Baseball | 4/9/2013 12:45:00 AM
HOT TIME AT TRUSLER
The two hottest teams in the MIAA meet when Emporia State hosts Missouri Southern at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets have won six straight while the Lions are riding a 13 game winning streak.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 396-167 in his tenth season at Emporia State and is 702-280 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.
Bryce Darnell is 162-134 in his sixth season at Missouri Southern.
LAST AT-BAT
Emporia State used a six run fifth inning to extend their winning streak to six games with a 6-4 win at Truman on Sunday. Truman scored two in the first and added two more in the bottom of the second for a 4-0 lead. The Hornets batted around in the fifth, scoring six runs on six hits including doubles by Jordan Slade, Aaron Rea, Luke Slagle and Andrew Blackwell. Keith Picht worked the final 3.2 to earn his third save. He only allowed one hit and struck out six.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has won 15 of the last 18 games to surge into fourth place in the MIAA. The pitching staff has thrown four shut outs on the season and have allowed two runs or fewer in 11 games. The Hornets lead the MIAA in stolen bases and are ranked second ranked in the MIAA in team fielding.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern is 24-11 overall and 18-9 in the MIAA and have won 13 straight games. They are 13-4 away from home. The Lions are ranked second in the MIAA in ERA at 4.17 and have a league high nine complete games. Brett Abel is 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA and four complete games. Michael McCoy is batting .345 with three home runs, 28 RBI and 29 runs scored.
THE SERIES
This will be the 78th and 79th meetings between the two schools with Emporia State leading 53-24 overall. The Hornets defeated the Lions 8-6 to win the 1978 NAIA National Championship.
LAST TIME VS. MO. SOUTHERN
Emporia State got its first sweep of the season with a pair of wins at Missouri Southern.
The Hornets used two big innings to take 9-6 victory in the matinee. All nine starters scored a run for the Hornets and seven of the nine had at least one RBI. Keith Picht pitched 2.2 innings and only allowed one unearned run to pick up the win. Dakota McKaskle went 1.2 innings for his first save of the year.
Emporia State got on the board first and never trailed in a 17-3 run rule win in the night cap. The Hornets got five runs in the third inning with Zack Carlson’s two run double the big blow of the inning. The Hornets sent 14 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth with a three run homer from Carlson and a two RBI double from Todd Schultz providing five of the eight runs in the inning. Eight players scored a run and seven Hornets had at least one RBI.
ON DECK
Emporia State will play host to Northwest Missouri in a three game series this weekend. They open with a 1 p.m. first pitch for the double header on Saturday.
