EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL STARTS WEEK AT #22 CENTRAL MISSOURI

Baseball | 4/7/2014 5:29:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (20-14, 15-13 MIAA) 

vs. #22 Central Missouri Mules (26-10, 23-5 MIAA)

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

Series Record: UCM leads 119-56  Last Meeting: at ESU 4, UCM 3 (4/1/14)

Up Next: vs. Lincoln • Friday April 11 at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday April 12 at 1:00 p.m.

Sunday April 13 at 12:00 p.m.

Glennen Field at Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.

 

ANOTHER NON-CON BATTLE

Emporia State travels to Warrensburg, Mo. to take on the #22 Mules in their second non-conference match-up in a week.

LAST AT BAT

The Hornets got 7.0 innings from starter Dakota McKaskle and Price Jacobs went five for five as Emporia State defeated Washburn 5-3 in the final game of the Turnpike Tussle weekend series. Washburn scored a run in the bottom of the first but left the bases loaded. Jacobs would tie it when he scored on a single from Jordan Hodges, who came around to score on a double from Wade Hanna for a 2-1 Hornet lead. The Ichabods tied the score with a single run in the bottom of the second, but the Hornets responded with two of their own in the top of the third. Justin Harris walked and scored on Dean Long's double and Jacobs then drove in Long with a single. Aaron Gile tripled and came home on a single from Hanna in the fifth. McKaskle went 7.0 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Brenton Higgins worked the final 2.0 innings, giving up one run with five strikeouts  for his seventh save of the year.  

THE COACHES

Bob Fornelli is 424-190 in his 11th season at Emporia State and is 729-300 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 20-14 overall and 15-13 in the MIAA. As a team they are batting .284, have a 5.04 ERA and a .962 team fielding percentage. 

SCOUTING THE MULES 

Central Missouri is 26-10 overall, 23-5 in the MIAA and ranked #22 nationally. They lead the MIAA in fielding percentage at .967 and have a .311 team batting average and 3.72 ERA.

THE SERIES 

Central Missouri leads the all-time series 119-56. 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 three runs in the final two innings to post a 4-3 come from behind win over #26 Central Missouri at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets got a run in the first and the Mules got three in the fourth.  Dean Long's two run homer tied the game in the bottom of the eighth at 3-3. In the ninth Justin Harris reached on an error and Jordan Hodges and Dalton Piecukonis both walked to load the bases. Levi Parker hit a chopper in front of the plate and Harris was able to beat the catcher to the plate for the walk-off win.

ON DECK

The Hornets return to Trusler for a four game series against Lincoln. First game is set for 6:00 p.m. on Friday at Glennen Field.