BY FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Softball heads back to Oklahoma for the second-straight weekend (Feb. 21-23) for five more games. FHSU enters the weekend with a record of 8-4 overall. All five teams the Tigers face this weekend are from the Lone Star Conference. FHSU plays two games on both Friday and Saturday, and then one on Sunday to wrap the weekend.
Coverage of games at Central Oklahoma (First 3 games of weekend) – Live Stats I Watch Live
Coverage of games at Oklahoma Christian (Last 2 games of weekend) – Live Stats I Watch Live
Schedule
Friday, February 21
10 AM – Fort Hays State vs. #21 Texas A&M-Commerce (Broncho Softball Stadium – Central Oklahoma campus)
12 PM – Fort Hays State vs. Cameron University (Broncho Softball Stadium – Central Oklahoma campus)
Saturday, February 22
12 PM – Fort Hays State vs. Midwestern State (Broncho Softball Stadium – Central Oklahoma campus)
6 PM – Fort Hays State vs. St. Mary’s University (Tom Heath Field – Oklahoma Christian campus)
Sunday, February 23
2 PM – Fort Hays State at Oklahoma Christian (Tom Heath Field – Oklahoma Christian campus)
Stadium Locations
-Broncho Softball Stadium – Washington Street on the University of Central Oklahoma campus in Edmond.
– Tom Heath Field – At the corner of Presidential Rd and Baird Loop on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University. Oklahoma Christian is right on the dividing line between Edmond and Oklahoma City.
Records of Opponents
#21 Texas A&M-Commerce – 6-3 (Finished 40-14 in 2019)
Cameron – 9-5 (Finished 37-18 in 2019)
Midwestern State – 1-10 (Finished 22-19 in 2019)
St. Mary’s – 5-10 (Finished 30-25 in 2019)
Oklahoma Christian – 12-3 (Finished 40-16 in 2019)
Quick Notes
– Fort Hays State meets Texas A&M-Commerce for the first time in program history on Friday. The Lions hold a ranking of No. 21 in the nation, but started No. 10 nationally in the preseason poll. Commerce has played four nationally ranked teams so far this year, picking up wins over then No. 7 ranked Central Oklahoma and No. 23 Arkansas Tech, while falling to then No. 1 Augustana and No. 14 Southern Arkansas. Central Oklahoma and Arkansas Tech have since dropped out of the Top 25, while Augustana is now No. 2 and Southern Arkansas is No. 7.
– Fort Hays State and Cameron (Okla.) last met during the 2018 season. FHSU dropped that meeting in San Antonio, Texas by a score of 3-2 in 8 innings. Hailey Chapman, a sophomore at the time, took the loss in the game, despite recording 12 strikeouts and just four hits allowed in 7.1 innings of work. The 12 strikeouts were a season high for Chapman that year. Cameron leads the all-time series with FHSU 8-4. The Aggies were No. 15 in the preseason national rankings before falling out in the first regular season poll.
– Fort Hays State and Midwestern State meet for the first time since 2012. The Tigers won that year 2-1 in a game played in Denton, Texas. The all-time series between the teams is knotted 1-1. MSU lost its first nine games of the season before picking up its first win last weekend at home over Southwestern Oklahoma State.
– Fort Hays State and St. Mary’s also meet for the first time since 2012. The Tigers faced the Rattlers twice that year, which resulted in a split. FHSU won the first meeting 6-0, then St. Mary’s won the next 2-1 in 8 innings. The Rattlers hold a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series.
– Fort Hays State and Oklahoma Christian meet for the second time this season. This is a rematch of last weekend, when Oklahoma Christian won 8-1. The game was knotted 1-1 before a 7-run rally by Oklahoma Christian put the game away in the 6th inning. Kali Crandall went 6.0 innings against the Tigers in that contest, striking out 8 with no earned runs allowed. The Tigers still seek their first-ever win over Oklahoma Christian, which now has an 8-0 advantage in the all-time series.
-Fort Hays State enters the weekend on a 3-game win streak. The run includes a 1-0 win over Oklahoma Baptist last weekend in which Michaelanne Nelson threw her first no-hitter as a Tiger, and a pair of 5-4 wins over Kansas Wesleyan at home this past Tuesday.
–Terran Caldwell leads the team in batting average at .440, while Kristen Reed leads in hits (14), extra-base hits (6), and RBIs (13). Caldwell, Reed, and Katie Adler are all hitting north of .300 so far on the young season.
–Michaelanne Nelson has a 2.85 ERA and 3-1 record so far this year in the pitching circle. She did not allow a hit for 42 consecutive batters until the fourth inning of her start against Kansas Wesleyan last week. Her streak included the last out of her game against St. Edward’s last weekend, her 8-innning no-hitter against Oklahoma Baptist, and then the first 12 batters of her start against Kansas Wesleyan. Hailey Chapman leads the pitching staff in wins with four, while both Nelson and Chapman have one save this year.