FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball head coach Adrian Pilkington announced three more signings for the upcoming 2020 season on Monday, August 5. All three are transfers. Joining the program are Alexis Velazquez, Hannah Gates, and Jaelyn Carter.
Velazquez will have one more year of collegiate eligibility, transferring from Chaminade University in Hawaii. As a junior in 2019, she was named the team’s Most Outstanding Player and started all 47 games at first base. She led the team in hits (37) and ranked second on the team in batting average (.289), RBIs (13) and doubles (5). Prior to her year at Chaminade, Velazquez played two years at Howard College in Texas where she helped the program to a pair of conference championships. As a sophomore at Howard College, she hit .335 with six home runs and 38 RBIs. Velazquez is a native of Fontana, California.
Gates is a junior transfer from Otero (Colo.) Junior College where she played for two seasons as an outfielder. Gates hit .416 as a sophomore in 2019 with 17 extra-base hits (11 doubles, 6 triples), 50 runs scored, and 22 RBIs, while adding 24 stolen bases. In 2018 as a freshman she hit .320 with nine extra-base hits (6 doubles, 3 triples), 34 runs scored, and 23 RBIs, while adding 18 stolen bases. Gates is a native of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Carter is a sophomore transfer from Barton (Kan.) Community College where she played one season. In 2019 as a freshman she hit .387 with 19 extra-base hits (9 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs), 48 runs scored, and 39 RBIs, while adding 14 stolen bases to earn All-KJCCC Eastern Division Second Team honors. Carter saw the majority of her time at shortstop, but also saw starts in the designated player role. Carter is a native of Wichita, Kansas.
Pilkington already announced six early signings back in November of 2019, so the three most recent signings give the Tigers nine new players for the upcoming 2020 season. Below is the full 2020 signing class for FHSU Softball.
| 2020 Fort Hays State Softball Signing Class | ||||
| Name | Pos. | Yr. | Hometown | Previous School |
| Loren Beggs | INF | Fr. | Olathe, Kan. | Olathe Northwest HS |
| Jaelyn Carter | INF | So. | Wichita, Kan. | Barton (Kan.) CC |
| Kyla Etter | P/UT | Fr. | Eudora, Kan. | Eudora HS |
| Haley Fox | INF | Jr. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Colby (Kan.) CC |
| Hannah Gates | OF | Jr. | Fort Collins, Colo. | Otero (Colo.) JC |
| Mahealani Haegele | P | Jr. | Richland, Mich. | Colby (Kan.) CC |
| Lexi Kagan | INF | Jr. | Castle Rock, Colo. | Colby (Kan.) CC |
| Kristen Reed | OF/INF | Fr. | Fort Collins, Colo. | Fossil Ridge HS |
| Alexis Velazquez | INF | Sr. | Fontana, Calif. | Chaminade University |