Fort Hays State Softball returns to action Sunday (Feb. 23) through Tuesday (Feb. 25) in Topeka, Kansas at the Washburn Invitational. The Tigers are set to play four opponents from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and two from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). FHSU enters the event at 3-3 overall on the season.
 
ALL GAMES AT WASHBURN RURAL HIGH SCHOOL
All six of Fort Hays State's games will take place at Washburn Rural High School.
 
FHSU SCHEDULE
Sunday, February 23
FHSU vs. Rockhurst – 11:30 a.m.
FHSU vs. Wayne State (Neb.) – 5:30 p.m.
 
Monday, February 24
FHSU vs. Minnesota Crookston – 9:30 a.m.
FHSU vs. Maryville – 11:30 a.m.
 
Tuesday, February 25
FHSU vs. Northern State – 12 p.m.
FHSU vs. Minot State – 2 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Live stat coverage is planned for all six games. See the live stats link above. There will be no stream available for the games.
 
LAST WEEK IN OKLAHOMA
Fort Hays State is coming off a 1-1 record from their abbreviated week of action at the Raising Cane's Softball Festival in Oklahoma. The Tigers played only two games last Friday (Feb. 14) before seeing their games on the final two days of the event canceled due to inclement weather issues. The Tigers fell 2-0 to Oklahoma Baptist before bouncing back for a 6-2 win over Southern Arkansas. Both opponents were regional participants last year in the NCAA national tournament.
 
Morgan Schmidt picked up MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors following her complete-game win over Southern Arkansas. She allowed just four hits and SAU's only runs came on a two-run homer. Schmidt struck out a season-high nine batters in the win. Savanah Egger also threw a solid complete game against Oklahoma Baptist, but unfortunately was on the short end of a two-run homer allowed in that game as well. She struck out six batters.
 
At the plate, Lexi Mohr had a pair of RBI doubles against Southern Arkansas, while Kaydawn Haag also had a pair of RBIs in the contest. Madison Pierce also drove in a run. Regan Curry had a pair of hits and a pair of runs scored against SAU and Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson had a pair of hits in the Oklahoma Baptist game.
 
THE OPPONENTS
Rockhurst
Record: 0-2
Series History: FHSU leads 7-3
Series Notes
- Fort Hays State has won its last three meetings with Rockhurst and scored two runs in each game, winning 2-0 twice and 2-1 once.
- This will be the third time the teams meet in a neutral game in Topeka and each have won once.
- Seven of the 10 games in the all-time series have been decided by two runs or less.
- FHSU swept a doubleheader against Rockhurst in Hays last year by scores of 2-1 (8 inn.) and 2-0.
- Savanah Egger threw an 8-inning complete game against Rockhurst last year with 10 strikeouts.
- Morgan Schmidt threw a complete game shutout against Rockhurst last year with 9 strikeouts.

Wayne State (Neb.)
Record: 4-0
Series History: FHSU leads 12-4
Series Notes
- FHSU has won four-straight meetings with Wayne State going back to 2021.
- This will be the fourth-straight meeting between the schools in Topeka.
- FHSU defeated WSC 10-0 last year.
- Audrey Gillespie and Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson each had two RBIs in the win over WSC last year.

Minnesota Crookston
Record: 4-6
Series History: FHSU leads 4-0
Series Notes
- This will be the fourth-straight meeting between the schools in Topeka.
- FHSU has surrendered just one run in the all-time series, outscoring UMC 26-1.
- FHSU defeated UMC 2-1 last year.
 
Maryville
Record: 6-3
Series History: FHSU leads 1-0
Series Notes
- This will be just the second meeting all-time between FHSU and MU.
- FHSU won the only meeting between the teams last year in Topeka 3-1 behind a complete game from Savanah Egger with five strikeouts.

Northern State
Record: 4-0
Series History: FHSU leads 1-0
Series Notes
- FHSU won the only previous meeting with NSU back in 2006 in Joplin, Mo. by a score of 8-1. 

Minot State
Record: 7-2
Series History: FHSU leads 3-0
Series Notes
- FHSU won the last two meetings between the teams by one run each during the 2014 season in St. Paul, Minn.
- The first meeting between FHSU and Minot State was in the 2013 NCAA Central Regional, hosted by Fort Hays State. The Tigers won the game on a walk-off 3-run home run by Maddie Holub. 

TIGER NOTES
- Morgan Schmidt ranks second in the MIAA in strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 8.3.
- Madison Pierce leads the Tigers in batting average (.438) so far this season. She is the active career leader for FHSU in home runs (9) and RBIs (69).
-  Lexi Mohr leads FHSU in RBIs (5).
-  Regan Curry is the team leader in runs scored (4).
- The Tigers have four players hitting at least .300 for the season. The team batting average sits at .276 through six games.
- Tiger pitchers are averaging better than a strikeout per inning as a team with 39 through 37.2 innings of work.
- FHSU has played in the Washburn Invitational every year since 2020.