By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Softball was picked eighth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Friday (Jan. 19). The Tigers are coming off a solid 31-24 campaign in 2023, producing their most wins in a season under head coach Adrian Pilkington. The MIAA was loaded last year, showcasing an unprecedented eight teams with 30 or more wins, including three teams with 40 or more.
Pilkington will enter her 10th season guiding the Tigers in 2024. She is the all-time wins leader in the program’s NCAA Division II history, entering the season with 194. She fielded a youthful squad in 2023 that netted the program’s most wins in a season since 2013. The Tigers have 16 of their 18 players from last year returning, which includes all three of their All-MIAA performers. Pitching and defense was a forte of the Tigers last year with a staff ERA of 2.83 and a new school-record .972 fielding percentage.
Central Oklahoma was picked as the favorite to repeat as MIAA regular season champion, receiving 11 first-place votes. The Bronchos made the NCAA Championship site last year as one of the final eight teams and finished at 54-9, falling in the game to potentially play in the three-game series for the national title. Also receiving first place votes were Rogers State and Missouri Southern. Both were NCAA Tournament qualifiers last year and were the other two teams in the MIAA to finish with 40 or more wins on the season. The only team picked among the top eight in the MIAA preseason poll that did not make the eight-team conference tournament last year was Pittsburg State.
Peyton Shepard and Carly Stuke are coming off solid freshman campaigns as both earned All-MIAA selections in their first year with the Tigers. Shepard did a great job in the leadoff role at the plate for FHSU, hitting a team-best .373 with 69 hits in 185 at bats. She stole 19 bases, which ranked eighth in the MIAA. Stuke finished second on the team in batting average at .316 with 17 extra-base hits and 25 RBIs. She was the team leader in home runs.
In the circle, the Tigers return three pitchers with sub-3.50 ERAs, headlined by All-MIAA selection Savanah Egger. She led the Tigers last year in ERA (2.18), wins (14), complete games (18), shutouts (9), saves (2), innings pitched (160.1), and strikeouts (147), while holding the opposition to a .227 batting average. Egger led the MIAA in shutouts and ranked 11th in NCAA Division II. She set a new FHSU record for consecutive scoreless innings at 32, which included four straight shutouts. Bailey Carlson (2.98 ERA) and Morgan Schmidt (3.44 ERA) are both back this season. Schmidt threw two no-hitters last year, both in road contests at Southwestern Oklahoma State and Newman, and owned the 12th-best strikeouts per seven innings rate in NCAA Division II (9.0) with 78 in 61.0 innings. Emma Montoya also returns to the circle for the Tigers after recording 32 strikeouts in 29 innings of work. As a team, the Tigers tossed 16 shutouts last year, which ranked 16th in NCAA Division II.
All of Fort Hays State’s regular starters in the lineup are back this season. Loren Beggs (23), Madison Pierce(19), and Sarah Tiffany (12) join Stuke as players with over 10 extra-base hits last year. The quartet combined for 112 RBIs last year. Regan Curry gave the Tigers great defense up the middle with just seven errors in 196 chances, while providing eight extra-base hits, 18 RBIs and 27 runs scored. Adysen Burghart and Aubrey Martinez both saw significant time on the infield providing strong defense and timely hitting, while Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson played the majority of the season at first base and was the 24th-toughest batter to strikeout in NCAA Division II with only five in 144 at bats (once every 28.8 at bats).
The softball season is just around the corner as the Tigers are set to begin play in Wichita Falls, Texas, February 9-11. FHSU is slated to be on the road all throughout the month of February. The Tigers’ first home doubleheader on the schedule is on March 13 against Rockhurst University.
Below is the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
2024 MIAA SOFTBALL COACHES PRESEASON POLL
1.Central Oklahoma [11] – 167 points
2. Rogers State [2] – 153 points
3. Missouri Southern [1] – 139 points
4. Washburn – 136 points
5. Missouri Western – 124 points
6. Central Missouri – 114 points
7. Pittsburg State – 90 points
8. Fort Hays State – 83 points
9. Emporia State – 75 points
10. Northwest Missouri – 60 points
11. Northeastern State – 49 points
12. Nebraska Kearney – 44 points
13. Newman – 27 points
14. Lincoln – 14 points
[#] – First Place Votes