Fort Hays State (16-16, 2-8 MIAA) vs.
Emporia State (24-15, 8-8 MIAA)
Thursday, April 4 – 2 PM (DH)
Hays, Kan. – Fleharty Family Field
 
Fort Hays State vs.
#24 Washburn (30-10, 11-5 MIAA)
Friday, April 5 – 1 PM (DH)
Hays, Kan. – Fleharty Family Field
 
Fort Hays State Softball will play host to Emporia State and Washburn on Thursday and Friday (Apr. 4-5) at Fleharty Family Field in Hays. The Tigers enter the week at 16-16 overall and look to gain ground in the MIAA, currently at 2-8. Emporia State enters Thursday at 24-15 overall and 8-8 in the MIAA. Washburn enters the week at 30-10 overall, 11-5 in the MIAA, and will play at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday before playing FHSU on Friday.
 
Fort Hays State is looking to bounce back from dropping both games of road doubleheaders last week to Missouri Southern and No. 11 ranked Pittsburg State. The Tigers are looking for continued success at home this season, where they are 5-1 so far. This weekend marks the first home conference games of the season for FHSU after playing its first 10 MIAA contests this season on the road. FHSU will play 12-straight conference contests at home over the first three weekends of April.
 
Emporia State split a pair of conference doubleheaders at home last week with Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State. Northeastern State and Central Missouri are the only teams the Hornets have swept in MIAA play so far this season. They lost both games of doubleheaders with nationally ranked opponents Central Oklahoma and Rogers State, and have split doubleheaders against all other conference opponents so far.
 
Washburn enters the week on a seven-game win streak. After winning the second game of a doubleheader against Central Missouri, Washburn swept doubleheaders with Lincoln, Northwest Missouri State, and Missouri Western to move six games above .500 in conference play. The Ichabods are ranked No. 24 in the latest NFCA Division II national rankings, one of four teams in the MIAA holding a Top 25 billing. The other three are all within the Top 10.
 
Emporia State Series Notes
Series Record: ESU leads 36-21
-Emporia State has won the last three games between the teams. The Hornets swept a doubleheader in Emporia last year by scores of 4-3 and 6-0.
-FHSU scored seven runs in each of its last two wins against ESU, including a 7-6 win in game one of a doubleheader between the teams in 2022 in Hays, and a 7-5 win in the second game of a doubleheader between the teams in 2021 in Emporia.
-FHSU and ESU have split the last 14 games in the all-time series 7-7 going back to the 2016 season.
-FHSU has won five of the last six meetings between the teams in Hays.
-Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson, Madison Pierce, and Adysen Burghart all had RBIs in the 4-3 loss against the Hornets last season. Savanah Egger struck out seven batters in a complete-game effort.
 
Washburn Series Notes
Series Record: WU leads 36-24
-Washburn has won the last two games between the teams. FHSU and WU played three times last year, splitting a doubleheader in Topeka during the regular season before WU won an elimination game matchup between the teams in the MIAA Tournament.
-FHSU is looking to snap a four-game losing string to Washburn in Hays. The Ichabods swept doubleheaders in Hays during the 2022 and 2018 seasons. FHSU's last win over Washburn in Hays occurred in 2016, when the Tigers swept a doubleheader between the schools.
-Sarah Tiffany and Adysen Burghart had RBIs in the 2-1 win in Topeka last year, while Bailey Carlson threw a complete game with one strikeout, scattering six hits with a walk.
-Loren Beggs, Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson, and Madison Pierce all had RBIs in the 4-3 loss in 8 innings last year to Washburn, while Savanah Egger threw a complete game with six strikeouts.
 
Tiger Notes
·  Savanah Egger ranks 14th nationally in complete games with 13. She has went the distance in 13 of her 16 starts this season. She is tied for the MIAA lead in complete games with Sadie Walker of Washburn.
· The FHSU pitching staff entered the week ranked 47^th in NCAA Division II for WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) at 1.25.
· Peyton Shepard leads FHSU with a .400 batting average. She has a team-high 44 hits on the season and leads the team in stolen bases with 14. She had a 13-game hitting streak snapped last weekend, which was the longest hit streak on the team this season. Shepard leads the team in multi-hit games this season with 15.
·  Loren Beggs and Carly Stuke lead the team in extra-base hits, each with 8. Beggs leads the team in RBIs with 17, while Stuke is tied with Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson for second-most RBIs with 15 each. Beggs and Stuke are tied for the team lead in home runs, each with two.
· FHSU is efficient in stolen bases, successful on 29-of-31 attempts (.935) for the season.
· FHSU has has 16 sacrifice flies for the season, which leads the MIAA and ranks 9^th in NCAA Division II.