Fort Hays State (23-15, 7-5 MIAA) vs. Truman (19-24, 3-11 MIAA) Monday, April 16, 1:00 pm (DH) - Kirksville, Mo. Live Stats Fort Hays State (23-15, 7-5 MIAA) vs. Northwest Missouri State (15-27, 5-11) Tuesday, April 17, 11:00 am (DH) - Maryville, Mo. Live Stats (Game 1)  I  Game 2 FHSU Season Statistics: StatCrew  I  XML

After having their weekend games postponed, the Fort Hays State softball team will get back on the field early this week for a pair of key conference matchups. The Tigers will travel to Truman on Monday (April 16) before facing Northwest Missouri on Tuesday (April 17) in their final road trip of the 2012 season.

This is a very crucial weekend for the Tigers who are currently sitting in fourth place of the MIAA standings with a 7-5 conference record. FHSU has lost four consecutive conference games, but got a sweep over Nebraska-Kearney last week to snap a skid that included eight losses in the previous nine games. The Tigers have a chance to play their way into third place in the standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

In Truman, Fort Hays State will be facing the second-best hitting team in the MIAA in terms of batting average and home runs. The Bulldogs have split their last two conference series and are fighting to qualify for the conference tournament later this month. Northwest Missouri State is currently in the final spot that would go to the MIAA Tournament after splitting a doubleheader with Washburn on Friday.

Maddie Holub, a two-time MIAA Player of the Week this season, continues to pace the Tigers, both offensively and from the pitching circle. Holub leads the team in batting average (.355), hits (43) and RBI (22) and is tied with Adriana Wortley for the team lead with five home runs. She has also emerged as one of the elite pitchers in the conference, leading the MIAA with 222 strikeouts, a mark that ranks sixth nationally.

Amanda Vaupel and Wortley are the only other players for FHSU hitting over the .300 mark, with Vaupel at .328 and Wortley hitting .316. The Tigers offense had been in a slump recently until exploding for 15 hits and 13 runs in the doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney. FHSU ranks as the sixth-best hitting team in the MIAA, but they are ranked second in the conference in fielding, with a team fielding percentage of .961.

Following these games, the Tigers return home to close out the 2012 regular season. Fort Hays State will host Pittsburg State on Saturday (April 21) and Missouri Southern on Sunday (April 22) in their final home games of the year.