Washburn (3-9, 0-0 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (12-6, 0-0 MIAA) Saturday, March 10, 12:00 pm (DH) - Hays, Kan. Live Stats  I  Season Statistics

The Fort Hays State softball team will be be back at home this weekend, taking on Washburn on Saturday (March 10) in the opening conference doubleheader of the season. The Tigers are now 12-6 on the year after getting two wins over Panhandle State and a split with Southwestern Oklahoma State earlier this week. Washburn comes to Hays with a 3-9 record, but they did win two out of four games last weekend at the Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern.

The Tigers have been a very balanced club early so far this year, ranking second in the MIAA in batting while leading the conference in fielding. As a team, Fort Hays State is hitting .300, with four players in the starting lineup hitting above that mark. FHSU also ranks third in the MIAA in home runs with 15 and have had six different players hit one this season.

Leading the way offensively is Maddie Holub, who is batting .397 and leads the team with 23 hits and four home runs. Holub broke the FHSU record for career home runs earlier this season, but she is currently tied atop that list with Adriana Wortley. Holub and Wortley have both hit 21 home runs in an FHSU uniform. Wortley is second on the team in hitting, batting .386 with three home runs and leading the team with 14 RBI.

Taylor Nelson and Amanda Vaupel have also been strong for the Tigers at the plate. Nelson has moved into the leadoff position this year and is hitting .328 with four doubles and 10 RBI. Nelson has also hit three home runs, including two earlier this week in the Tigers 10-2 win over Panhandle State. Vaupel has stepped in early in her freshman season to hit .382 with two doubles and 13 RBI. The Tigers have two other players, Chelsey Rottinghaus and Callie Wright, hitting right around that .300 mark. Rottinghaus and Wright have each hit two home runs this season and they help solidify the middle of the FHSU lineup.

Holub has also been the ace for FHSU in the pitching circle. She leads the MIAA in strikeouts with 112 and has a 7-4 record on the year with a 2.56 ERA. Holub has pitched 10 complete games and made two relief appearances, picking up the first save of her career earlier this season against Arkansas Tech. Kaitlyn Shattleroe and Abby Morrison have battled for the No. 2 pitching spot early on in the season. Shattleroe has appeared eight times, making five starts and has a 5-1 record with a 4.57 ERA while Morrison has started three games and is currently 0-1.

This series is the beginning of a six-game homestand to open MIAA play for the Tigers. Next weekend, FHSU will host Central Missouri on Friday (March 16) and Southwest Baptist on Saturday (March 17).