Fort Hays State was picked ninth in the 2016 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, the Tigers are slotted where they finished in the standings in 2015. FHSU enters its sixth season under head coach Steve Johnson.
Fort Hays State looks to snap a two-year absence from the conference tournament. The Tigers finished ninth in the standings last year, just one place shy of qualifying for the tournament. FHSU also looks to snap a two-year string of finishing with a sub-.500 record. The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the tournament once again this year.
The MIAA changed its regular season format for the 2016 season. Each team is scheduled to play the other 13 schools in the conference three times, creating a 39-game conference schedule. Most of the three-game series’ will take place on weekends, but there will be some broken up over the course of three consecutive weeks with one mid-week contest. FHSU has 11 non-conference games scheduled before starting MIAA play on February 26.
Fort Hays State has two All-MIAA selections returning from last year in Austin Unrein and Connor Ross. Both enter their senior seasons in 2016. Unrein was solid in a utility role, making 36 starts at third base, six at designated hitter, and five in left field, while also serving as the team’s closer on the mound in his junior season. He ranked second in hits (58) and RBI (45), and third in batting average (.326), home runs (11), and slugging percentage (.596) for FHSU in 2015, while recording 24 extra-base hits. On the mound, Unrein recorded three saves, while going 3-3 on the year with a 5.68 ERA. Ross had a solid first year of action with the Tigers by ranking second on the team in batting average at .337. He recorded 24 extra-base hits (14 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs) and scored 39 times, serving as the Tigers’ leadoff hitter.
The Tigers have two pitchers back with significant starting experience in 2015, seniors Justin Hersch and Joe Mapes. Hersch went 3-3 last year with a 6.14 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 48.1 innings of work. Mapes made all of his starts in the latter portion of the season and went 2-1 with a 4.64 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 33 innings of work.
Fort Hays State led the nation last year in home runs per game (1.62) with a total of 76 in 47 games and ranked among the top 15 nationally in slugging percentage (.523). But three of the top four home runs hitters from that team graduated. Though the Tigers had a potent offense that averaged 7.8 runs per game last year, keeping the other team off the board was a struggle. Opponents averaged 8.4 runs per game and FHSU had a team ERA of 7.52 with 88 errors committed in the field. FHSU looks for improvement in those areas this year.
2016 MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Missouri Southern (11) 166
2. Emporia State (1) 152
3. Central Missouri (2) 141
4. Lindenwood 122
5. Missouri Western 120
6. Washburn 114
7. Nebraska-Kearney 97
8. Central Oklahoma 87
9. Fort Hays State 64
10. Northeastern State 60
11. Southwest Baptist 47
12. Northwest Missouri 46
13. Pittsburg State 45
14. Lincoln 13