FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State Softball
MIAA Tournament Preview
May 3-6, 2023
Topeka, Kan. – Envista Softball Complex
Radio - KJLS (103.3)
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Fort Hays State Softball will head a few hours east on Interstate 70 to Topeka where it will compete in the MIAA Tournament, set for Wednesday through Saturday (May 3-6) at the Envista Softball Complex (Lake Shawnee Softball Complex). The Tigers are the No. 8 seed in the 8-team double elimination format tournament, entering with a record of 31-22 overall. FHSU finished 13-13 in MIAA play to qualify for the tournament. The Tigers are set to face No. 1 seed and No. 4 nationally ranked Central Oklahoma in the opening round on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Location, fan information, and tournament schedule is available at the link below. Live stream and stats will be available for all contests.
MIAA Championship Tournament Central Page
Tournament Opposition
#1 seed - Central Oklahoma (43-6, 23-3 MIAA)
-UCO claimed its 5th MIAA Regular Season title since it joined the conference in 2013 by sweeping Missouri Southern in its final doubleheader of the regular season. UCO won regular season titles in 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, and now 2023.
-UCO has won two MIAA Championship Tournaments since it joined the MIAA in 2013. Those titles occurred in 2017 and 2019, when the Bronchos were also champions of the regular season.
-UCO is ranked No. 4 in the latest NFCA Division II Poll released on May 2 and held the No. 1 ranking in the latest Central Region rankings released back on April 26.
-UCO swept the regular season doubleheader with FHSU by scores of 5-1 and 4-1 in Edmond.
-UCO leads the all-time series with FHSU 23-7 and has won the last six games.
-FHSU is 1-0 against UCO in the MIAA Tournament. The 5-0 win in 2013 was Maddie Holub's sixth no-hitter that season for the Tigers on their way to winning the MIAA Tournament. UCO went on to win the national title that year.
-The Bronchos enter the MIAA Tournament on a 12-game win streak that goes back to April 15.
-Shayla Harper leads UCO in batting average (.403), home runs (12), and RBIs (49). Emily Deramus is the MIAA Freshman of the Year and leads UCO in extra-base hits with 31 (18 doubles, 4 triples, 9 home runs).
-Jordyn Pipkin leads UCO in ERA (1.84), wins (19), and innings pitched (140.2). Terin Ritz leads UCO in strikeouts with 83.
#2 seed – Missouri Southern (36-11, 21-5 MIAA)
-Missouri Southern went into its final doubleheader of the regular season tied with Central Oklahoma for first place in the MIAA standings, but fell in both contests and finished second in the standings. UCO was the only MIAA team to sweep MSSU in the regular season.
-MSSU is ranked No. 25 in the latest NFCA Top 25 Poll, released on May 2. The Lions were ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA Central Region rankings released back on Wednesday, April 26.
-MSSU swept the regular season doubleheader with FHSU in Hays by scores of 6-0 and 9-1.
-FHSU leads the all-time series with MSSU 20-19, though MSSU has won the last five games.
-FHSU and MSSU have never met in an MIAA Tournament. FHSU has been in the MIAA since 2007.
-Yazmin Vargas leads the Lions in batting average (.415) and stolen bases (30). Leighton Withers leads the Lions in extra-base hits (26) and RBIs (44), while hitting .403.
-Bailey Lacy leads MSSU in ERA (2.06) and strikeouts (96). Avery Tallman leads in wins with 15.
#3 seed – Rogers State (41-10, 18-8 MIAA)
-Rogers State is the defending national champion in softball. The Hillcats won the 2022 NCAA Division II title finishing with a record of 58-10. The Hillcats won 10 consecutive games to claim the national title, fighting off elimination in the regional they hosted by winning three straight, sweeping the super regional series with Central Oklahoma, then going a perfect 5-0 at the Division II Championship site.
-Rogers State was the 2022 MIAA Tournament Champion, going 4-0 in the tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Hillcats went a perfect 4-0 to claim the tournament before their 11-1 run in the NCAA Tournament to claim the national title.
-RSU is ranked No. 9 in the latest NFCA Top 25 Poll released on May 2. The Hillcats were ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA Central Region rankings released back on Wednesday, April 26.
-FHSU split the regular season doubleheader with Rogers State in Hays. The Hillcats won game one 6-1 before the Tigers won the second contest 1-0.
-Savanah Egger threw one of her MIAA-leading nine shutouts against Rogers State to get the doubleheader split against RSU in Hays.
-RSU leads the all-time series with FHSU 10-2. The Tigers are still searching for their first win against the Hillcats outside of Hays (0-8). FHSU is 2-2 against RSU all-time in Hays.
-RSU is 2-0 against FHSU in MIAA Tournament play. The Hillcats swept a best-of-3 opening round matchup in the MIAA Tournament in 2021 by scores of 3-2 and 4-1. The 2021 season was the only year the MIAA experimented with having opening round best-of-3 series before having the four winners play a tournament format the following week.
-Bridgett Morales leads the Hillcats in RBIs (46) and extra-base hits (19).
-Sara Llamas-Howell leads RSU pitchers in ERA (1.08), wins (21), and shutouts (7), while Jade Sanders leads in strikeouts with 126. Llamas-Howell is the MIAA Pitcher of the Year.
#4 seed – Central Missouri (32-19, 16-10 MIAA)
-Central Missouri has won two MIAA Tournament titles since FHSU joined the MIAA (2015, 2021).
-FHSU and UCM have met 7 times in the MIAA. UCM holds a 4-3 advantage in those meetings.
-FHSU and UCM last met in the MIAA Tournament in 2016 in Oklahoma City when UCM won an elimination game by the score of 1-0.
-UCM leads the all-time series with FHSU 31-15. The Jennies swept the doubleheader between the teams in the regular season in Warrensburg by scores of 10-9 and 6-4.
-FHSU has not defeated UCM outside of Hays since the 2014 season when they won an MIAA Tournament game by the score of 6-5 in Overland Park, Kan.
-Abbey Fischer leads UCM in batting average (.362) and home runs (7). Ashlyn Cook leads in extra-base hits (22), while Makenzie McAtee leads in RBIs (36).
-Andi Siebeneck leads UCM in ERA (2.98), while Paige Petefish leads in wins (11) and strikeouts (95).
#5 seed – Washburn (36-14, 15-11 MIAA)
-Since FHSU has been a member of the MIAA (2007), Washburn has won a pair of regular season titles (2018, 2022) but has not won an MIAA Tournament title. The Ichabods reached the finals of the tournament last year, but fell to Rogers State.
-FHSU and Washburn have met only once in the MIAA Tournament back in 2011. FHSU won that matchup 5-3 in Overland Park, Kan.
-Washburn leads the all-time Division II history with FHSU 35-24. The teams split the regular season doubleheader earlier this year in Topeka with FHSU winning game one 2-1, then WU taking game two 4-3 in 8 innings.
-All-MIAA First Team selection Jaycee Ginter is the MIAA pitching leader in wins (23), innings pitched (198.2), and strikeouts (236).
-Marrit Mead leads WU in batting average (.396) and extra-base hits (17), while Ginter leads in RBIs with 40.
#6 seed – Missouri Western (35-18, 14-12)
-Since FHSU has been a member of the MIAA (2007), Missouri Western has won a pair of MIAA Tournament titles (2014, 2016). The Griffons also won two regular season titles in that span, sharing a with Nebraska-Omaha and Emporia State in 2011 and outright in 2016.
-FHSU and MWSU have met in the MIAA Tournament seven times. FHSU holds a 4-3 advantage in those contests. The last time the teams met in the tournament was in 2015, which resulted in an 8-0 win for the Griffons in Overland Park, Kan.
-FHSU's last win over MWSU in the MIAA Tournament was in 2013 by a score of 3-0 in Overland Park, Kan., which was also the last time the Tigers defeated the Griffons outside of Hays.
-MWSU leads the all-time series with FHSU 27-13. The teams split the regular season doubleheader this year in Hays with MWSU winning game one 8-2 before FHSU won game two 3-2.
-The Griffons are led by MIAA Player of the Year Sydni Hawkins, who owns a .460 batting average with 20 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs, and 31 RBIs, while scoring 52 runs. She also has 11 stolen bases.
-Sam Pederson leads MWSU in ERA (1.89) and strikeouts (158). Harley Pruetting leads in wins (17) and shutouts (4).
#7 seed – Emporia State (33-21, 13-13 MIAA)
-Since FHSU has been a member of the MIAA (2007), Emporia State has won six MIAA Tournament titles (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018). The Hornets also won six regular season titles in that span, but have not won the regular season since 2014.
-FHSU and ESU have met in the MIAA Tournament eight times. The Hornets hold a 5-3 advantage in those meetings.
-The last MIAA Tournament meeting between FHSU and ESU was in 2013, when FHSU won the title with a 7-4 victory in Overland Park. It was the only year the Tigers won the MIAA Tournament.
-ESU leads the NCAA Division II series history with FHSU 36-21. The Hornets swept a doubleheader between the teams earlier this year in Emporia by scores of 4-3 and 6-0.
-Emma Furnish leads the Hornets in batting average (.302). The Hornets rank 5th nationally in stolen bases with 154 as five players on the team have at least 16, led by Abbey Ward with 36.
-Gracie Rabe leads the Hornets in ERA (2.58), wins (14), innings pitched (125.0) and strikeouts (62).
Tiger Notes
Tigers in the MIAA Tournament
Fort Hays State is 17-21 all-time in the MIAA Tournament. The Tigers are making their 12th appearance in the tournament in their 17 years as members of the conference. It is their second appearance in the last three years, the last being in 2021. The Tigers are looking for their first win in an MIAA Tournament game since 2014 after going 0-2 in 2015, 2016, and 2021. This is the fourth appearance in the conference tournament under head coach Adrian Pilkington.
Tigers as a No. 8 Seed in MIAA Tournament
Fort Hays State will make its fourth appearance as the No. 8 seed in the 8-team double elimination format MIAA Tournament. FHSU was in the No. 8 seed in 2008, 2009, and 2015. The Tigers went 2-2 in 2008, 1-2 in 2009, and 0-2 in 2015. Emporia State was the No. 1 seed in 2008, and Central Missouri was the No. 1 seed in 2009 and 2015. The Tigers still seeking their first time knocking off a No. 1 seed in the opening round as the No. 8 seed.
Last Tiger MIAA Tournament Title
Fort Hays State claimed its only MIAA Tournament title back in 2013. FHSU finished second in the regular season standings that year to Central Oklahoma, but went 4-1 in the MIAA Tournament that year for the title. FHSU needed the "if necessary" championship game in the double elimination format that season to win the title when it played Emporia State. The Hornets forced the if necessary game with a 1-0 win, but the Tigers won the second contest 7-4. Maddie Holub threw two of her six no-hitters that season for the Tigers in the MIAA Tournament. FHSU went on to host the NCAA Regional the following week and went 2-2, falling to Central Oklahoma twice which went undefeated all the way through the NCAA Tournament on its way to a national title.
Near Perfect in Topeka This Year
Topeka has been a place of good fortune for the Tigers this year, where they are 7-1 on the season. The Tigers went a perfect 6-0 in the Washburn Invitational (Feb. 24-26) and then split their regular season doubleheader with Washburn in Topeka. The Tigers are 4-0 so far this year at the Envista Softball Complex (Lake Shawnee Softball Complex), where they defeated Rockhurst 2-0, Wayne State (Neb.) 6-2, University of Mary 9-0, and Sioux Falls 14-0. They have outscored their opponents 31-2 at the complex this season. The Tigers have surrendered just a total of 7 runs in their 8 games played in Topeka this year, and five of those runs were to Washburn in MIAA play.
Against the Bronchos in MIAA Tournament
Fort Hays State is 1-0 all-time against Central Oklahoma in the MIAA Tournament. Central Oklahoma was the No. 1 seed the only time the teams met, which was back in 2013 when FHSU was the No. 2 seed. A 5-0 win by the Tigers highlighted by Maddie Holub's sixth no-hitter of the season vaulted the Tigers into the MIAA Tournament Championship game. The Tigers needed two championship games to win the tournament that year.
When Facing a Defending National Champion
The Tigers are now 2-3 in their history when facing a defending national champion. FHSU knocked off defending national champion Rogers State once in Hays this past week in a doubleheader. Central Oklahoma was national champion in 2013 and FHSU split a doubleheader with UCO in 2014 in Edmond. Minnesota State was the national champion in 2017 and FHSU lost in a neutral site game to MSU in 2018.
Most Wins Under Pilkington
Fort Hays State has its most wins in a season under Adrian Pilkington. The Tigers now have 31 this season, topping the 26 produced by her 2015 squad. The Tigers have won at least 23 four of the last five years, with the only year they didn't being the COVID season of 2020 when they won 15. This is Fort Hays State's first 30-win season under head coach Adrian Pilkington. The Tigers have won 30 games for the first time since the 2013 season when they won 47.
Loaded Conference
Impressively all eight teams competing in the MIAA Tournament this season have 30 or more wins overall. The conference boasted an unprecedented nine teams (out of 14) with 30 or more wins this season. Northeastern State (30-21) was the only 30-win team not to make the 8-team tournament field. Eleven of the 14 teams in the conference will finish with winning records overall and all 11 have at least 27 wins.
When the Tigers Score Four
Fort Hays State is 17-4 this season when scoring at least four runs in a game. Three of the four losses when scoring four or more were on walk-off home runs, including a 7-6 loss to Southern Nazarene, 13-11 loss to MSU Denver, and 6-4 loss to Central Missouri. FHSU is 14-18 when scoring three or less runs this season.
16 Shutouts
Sixteen of Fort Hays State's 31 wins this season have been by shutout. The 16 shutouts ranks 2nd in the MIAA behind Rogers State's 17 and 12th in NCAA Division II. Rogers State ranks 11th in NCAA Division II. The national lead is 23 by Concordia University-Irvine. The 16 shutouts are already the most by a Tiger team during Adrian Pilkington's tenure as a head coach, and now the second-most for a team in program history. The 2013 team set the record for most shutouts by a Tiger team with 19. The Tigers actually matched the 2013 team in shutouts produced during the regular season, but the 2013 squad went on to win its first three MIAA Tournament games by shutout on the way to a tournament title. The 2002 (10) and 2009 (11) squads were the only other teams in the program's NCAA Division II history to reach double figures in shutouts for a season.
Shepard of Speed
Peyton Shepard ranks among the top 10 players in the MIAA in hits (3rd), stolen bases (8th), and batting average (10th). She has 18 stolen bases and 67 hits. She leads the Tigers in batting average (.376), runs scored (34), and on-base percentage (.434). She has a team-best 19 multi-hit games this season. Her 18 stolen bases already ranks fourth-best for a season at FHSU. She is four back of Rilee Krier on the list, who stole 22 in 2016. Bianca Adame produced the two best marks in FHSU history, swiping 40 in 2013 and 32 in 2014. Shepard is an All-MIAA Second Team selection as an outfielder.
Efficient Running
Peyton Shepard and Sarah Tiffany have combined for 28 stolen bases so far this season. Shepard leads the team with 18 and Tiffany ranks second with 10, both caught just one time this season. Carly Stuke is 2-of-2, while Sydnee Hoffman is 1-of-3. The Tigers are 31-of-35 as a team.
Burghart Surging at the Plate
Adysen Burghart has been hot at the plate since April 2. In her last 17 games, Burghart is hitting .395 (15-for-38) with four doubles and one triple. She has a .553 slugging percentage and .490 on-base percentage in that stretch. She also has four sacrifices in the 17-game span with three sacrifice flies and one sacrifice bunt. Burghart has seen her season batting average jump from .179 to .280.
Solid April for Stuke
Carly Stuke has a .328 batting average (19-of-58) in the month of April. She hit 7 of her 12 doubles for the season in the month, while driving in six runs. Stuke is hitting .320 for the season, which ranks second on the team. Stuke has the most home runs on the team with three. Stuke is an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection as an outfielder.
14 Multi-Hit, 11 Multi-RBI Games for Tiffany
Sarah Tiffany ranks second on the team with 14 multi-hit games this season and is tied with Peyton Shepard for the most three-hit games this season with five. She had a string of five straight multi-hit games from April 16 to April 21. She leads the team in RBIs with 34 for the season.
Pierce Grabs Share of FHSU Single-Season Doubles Record
Madison Pierce leads the FHSU in doubles with 18, which matches the most in a season by a Tiger. She joins Emily Herl (2006) and Jessika Anastos (2008) at the top of the list. She is tied for second in the MIAA in doubles with Emily Deramus of Central Oklahoma and ranks 16th in NCAA Division II. Sydni Hawkins of Missouri Western leads the MIAA with 20. The national lead is 26 by Aleese Angelo of Millersville.
Beggs Leads Tigers in Extra-Base Hits
Loren Beggs leads FHSU in extra-base hits this season with 21. Beggs ranks third in the MIAA for triples with 5, just one behind Abbey Fischer of Central Missouri and Sydni Hawkins of Missouri Western each with six. Her 5 triples is tied for third most in a season at FHSU, now only behind Heather Varnum's school record of 7 set in 2000 and head coach Adrian (Mohr) Pilkington's 6 in 2009. Beggs' 8 career triples ties for fifth most in school history. She also has 14 doubles this season, which ranks 7th in the MIAA, and 2 home runs.
Moving Your Teammate Up
Fort Hays State ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifice bunts/hits with 35, only behind Washburn's 40. The Tigers are also second in sacrifice flies with 16, only behind Central Oklahoma's 23. FHSU ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifices overall with 51, five behind Washburn's 53.
Solid Pitching
Fort Hays State has a team pitching ERA of 2.73, which ranks sixth in the MIAA. Savanah Egger leads FHSU pitchers in ERA at 2.04 for the season. The Tiger pitchers rank fourth in the MIAA in strikeouts with 300 (Washburn leads with 377). Three of the four Tiger pitchers have at least 48 strikeouts on the season, led by Egger with 142. FHSU is allowing just a .249 batting average to opponents, which is fifth best in the MIAA.
Strong in the Circle
Savanah Egger has allowed two or less earned runs in 16 of her 24 starts in the pitching circle this season. She had four consecutive shutouts from February 24 to March 4, and has since thrown five more for a total of nine for the season. She ranks 8th in NCAA Division II for individual shutouts and leads the MIAA. She ranks second in the MIAA for complete games with 18. She ranks 3rd in the MIAA in strikeouts with 142. She had a school-record 32-inning scoreless streak at one point during the season. Her nine shutouts is second most for a single season in FHSU history, only behind Maddie Holub's 13 in 2013. Egger is the leader in wins among Tiger pitchers with 14 for the season. Egger is an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection at pitcher.
Carlson Steady in the Circle
Bailey Carlson holds a 2.79 ERA for the season. She has allowed three or less earned runs in all of her outings in the pitching circle this season. She is 11-9 on the season and ranks second among Tiger pitchers in wins. She has nine complete games and three shutouts to her credit for the season. She has shown big improvement this season in her ERA, down nearly 2 runs per game from last year (4.62).
Schmidt Throws Another No-Hitter, Becomes Just Second Tiger with Multiple No-Hitters
After throwing a no-hitter at Southwestern Oklahoma State on March 28, Morgan Schmidt did it once again in a 3-0 win at Newman University on April 21. She now owns the 14th and 15th no-hitters in FHSU's NCAA Division II history. Despite hitting the first batter she faced at Newman, Schmidt was perfect the rest of the way recording 21 straight outs. She had five strikeouts, five groundouts, and 11 flyouts with several being weak pop ups on the infield. Schmidt became just the second Tiger pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters in the program's NCAA Division II era, joining Maddie Holub who threw seven in her career, including six in just one season (2013). Schmidt's no-hitter at Newman was the 14th individual no-hitter in program history, as Holub and head coach Adrian (Mohr) Pilkington share the only combined no-hitter in program history. Aside from a pair of no-hitters this season, Schmidt has the highest strikeouts per seven innings rate in the MIAA at 9.0 and ranks 14th in NCAA Division II. She has 78 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.
Win Streaks
Fort Hays State put together two big win streaks this season. The Tigers won eight straight games from February 24 and March 4, then topped that with a nine-game win streak from March 14 to March 28. The nine-game win streak matched the second best in program history, produced by the 2013 team. The 2013 squad also owns the top win streak in program history, which lasted 12 games. The eight-game streak by this year's squad ties for fourth best in program history, also produced by the 1999, 2003, and 2005 squads.