FHSU Sports Information Department
Fort Hays State Baseball opens up MIAA play with a three-game home series against Central Missouri this weekend (Feb. 26-28). The Tigers and the Mules will play one game three consecutive days starting on Friday and wrapping up on Sunday.
Entering the weekend series, the Tigers have a record of 6-5 overall, while the Mules come in at 1-5 overall.
The Tiger offense has been the key to early season success. Austin Unrein and Connor Ross are tied for the MIAA lead in hits with 22 each, and are trailed by teammates Joe Mapes and Alex Weiss who are tied for third with 18.
Caleb Cherryholmes is tied for second in runs scored with 14, while teammate Ty Redington leads crossing the plate 15 times this year.
Ross, Unrein, and Mapes also make the top ten in the conference in RBI. Unrein is the leader with 18, Ross is right behind with 16, and Mapes is sixth with 12.
For the Mules, pitching and sound defensive play are their strengths. The Mules enter the weekend with a team ERA of 3.44 in six games this year, and strike out a combined 12.0 batters per game. The UCM arms have also limited opponents to the lowest team batting average in the MIAA, with opponents hitting just .218.