Tiger look to make move in MIAA standings with four-game set at Pittsburgh State

Fort Hays State has just three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association  series’ remaining in an effort to chase down a bid for the MIAA Tournament. The Tigers play at Pittsburg State this weekend in a four-game series, looking to make a move up the conference standings. The teams play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Friday and a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The Gorillas (11-20, 7-13 MIAA) and Tigers (11-22, 8-16 MIAA) are both looking to make a move in the standings in order to stay alive for the conference tournament in May. The top eight teams make the tournament. PSU is currently 12th in the MIAA and FHSU is 13th. The Tigers are only four games back of eighth place Northeastern State (12-12 in MIAA play) going into the weekend. Emporia State (fourth in the MIAA) and Lincoln (14th in the MIAA) are the two conference teams remaining on the Tiger schedule, ESU at home next weekend and LU on the road in the final weekend of the regular season).

FHSU is one of the nation’s top home run hitting teams going into this weekend with 50 as a team, which ties conference rival Nebraska-Kearney for fourth most in the nation. Cooper Langley leads the Tigers with 12 and five others have at least five home runs on the season. Langley ranks 11th individually in the nation in homers.

However, the Tigers have struggled at times this year in putting the ball in play. Nearly 30 percent of the outs made have been strikeouts. The team has a total of 231 for the season in 33 games, averaging seven per game. All of Fort Hays State’s nine regular starters on offense have at least 17 strikeouts on the season.

The Tigers have been hot of late, winning five of their last six games. FHSU defeated McPherson College, took three of four conference games from Missouri Western, and then most recently defeated Bethany College.

FHSU has been in a lot of high-scoring contests this year. FHSU pitching has done better of late, but the team ERA is at 8.21. However, the Tiger offense has the opponent’s season ERA at 6.84. FHSU scored at least eight runs in all of its last five wins, reaching at least 10 runs in four of those five.