Fort Hays State Baseball (7-8)
vs Wayne State (3-4)
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 • 1:00/3:30 p.m.
Hays, Kan. • Larks Park

The Fort Hays State baseball team will host a non-conference doubleheader with Wayne State College on Wednesday (March 1). Both games are scheduled for seven innings, with first pitch in the opener set for 1 p.m.

The Tigers (7-8) dropped a three-game series to Washburn in their home opener last weekend. The Tigers continue to lead the MIAA in batting average (.347) and on-base percentage (.460) while ranking in the top three in hits (172), runs (141), RBI (124), total bases (270), slugging percentage (.545) and walks drawn (84).

FHSU has laid down the second-most sacrifice bunts in all of Division II this season while also ranking fifth in hits and runs scored, 10th in walks drawn, 14th in batting average and triples, 15th in doubles and home runs and 16th in on-base percentage.

Zane Knox leads the team in batting average (.475), slugging percentage (.875) and on-base percentage (.580), which is the best mark in the conference. Trey DeGarmo has crossed the plate a team-high 21 times which ranks 14th in DII. Elliott Herrmann leads all of Division II with 28 RBI while owning a team-high five home runs. Isaiah Ural and Emile Boies are tied for the MIAA lead in walks drawn with 13 each which ranks 23rd among DII players.

Boies has also seen success on the mound for the Tigers collecting a pair of saves in five appearances while posting a team-best 1.80 ERA. Batters have posted a .235 average against Zach Berg this season which is a team low for the senior who owns a 2-1 record in five relief appearances. Andrew Hansen leads the Tiger pitching staff with 17 punchouts, followed closely by Connor Holle with 16.

This will be the third series played between the Tigers and the Wildcats, with the all-time record leaning Wayne State's way, 3-2. The Tigers won the first two games back in 2012 before the Wildcats swept a three-game series in Hays in 2019.

Wayne State is 3-4 so far this season most recently losing two-of-three in a series with William Jewell. The Wildcats are led at the plate by Nate Cunningham who is batting .417. Colin Lynam has homered three times for WSC collecting nine RBI and a slugging percentage of .739. Josh Kilzer and Braden Cannon shine out of the bullpen for the Wildcats posting 0.00 and 1.23 ERA's respectively. Cannon leads the team with seven strikeouts while Kilzer has four.