Fort Hays State Baseball (9-18, 6-11 MIAA)
at Emporia State (21-6, 8-5 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 • 3 p.m.
Emporia, Kan. • Trusler Sports Complex
 
at Central Oklahoma (13-14, 4-9 MIAA)
Friday-Sunday, March 27-29, 2026
Edmond, Okla. • Wendell Simmons Field
Friday - 4 p.m. • Saturday - 2 p.m. • Sunday - Noon
 
The Fort Hays State baseball team wraps up an 11-game, three-week long road trip this week with games against Emporia State and Central Oklahoma. The Tigers and Hornets will meet up the first of three midweek contests Tuesday (March 24) beginning at 3 p.m. in Emporia, Kan. before the Tigers and Bronchos battle in a three-game set over the weekend (March 27-29). First pitch from Edmond, Okla. is set for 4 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.
 
The Tigers enter the week 9-18 overall and 6-11 in MIAA play. The Hornets are 21-6 on the year and 8-5 in league action, while the Bronchos are 13-14 this season and 4-9 in conference play.
 
The Tiger defense has turned 24 double plays this season, the most in the MIAA and 16th-most in Division II. FHSU also leads the league with 30 sacrifice bunts, one off the national lead.
 
Antonio Avila has hit safely in 11-straight games, including multiple hits in four in a row and eight of the last 11. The senior now leads the team with a batting average of .388 with 32 runs and 10 stolen bases. He ranks third in the MIAA in hits (45), fourth in doubles (14) and 10th in both runs scored and stolen bases.
 
Derek Woolwine still leads the team with a slugging percentage of .738 thanks to his team-high eight home runs, fourth-most in the MIAA and 47th in DII. The senior has only struck out five times this season, averaging one strikeout per 16 trips to the plate which ranks third-best in the league.
 
Cooper Howell has 28 hits in 27 games, averaging more than a hit per contest. The senior shortstop has hit safely in 21 of 27 contests this season while ranking second in the conference with 76 defensive assists on the year.
 
With a team-high two triples this season, Tyson Jimenez is one of just 21 players in the MIAA with multiple triples on the year.
 
Tony Moore has seven sacrifice bunts on the year, fourth-most in the country and one off the DII national lead.
 
Cody Bruss is one of 50 pitchers in Division II and one of just two in the MIAA to hurl multiple complete games this season. The lefty ranks second on the team with 37.1 innings of work in eight appearances, striking out 23 batters and posting a record of 2-3.
 
Brett Jacobs leads the team and ranks seventh in the MIAA with 35 strikeouts on the year. The junior righty also ranks ninth in the league with two saves.
 
Tucker Russell leads the team with an ERA of 5.50 native after tossing FHSU's third complete game of the season two weeks ago.
 
The Tigers are 76-123 all-time against Emporia State, including wins in each of the last four meetings. FHSU is 6-3 against the Hornets under head coach Justin Wichert, including a 2-2 mark on the road. The Tigers swept the midweek series last year, winning 12-4 and 14-5 at home and 8-1 on the road.
 
Emporia State carries a team ERA of 4.46, third-best in the conference. Colby Deaver paces the league with an ERA of 0.92 in 48.2 innings of work while striking out an MIAA-best 52 batters this season. Logan Myers ranks first in the conference with an on-base percentage of .588 while Evan Abbott and Noah Steele are tied for fifth in the league with 35 RBI each.
 
Fort Hays State is 22-31 all-time against Central Oklahoma, including wins in each of the last three meetings. The Tigers are 5-4 against UCO during the Wichert era, including a 2-4 mark on the road. FHSU swept the Bronchos last season in Hays, winning 7-4, 13-12 and 4-3.
 
Drake Lee leads the Bronchos with a batting average of .425, sixth-best in the MIAA, while Colton Ayres has scored a team-high 22 runs. Brody Berlowitz has three saves, one off the league lead, while compiling an ERA of 1.69 in eight appearances out of the bullpen. Braxton Jones has 32 strikeouts in 21 innings of work, averaging 13.7 per nine innings.
 
Looking ahead, the Tigers will return home to play 11 in a row at Larks Park starting Thursday (March 2) when FHSU hosts Pittsburg State in a three-game series.