Fort Hays State Baseball (3-7)
at Northwest Missouri State (8-4)
Thursday-Friday, February 19-20, 2026
Maryville, Mo. • Bearcat Field
Thursday - 11 a.m. (DH) • Friday - 1 p.m.
 
The Fort Hays State baseball team opens conference play this week (Feb. 19-20) with a three-game road series at Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers (3-7) and Bearcats (8-4) will battle in a doubleheader Thursday starting at 11 a.m. before wrapping things up with a single game Friday starting at 1 p.m.
 
The Tigers rank second in the MIAA with 10 home runs this season. Derek Woolwine is tied for the MIAA lead with four, while Erick Ordonez clubbed two long balls over the weekend to give the third baseman three on the year.
 
Antonio Avila leads the Tigers with 19 hits on the year, third-most in the MIAA, while he is tied with Cooper Howell, Tyson Jimenez and Ordonez with a team-high 10 runs scored. Woolwine leads the team and ranks eighth in the league with 13 RBI through 10 games.
 
Brandon Chavez has struck out 20 batters this season, second-most in the MIAA, while Luke Berry leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with an average of 13.94 strikeouts per nine innings.
 
Cody Bruss tossed one of only seven complete games in Division II so far this season on Sunday against Colorado School of Mines, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out four batters.
 
The Bearcats lead the MIAA and rank 14th in Division II with 14 home runs this season, averaging 1.17 home runs per game. Jeremiah Cabuyaban and Frank Gall are tied for the team lead with four home runs each, while Gall has driven in a team-best 16 RBI. Jase Johnson leads NWMSU with 12 strikeouts in 12 innings of relief, posting an ERA of 3.75 across four appearances.
 
The Tigers are 31-42 all-time against Northwest Missouri State, including a 5-5 record during the Justin Wichert era. The Tigers won the series in Hays last season, two games to one, but the Bearcats responded with a win in extra innings in the 2025 MIAA Quarterfinals. This is FHSU's first trip to Maryville since 2022.
 
Looking ahead, FHSU will open a seven-game homestand Tuesday (Feb. 24) when the Tigers host Washburn beginning at 3 p.m.