FHSU Athletics
2025 MIAA Baseball Championship - Quarterfinals
No. 3 seed Fort Hays State Baseball (32-15, 26-10 MIAA)
vs. No. 6 seed Northwest Missouri State (25-24, 19-17 MIAA)
Thursday, May 8 • 3 p.m.
Pittsburg, Kan. • Al Ortolani Field
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
The Fort Hays State baseball team opens postseason play Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 MIAA Baseball Championship Tournament. The third-seeded Tigers (32-15, 26-10 MIAA) will take on the No. 6 seed Northwest Missouri State (25-24, 19-17 MIAA) beginning at 3 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.
The majority of the tournament is being held in Joplin, Mo., however due to potential rain and thunderstorms, the conference office made the decision to use two sites for the opening round on Wednesday and the quarterfinal round on Thursday in an effort to keep the rest of the tournament on schedule.
Live video will not be available for the games played in Pittsburg, however radio coverage with voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock will be available over the airwaves on KJLS 103.3 FM and online here. Live stats of the quarterfinal contest will be available here.
All semifinal and championship games currently remain as scheduled in Joplin, Mo. should the Tigers advance in the tournament. FHSU would play in the second semifinal beginning at approximately 4 p.m. on Friday, while the title game is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
This year's conference tournament features a new format, with 10 teams playing in a single elimination tournament.
The Tigers took two out of three games at home against the Bearcats in the regular season, winning 4-1 in the opener and 4-3 in the rubber game while NWMSU took game two, 13-2. Fort Hays State is 31-41 all-time against the Bearcats, including a 5-4 record under Wichert.
FHSU was well represented on the MIAA postseason awards list, with seven players earning All-MIAA status, one earning Gold Glove honors and two individuals picking up significant awards. Head coach Justin Wichert was named the Steve Anson Coach of the Year, while Ty Riley earned co-MIAA Pitcher of the Year recognition.
Riley and Brandon Chavez were both first team All-MIAA selections, while Trey DeGarmo, Elliott Herrmann and Derek Woolwine were all second team picks. Cade Flaherty and Tony Moore both collected honorable mention status, while Luis Ayala was named the MIAA Gold Glove Award winner at catcher.
Riley leads the conference and ranks second in NCAA Division II with 111 strikeouts this season, breaking a school record that stood for nearly 50 years. Now with 187 career strikeouts, the Bentonville, Ark. native is six shy of the program's career strikeout record. His batting average against of .185 is second-best in the league while his ERA of 2.91 is fourth best among qualified pitchers in the conference.
Chavez pitched a team-high 22 times in the regular season, racking up nine saves and six victories in the process. The lefty's nine saves are second-most in the league and are tied for fifth-most in a season in team history while he is sixth in the conference in the win column.
DeGarmo led the Tigers with 13 home runs on the year, sixth-most in the MIAA. He ranks eighth in the conference with a team-best 54 RBI.
Herrmann was an All-MIAA pick for the second year in a row after earning third team status in 2024. He ranks second on the team and 11th in the conference with 11 home runs while working a team-high 21 walks. The Castle Rock, Colo. native is second on the squad with 43 runs scored.
Woolwine tied for second on the team with 11 home runs in the regular season after mashing a trio of long balls in the final series of the season. The designated hitter is second on the squad with a slugging percentage of .596.
Flaherty has been FHSU's starting pitcher 12 times this season, second-most on the team. He tossed a pair of complete games, posting a 4-1 record with an ERA of 4.59 and a batting average against of .257.
Moore led the team in multiple categories as a freshman, including batting average (.349), doubles (12) and triples (four). His four triples are tied for fifth-most in the MIAA.
Ayala earned the Gold Glove Award behind the plate after leading the league with 17 runners caught stealing. He totaled 319 putouts behind the dish, seventh-most in the league, while posting a fielding percentage of .989.
Northwest Missouri State had five All-MIAA selections, including a pair of third team picks in Ashton Neuman and Ryan Williams. Ben Haug, Jaren Guck and Dylan Huff were all honorable mention selections, while Neuman was one of three Gold Glove winners in the outfield. The Bearcats finished the regular season with a sweep at home against Emporia State to move over .500 for the year.
2025 MIAA Baseball Championship
May 7-10 • Joplin, Mo. and Pittsburg, Kan.
Quarterfinals - Thursday, May 8 vs. Northwest Missouri State • 3 p.m. • Pittsburg, Kan.
Semifinals - Friday, May 9 • 4 p.m. • Joplin, Mo.
Championship Game • Saturday, May 10 • 1 p.m. - Joplin, Mo.