The Fort Hays State softball team heads on the road Thursday and Friday (Mar. 29-30) for conference doubleheaders at Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State. Nearing the midway point of MIAA play, the Tigers are in a tie for eighth in the standings at 5-7. The doubleheader against Missouri Southern will begin at 11 am on Thursday, but will take place at Joplin High School. The games against Pittsburg State on Friday begin at 2 pm.

Live stats will be available for both doubleheaders, while live video will be available at Missouri Southern. See the links above.

The Tigers enter the week of play in a tie for eighth with Emporia State and Lindenwood. The Tigers split their pair of games with Lindenwood earlier this year, but have yet to play Emporia State. The Tigers face a pair of teams behind them in the standings this week. Missouri Southern enters Thursday at 3-7 in MIAA play, but improved to that mark on Wednesday with a doubleheader sweep of Southwest Baptist. Pittsburg State now sits at 3-5 in the conference after getting swept by Central Missouri on Wednesday. The Tigers have won five of their last eight conference games, seeking to finish in the top eight of the MIAA standings to make the MIAA Tournament at the end of the season.

The Tigers are coming off a 2-2 performance this past weekend in Hays, dropping a pair of games to Central Missouri before sweeping Southwest Baptist. Grace Philop and Bailey Boxberger lead the team in batting average, each at .363 for the season. Sara Breckbill leads the team in home runs with four and is tied with Boxberger for the team lead in RBI, each with 20.

Sierra Rodriguez and Megan Jamison have seen strong performances of late in the circle. Rodriguez allowed just two earned runs in 11.2 innings pitched this past weekend. Jamison has allowed just three earned runs in her last 13.2 innings of relief work. Hailey Chapman is the team leader in ERA at 4.93 for the season and she did not allow an earned run in her complete game effort against SBU this past Saturday.