EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL TO HOST CENTRAL MISSOURI

Baseball | 3/31/2014 5:26:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (18-11, 14-10 MIAA) 

vs. 

#26 Central Missouri Mules (22-9, 19-5 MIAA)

April 1, 2014 • 5:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex

Series Record: UCM leads 119-55  Last Meeting: at UCM 5, ESU 2 (4/29/13)

Up Next: vs. Washburn

April 4 & 6, 2014 • Topeka, Kan. 

April 5, 2014 • Emporia, Kan.

 

NON-CON WITH THE MULES

The two most successful teams in the MIAA over the last decade meet in a single non-conference game at Trusler as Emporia State hosts #26 Central Missouri. With the unbalanced MIAA schedule they will not meet in a conference series this year.

LAST AT BAT

The Emporia State baseball team grounded into two double plays and still stranded seven runners in a 6-3 loss at Ft. Hays State on Sunday. The Tigers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first  and added single runs in the second and third before the Hornets got on the board. Toby Cornejo scored on Wade Hanna's ground out to make it 3-1 going to the bottom of the fourth. Ft. Hays State got that run back in the bottom of the fourth before Dean Long hit a two run homer in the top of the fifth to pull Emporia State within a run at 4-3. A two run double put Ft. Hays State back up by three runs.  

THE COACHES

Bob Fornelli is 422-187 in his 11th season at Emporia State and is 727-296 overall in his 18th year overall. He is the fifth 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 13 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State. 

Tom Myers is 298-84 in his seventh year at Central Missouri.   

ABOUT THE HORNETS    

Emporia State is 18-11 overall and 14-9 in the MIAA. They are third in the MIAA standings. As a team they are batting .288, have a 4.80 ERA and a .962 team fielding percentage. 

SCOUTING THE MULES 

Central Missouri is 22-9 overall, 19-5 in the MIAA and ranked #26 nationally. They lead the MIAA in fielding percentage at .965 and have a .306 team batting average and 3.86 ERA.

THE SERIES 

Central Missouri leads the all-time series 119-55. The Hornets and Mules have averaged nearly six meetings per year over the last ten seasons but are only set for two games this year. They had combined to win every MIAA Regular Season Championship in the 21st century until Missouri Western won last year's championship.

LAST TIME VS. UCM  

Emporia State scored first but could not hold on for the win as the Hornets fell 5-2 at #7 Central Missouri. Emporia State had base runners in every inning except the sixth and stranded nine for the game. Brenton Higgins took the loss, allowing four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits in 7.0 innings.  Eric Dawson was three for four with an RBI.

ON DECK

The Hornets return to MIAA play with a four game series against Washburn this weekend. Friday and Sunday's single games will be in Topeka with Saturday's doubleheader taking place at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia.