Fort Hays State (14-12, 0-4 MIAA) vs.
Nebraska-Kearney (13-14, 1-3 MIAA)
Friday – March 22 – 1 PM (DH)
Kearney, Neb. – Patriot Park
 
Fort Hays State Softball returns to conference play on Friday (March 22) in a doubleheader at Nebraska-Kearney. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Patriot Park in Kearney. FHSU enters at 14-12 overall, 0-4 MIAA, while UNK enters at 13-14, 1-3 MIAA.
 
Fort Hays State owns a 42-38 advantage in the all-time series with Nebraska-Kearney. The home team has won both games of the last five doubleheaders played between the teams. UNK has won four straight against FHSU at home, while FHSU has won six straight against UNK in Hays.
 
Fort Hays State is coming off a midweek doubleheader split with Colorado School of Mines in Hays. A 4-3 loss in the first game of the doubleheader snapped a four-game win streak for the Tigers, which they have accomplished three times this season. They bounced back for a 7-1 win in the second game and have now won five of their last six games.
 
Nebraska-Kearney participated in an MIAA/NSIC crossover event in Joplin, Mo. last weekend. UNK lost a pair of games to Concordia-St. Paul and then split a pair of games with St. Cloud State.
 
Series Notes
Series Record: FHSU leads 42-38
-Fort Hays State won the last two games between the teams in Hays last year by scores of 2-0 and 10-2.
-The home team swept the last five doubleheaders between the teams. UNK has won four straight games on its home field, while FHSU has won six straight on its home field.
-Regan Curry and Peyton Shepard provided the RBI hits in the 2-0 win in Game 1 between the teams last year.
-Savanah Egger threw a complete game shutout in the 2-0 win last year, allowing just two hits and striking out five.
-Carly Stuke had 4 RBIs in the 10-2 win in Game 2 last year, driving in one run on a double, one on a walk, and two on a home run.
-Sarah Tiffany and Madison Pierce each had 2 RBIs in the 10-2 win in Game 2 last year. Tiffany had a team-high 3 hits in that game.
-Bailey Carlson threw a complete game in the 10-2 win last year. The game ended by run-rule in the bottom of the sixth. Carlson scattered seven hits and struck out five in her 6.0 innings of work.
-FHSU's last win in Kearney occurred in 2018 when they won Game 2 of a doubleheader 2-0.
 
Tiger Notes
·  Savanah Egger entered the week ranked 16^th nationally in complete games with 10. She upped that mark to 11 with a complete game against Colorado School of Mines on Wednesday.
·  The FHSU pitching staff entered the week ranked 24^th in NCAA Division II for WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) at 1.13. That moved up slightly to 1.15 after the doubleheader with Colorado School of Mines on Wednesday.
·  Peyton Shepard leads FHSU with a .404 batting average. She has a team-high 36 hits on the season and leads the team in stolen bases, a perfect 13-of-13 on attempts so far. She enters the week with a team-best 10-game hitting streak.
·  Loren Beggs leads the team in extra-base hits with 8, followed by Carly Stuke with six. The pair also ranks first and second in RBIs, Beggs with 15 and Stuke with 13. Beggs and Stuke are tied for the team lead in home runs, each with two.
·  Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson entered the week ranked 25th nationally for sacrifice flies with three. She is currently on a 9-game hitting streak and has 12 RBIs for the season.
·  FHSU is efficient in stolen bases, successful on 28-of-29 attempts (.966).