By CAYDEN SANDERS
For the Fort Hays State University baseball team, the last two years have been mired with sub-par results. As a first-year head coach trying to rebuild a program, head coach Justin Wichert knows it’s important to see growth.
That’s what he’s seen in his short time in Hays. Last year the Tigers went 4-41 and 3-30 in the MIAA – which included several lopsided losses. The year before that, the Tigers went 11-26 overall and 11-22 in the MIAA.
This season, the team is sitting at 13-16 overall and 4-9 in the MIAA entering a weekend series at Larks Park with Pittsburg State University. Game 1 of the three-game series is slated for noon today.
“As much as everyone wants to look at this team’s record, for us, the records mean nothing to us,” Wichert said. “This program hasn’t seen success in the past, and this team is only starting to piece it together now. If people want to judge us by what’s on paper … then they miss out on what this team is accomplishing.”
Entering the season, the talk about the Tiger baseball team was about its struggles during the past several seasons. FHSU was picked last in the 12-team MIAA preseason poll.
The Tigers’ first test of the season came on the road against former RMAC opponents in Adams State, New Mexico Highlands and Regis. In those 12 games, the Tigers were able to prevail with seven wins.
When it came to the start of the MIAA schedule, the Tigers had a tough draw in getting Washburn, who came off a trip to Florida to compete against tough competition. In that series, the Tigers got swept.
Later into the MIAA schedule, the Tigers had a chance to win their first home series since May 2021 while hosting Rogers State. Fort Hays had a chance to win the series on both days it lost to the Hillcats. Then going to another once-ranked team in Central Oklahoma was another stiff test for FHSU.
For Fort Hays, the goal and “milestone” was accomplished, and for the first time for the program, the Tigers earned their first conference series win since May 2021 against Newman. Not only that, but winning a road series for the first time since April 2021 when the Tigers swept Missouri Western.
“With everyone wanting to go off of what our record is, we go for milestones,” Wichert said. “The first one was to find out who is our team. Then you can accomplish more, like having a player of the week in Elliot Herrmann and getting our first road series win. It’s getting a first win at home, going on the road and getting a series win at a conference opponent, then it was getting a series sweep.”
This past week, the Tigers swept Rockhurst in a doubleheader. In both games, FHSU had to rally but found the will and determination to win the games – 8-4 and 4-2.
The victories took a team effort. In the first game, the Tigers used Brady Kreutzer in a pinch-hit situation, and at that moment, the hometown kid delivered a home run to tie the game.
“We have multiple guys on our team that is finding their stride or finding guys that want to be the change in this program and want to be on a successful team,” Wichert said. “It’s a special moment for the program because we are in the heart of our schedule. It’s time to see who will show up and compete every day and give it their all because those are the guys you want to go to war with.”
Wichert said many players within the program are making strides and finding their roles. Not only that, but he said some players have sacrificed many things to better themselves and the team.
The Tigers are hoping for another milestone to build on this weekend in Hays while hosting Pitt State. Taking a series from the Gorillas would do just that.
“We want our fans to come out and watch us if they have time,” Wichert said. “We want them to be there because we are a completely different team with a different mindset, and we want to show that this program is going to be a contender within the conference tournament here soon.”
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