Fort Hays State Baseball (9-22, 6-15 MIAA)
vs. #9 Pittsburg State (26-6, 15-6 MIAA)
Thursday-Saturday, April 2-4, 2026
Hays, Kan. • Larks Park
Thursday - 5 p.m. • Friday - 3 p.m. • Saturday - 1 p.m.
 
After spending the last three weeks on the road, the Fort Hays State baseball team returns to Larks Park this weekend (April 2-4) to open an 11-game homestand against ninth-ranked Pittsburg State. The three-game conference series is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, with game two scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday followed by a 1 p.m. finale on Saturday.
 
The Tigers enter the series 9-22 overall and 6-15 in MIAA play, while the Gorillas are 26-6 on the year and 15-6 in league action. PSU was swept on the road last weekend against Northwest Missouri State, a team FHSU defeated back in February.
 
Fort Hays State has played just 10 of its first 31 games at home, going 4-6 at Larks Park this season.
 
Admission is free once again this season at Larks Park, while live video will be available on The MIAA Network. Subscriptions cost $15 per game, $35 for a monthly subscription or $140 for an all-access pass. Live stats will be available online here. Live radio coverage will be available Thursday on KJLS 103.3 FM, with voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock on the call.
 
The Tiger defense has turned 29 double plays this season, the most in the MIAA and 11th-most in Division II. FHSU also leads the league and the nation with 36 sacrifice bunts. The Tigers boast an on-base percentage of .391 as a team and a slugging percentage of .448.
 
Antonio Avila has hit 12 doubles this season, second-most in the MIAA and ninth-most in Division II. Derek Woolwine leads the team with eight home runs, sixth-most in the conference, while his slugging percentage of .708 is fifth-best in the league. Tyson Jimenez has a pair of triples on the year, 10th-most in the league.
 
Tucker Russell leads the team with an ERA of 5.18, allowing an opposing batting average of .272. Brett Jacobs has struck out a team-high 39 batters and has a team-best WHIP of 1.64.
 
The Gorillas currently rank fourth in the MIAA standings, four games behind league leader Rogers State. PSU boasts an on-base percentage of .477, second-best in Division II. They score 11.7 runs per night, third-most in the country. Dagen Brewer leads the MIAA and ranks fifth in DII with 13 home runs, while Eric Bacon is first in the league and sixth nationally with 58 hits. Jadyn McNealy leads DII with 34 steals through 32 games.
 
The Tigers are 32-39 all-time against Pittsburg State, including a 14-18 mark at Larks Park. FHSU is 3-6 against the Gorillas under head coach Justin Wichert, including a 2-1 series victory last season in Pittsburg. This is PSU's first trip to Hays since 2023 when they completed a three-game road sweep.
 
Looking ahead, FHSU will continue its midweek series against Emporia State when the Tigers host the Hornets on Tuesday (April 7) beginning at 3 p.m.