger pitchers have at least 25 strikeouts on the season, led by Egger with 77. FHSU is allowing just a .251 batting average to opponents, which is sixth in the MIAA. Strong in the Circle <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;has allowed two or less earned runs in nine of her 13 starts in the pitching circle this season. She had four consecutive shutouts from February 24 to March 4, which accounts for all of her shutouts this season. She ranks 11th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II for individual shutouts, and is tied for first in the MIAA with Hannah Harrison of Pittsburg State. She had a 32-inning scoreless streak snapped on March 6 against Northwestern Oklahoma State, but threw 38 shutout innings in a 41-inning stretch from February 24 to March 11. Pair of Complete Games for Carlson <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;threw a pair of complete games last week in Colorado. She went the full seven innings in a 3-1 win at MSU Denver and a 5-2 win at CSU Pueblo. The complete game at MSU Denver on March 14 was her first since a 14-0 run-rule win in five innings over Sioux Falls back on February 26. With a 1.50 ERA over the two games last week, she lowered her season ERA to 2.70.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679393387041.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State's Loren Beggs swings at a pitch in an NCAA softball game earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Loren Beggs swings at a pitch in an NCAA softball game earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsColorado School of Mines (11-15) at Fort Hays State (16-10) Tuesday, March 21 - 2 PM (DH) Wednesday, March 22 - 12 PM (DH) Hays, Kan. - Tiger Stadium Radio - KAYS (94.3/1400)&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KAYS">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Fort Hays State Softball will host Colorado School of Mines in a four-game non-conference series Tuesday and Wednesday (Mar. 21-22) in Hays. The Tigers enter the week at 16-10 overall, while the Orediggers come into the series at 11-15 overall. The teams will play doubleheaders each day with action set to begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and then 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Live stream and stats will be available for the entire series at the links provided above. FHSU won three of four games in Colorado last week in non-conference action, while CSM most recently took three of four games in a conference series at Chadron State. The Opponent Colorado School of Mines (11-15) -Fort Hays State leads the all-time series with Colorado School of Mines 20-13. The teams last met in a doubleheader during the 2016 season. CSM won both games of that doubleheader by scores of 1-0 and 5-4. -The teams are meeting in Hays for the first time since 2005, when FHSU was still a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The last 12 games between the teams have been played in Golden. -The Orediggers are just 1-5 in non-conference games this season, all played in the state of Florida back in February. They fell in both games of doubleheaders with Palm Beach Atlantic and Barry, but split with Nova Southeastern. The Orediggers have played 20 straight conference games since, going 10-10. -Sidney Wilson leads CSM in batting average at .389, while ranking second on the team in RBIs with 14. Kayleigh Kruger leads the team in RBIs with 17. -Sadriena Rodriguez leads CSM pitchers with a 2.61 ERA, a 5-2 record, and 74 strikeouts in 67 innings of work. Tiger Notes Tigers Sweep Thunderwolves Fort Hays State is coming off a doubleheader sweep of CSU Pueblo on March 15. The Tigers won by scores of 6-3 and 5-2.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany's</a>&nbsp;second career grand slam helped lift the Tigers to victory in the first game. Tiffany and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/loren-beggs/7075">Loren Beggs</a>&nbsp;drove in three runs for the Tigers in the third inning of game two to push the Tigers into the lead, which they did not relinquish. Tiffany had six RBIs in the doubleheader.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;each threw complete games for the Tigers. Tigers Nearly Sweep Roadrunners Fort Hays State fell just one out short of a doubleheader sweep at MSU Denver. The Tigers were up 11-10 with one out to get in game one, but unfortunately saw the Roadrunners score the tying run on an RBI single then win the game on a walk-off home run. The Tigers went on to win game two 3-1, which started their current three-game win streak. When the Tigers Score Four Fort Hays State is 10-2 this season when scoring at least four runs in a game. The only losses when scoring four or more were on walk-off home runs, a 7-6 loss to Southern Nazarene and a 13-11 loss to MSU Denver. FHSU is 6-8 when scoring three or less runs this season. Seven Shutouts Seven of Fort Hays State's 16 wins this season have been by shutout. The 7 shutouts this season ranks second in the MIAA – only one behind defending national champion Rogers State which has 8. It ranks 13th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II. The 7 shutouts are already the most by a Tiger team during&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/adrian-pilkington/1157">Adrian Pilkington</a>'s tenure as a head coach. The 2013 team set the record for most shutouts by a team with 19. The 2002 (10) and 2009 (11) squads were the only others in the program's NCAA Division II history to reach double figures in shutouts for a season. Shepard of Speed <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;ranks among the top 10 players in the MIAA in stolen bases (T-3rd), on-base percentage (9th), hits (T-3rd), and hit-by-pitch (7th). She has 14 stolen bases, a .500 on-base percentage, 35 hits, and has been hit by a pitch five times. She is a perfect 14-of-14 on stolen base attempts this season. Efficient Running <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/peyton-shepard/7094">Peyton Shepard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;have combined for 22 stolen bases so far this season. They are both perfect in their attempts, Shepard with 14 and Tiffany with 8.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/carly-stuke/7096">Carly Stuke</a>&nbsp;is 2-of-2, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sydnee-hoffman/7083">Sydnee Hoffman</a>&nbsp;is the only Tiger to be caught stealing this season at 1-of-2. The Tigers are 25-of-26 as a team. Tiffany Heating Back Up <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/sarah-tiffany/7088">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;has the longest current hitting streak for the Tigers, standing at six straight games. She is hitting .381 (8-for-21) in that stretch, bringing her season batting average back up to .329. She had a 1-for-19 stretch at the plate prior to her six-game hit streak. Tough to Strikeout <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/lilliana-ramirez-johnson/7093">Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson</a>&nbsp;has just one strikeout in 64 at bats this season. She ranks eighth in NCAA Division II for toughest to strikeout. Put the Ball in Play Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA for fewest strikeouts as a team with 86 for the season. Central Oklahoma has the fewest with 80. Nebraska-Kearney leads the MIAA in strikeouts with 162. Moving Your Teammate Up Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifice bunts/hits with 19, only behind Washburn's 22. FHSU is also second in the conference in total sacrifices with 26 when adding on their seven sacrifice flies. Washburn leads the MIAA in total sacrifices with 30. Central Oklahoma leads the sacrifice fly category with 15 for the season. Solid Pitching Fort Hays State has a team pitching ERA of 2.87, which ranks sixth in the MIAA. Three of four Tiger pitchers have ERAs lower than 3.10 for the season, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;at 2.05. The Tiger pitchers rank second in the MIAA in strikeouts with 173, only behind Washburn (226). All four Tiger pitchers have at least 25 strikeouts on the season, led by Egger with 77. FHSU is allowing just a .251 batting average to opponents, which is sixth in the MIAA. Strong in the Circle <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/savanah-egger/7081">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;has allowed two or less earned runs in nine of her 13 starts in the pitching circle this season. She had four consecutive shutouts from February 24 to March 4, which accounts for all of her shutouts this season. She ranks 11th&nbsp;in NCAA Division II for individual shutouts, and is tied for first in the MIAA with Hannah Harrison of Pittsburg State. She had a 32-inning scoreless streak snapped on March 6 against Northwestern Oklahoma State, but threw 38 shutout innings in a 41-inning stretch from February 24 to March 11. Pair of Complete Games for Carlson <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/bailey-carlson/7078">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;threw a pair of complete games last week in Colorado. She went the full seven innings in a 3-1 win at MSU Denver and a 5-2 win at CSU Pueblo. The complete game at MSU Denver on March 14 was her first since a 14-0 run-rule win in five innings over Sioux Falls back on February 26. With a 1.50 ERA over the two games last week, she lowered her season ERA to 2.70.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎🎙️ LISTEN - FHSU hosts Colorado School of Mines

🎥⚾️🥎 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

It's the first spring sports Tiger Talk with head softball coach Adrian Pilkington and new head baseball coach Justin Wichert.

Tiger Talk airs live from Big Smoke Barbecue in Hays on KAYS (1400/94.3) at noon.

It's the first spring sports Tiger Talk with head softball coach Adrian Pilkington and new head baseball coach Justin Wichert.Tiger Talk airs live from Big Smoke Barbecue in Hays on KAYS (1400/94.3) at noon.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (March 20, 2023)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=v8b2c-13c01aa-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2"></iframe></div>