Baseball | 4/29/2013 4:02:00 PM
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REGULAR SEASON FINALE
Emporia State ends the regular season at #7 Central Missouri. The Hornets have clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament, but need a win in order to host a first round series.
THE SITUATION
Emporia State is currently in third place in the MIAA and with a win will remain in that spot. A loss will drop the Hornets to fifth place behind Missouri Southern and Central Oklahoma. Emporia State will play 41 conference games while MSSU and UCO have played 39 and are finished with their season. The Lions and Bronchos had a double header canceled last week that, had they played would have guaranteed the Hornets a home series in the first round.
THE COACH
Bob Fornelli is 404-172 in his tenth season at Emporia State and is 710-285 overall in his 17th year overall. He is the fourth winningest active coach in Division II and is 19th in total victories. He has led Emporia State to two Division II World Series appearances in eight NCAA Tournaments. Fornelli has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament 11 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has lost three games in a row for the first time since losing five in a row in early February. The Hornets are 5-5 over their last ten games heading into tonight’s game. Eric Dawson is batting .457 over that time with four doubles and six RBI. Todd Reller is hitting .364 and is the only other player over .300 in the last ten games. Brenton Higgins is expected to get the start tonight and is 3-0 with 4.36 ERA on the season.
SCOUTING THE MULES
Central Missouri is 33-9 overall and 27-8 in the MIAA. The Mules are ranked #7 in the ABCA National Poll and are #1 in the NCAA Central Regional Rankings. They lead the MIAA in pitching and fielding. Kyle Grieshaber is batting .365 with nine home runs and 51 RBI. Chris Fitzpatrick is 3-0 with a 5.01 ERA.
THE SERIES
Tonight will be the 174th meeting between the Hornets and Mules. They have averaged six meetings per year over the last ten years. They had combined to win every MIAA regular season championship in the 21st century until Missouri Western captured this year’s title.
LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL MO.
The Hornets could not hold onto an early lead as they fell 7-3 in the matinee. Todd Reller gave Emporia State the lead with a two run double in the first. Reller led off the third with a double and would come home on a sac fly from Luke Slagle to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead. Central Missouri got single runs in the fourth and fifth to cut the lead to 3-2 and then scored four runs in the sixth to take the lead.
In the nightcap both teams were scoreless until the Mules broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. They went up 6-0 with a four run sixth inning. The Hornets got a run in the eighth following a double by David Richards and an RBI single from Todd Schultz for the final 6-1 score.
ON DECK
The Hornets will play a two out of three MIAA Opening Round Series on Thursday. With a win tonight, Emporia State will be the three seed and host Northeastern State. With a loss the Hornets drop to the fifth seed and will play at Central Oklahoma.
