Fort Hays State (14-17-1, 0-4 MIAA) at
Pittsburg State (21-12, 3-5 MIAA)
Friday, April 1 – 1 & 3 p.m.
Pittsburg, Kan. – PSU Softball Complex
 
Fort Hays State at
Missouri Southern (16-15, 4-4 MIAA)
Saturday, April 2 – 1 & 3 p.m.
Joplin, Mo. – Pat Lipira Softball Complex
 
Fort Hays State Softball heads back on the road this weekend for a pair of MIAA doubleheaders. First stop will be at Pittsburg State on Friday, followed by Missouri Southern on Saturday. The Tigers enter at 14-17-1 overall, 0-4 in the MIAA. Pittsburg State is currently 21-12 overall, 3-5 MIAA, while Missouri Southern enters the weekend at 16-15 overall, 4-4 MIAA and plays Nebraska-Kearney on Friday before hosting FHSU.

Pittsburg State will not have a live stream available for the doubleheader on Friday, but live stats will still be available at the link above. Missouri Southern will have both a live stream and stats of the doubleheader Saturday. Links are available here.

The Tigers picked up a win and a rare tie at Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday. The tie was a result of lightning and storms forcing the halt of game two that was tied 6-6 after six innings.
 
Fort Hays State is looking to get success going in MIAA play this season, still winless in four chances. The Tigers were swept in doubleheaders at Missouri Western and Nebraska-Kearney. FHSU is 14-13-1 in non-conference games this year, averaging 5.2 runs in those 28 contests. The Tigers are averaging just 1.5 runs in their four conference games so far.
 
Fort Hays State is trending in a good direction in its last 20 games after a 4-8 start to the season. In those first 12 games of the season, FHSU struggled to just a .199 batting average as a team and a 5.95 team ERA. But the Tigers have shaken the early-season rust by batting .315 and posting a team ERA of 3.23 in their last 20 games, going 10-9-1 in that stretch. Sarah Tiffany (26-for-54) and Jessica Espinoza (23-for-52) have hit a blistering .481 and .442 respectively in the last 20, while Bailey Carlson has a 2.22 ERA and Savanah Egger has a 2.28 ERA in that stretch.
 
Several young Tigers that have been mainstays in the starting lineup are heating up as well. Madison Pierce went from a .162 batting average in the first 12 games to .333 in the last 20, figuring into a .261 mark for the season. Regan Curry was at .226 through the first 12 and has hit .304 over the last 20 and now stands at .276 for the season. Kiana Blake was sidelined the first 12 games of the season due to injury, but has been a key addition for the Tigers since at a .259 average. Meanwhile, Tiger veterans Sara Breckbill and Loren Beggs, mainstays in the middle of the Tiger order, are hitting over .300 in the last 20.
 
After a 3-1 start in MIAA play, Pittsburg State dropped its last four conference contests getting swept by Rogers State (a top-5 ranked team nationally) and Northeastern State. The Gorillas swept Lincoln and split with Central Missouri earlier. The Gorillas rank 12^th in the MIAA in ERA at 4.44, but lead the conference in batting average at .346. The all-time series between FHSU and PSU is tied 20-20 as FHSU has won five of the last six.
 
Missouri Southern had a similar start to MIAA play by splitting with Central Missouri and sweeping Lincoln. The Lions most recently split with Northeastern State and were swept by Rogers State. The Lions rank near the middle of the pack in the MIAA in hitting (.290) and pitching ERA (3.64). FHSU is 20-15 all time against Missouri Southern, winning three of the last four contests in the series.