#4 Emporia State Hornets (4-0, 0-0 MIAA)
vs. Missouri Western Griffons (3-4, 0-0 MIAA)
Feb. 20-21, 2014 • 1:00 p.m. /12:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 102-38 Last Meeting: ESU 6, MWSU 0 (5/10/2014-MIAA Tourney)
Radio: none Internet Audio: none
Up Next: vs. Central Missouri • Feb. 27-March 1
Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
LET'S PLAY FOR REAL
The #4 Hornets open MIAA play against Missouri Western in a rematch of the MIAA Tournament Championship game. The four game series has been moved to the Trusler Sports Complex due to weather concerns. Due to conference scheduling rules, the Hornets will be the visiting team during the series.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State defeated Bemidji State 8-1 last Saturday at Trusler. The Hornets were led by a strong performance from pitcher Shawn Talkington, who threw 5.0 innings and allowed only one hit. Levi Parker, Cody Bobbitt and Evan Koehler all recorded two hits and two RBI a piece..
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 449-194 in his 12th season at Emporia State and is 755-307 overall in his 19th year as a four year head coach. He is the fourth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and is 15th in total victories. He has led Emporia State to two Division II World Series appearances in nine NCAA Tournaments. Fornelli has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament 14 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State.
Buzz Verduzco is 437-331 in his 16th season at Missouri Western.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has opened the season with four home wins. The Hornets have hit 14 home runs with ten doubles and a .745 slugging percentage while Emporia State's pitchers struck out 40 and allowed just 13 walks. Dean Long and Tory Bell both have three home runs and eight RBI to lead the Hornets in both categories.
THE SERIES
The first game of the series will be the 141st meeting between the two with Emporia State leading 102-38 all-time. The Hornets won six of seven games between the two last year, taking four of five at the Trusler Sports Complex and both games in the MIAA Tournament.
LAST AT BAT VS. MO. WESTERN
Emporia State battled all the way through the loser's bracket to capture the MIAA Championship as the Hornets swept Missouri Western 3-2 and 6-0 at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo. Price Jacobs' RBI single was the game winner in the first game. Justin Harris singled, went to second on an error, to third on a wild pitch and gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead on Dean Long's RBI double. That was all the offense the Hornets needed as three pitchers combined for a five hit shutout. Jarrod Miller got the ball for the Hornets on no days rest in the second championship game and retired the first seven Griffons he faced. He would go 4.0 innings before handing the ball to Matt Hinkley who worked 3.0 scoreless with four striekouts. Dylan McEwin finished the game with 2.0 innings with no hits and three strikeouts.
ON DECK
The Hornets are scheduled to host Central Missouri next weekend at Trusler. The four game series is set to begin with a single game on Friday, February 27, a double header on Saturday, February 28 and wrap up with a single game on Sunday, March 1 on Glennen Field.
HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 755 career wins and is 449-194 (.698) in his 12th season at Emporia State. Fornelli is the second winningest coach by percentage at Emporia State behind Dave Bingham (557-223, .714 in 14 years) and the third winningest coach at by victories (449) behind Bingham and Brian Embery (458-320, .589 in 15 years). Last year was the Hornets ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament in 11 years and he has twice led Emporia State to the Division II World Series, in 2006 and 2009. He has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament in 14 of his first 18 years as a collegiate coach.
Fornelli, a 1991 graduate of Emporia State, spent seven years at Ft. Hays State where he compiled a 306-113 record and led the Tigers to the NCAA Division II national championship game in 2000 and was in the NCAA regional tournament six times.
Prior to his time in Hays, Fornelli was the pitching coach at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., from 1991 until 1996. During his tenure the Grizzlies were 195-86 and finished third in the NJCAA World Series in 1994.
Fornelli, a native of Lenexa, Kan., was an honorable mention All-Central States Intercollegiate Conference catcher for the Hornets as a senior after transferring from BCCC. He is married to the former Jill Harris of Madison, Kan. The couple has three daughters - Emma, Rylie and Addison.
POWER AND LIGHT DISTRICT
In the first four games of 2015 the Hornets have hit 14 home runs, have a .745 team slugging average and have been successful on 19 of 21 stolen base attempts. Last year Emporia State was ranked fifth in the nation in both total home runs with 52 and total stolen bases with 144 and was the only team in the nation with at least 50 homers and 100 stolen bases. Dean Long had 14 home runs to rank seventh in the nation. He is tied for tenth on the Emporia State single season list. He was seventh in the nation in total RBI with 64. Justin Harris had 44 stolen bases in 50 attempts to rank fourth in the nation. He is fifth on the Hornets single season list.
MOUND PRESENCE
Emporia State's starting pitchers have 16 strike outs with just two walks in 18.0 innings to open the season. Last season the Hornet pitching staff was third in the nation in strikeout to walk ratio with 427 K's and only 132 base on balls. Shawn Talkington was 9-2 with a save, a 2.85 ERA and 76 strike outs and 17 walks in 82.0 innings and moved to the closer role to finish the season due to an injury to first-team All-MIAA and all-region reliever Brenton Higgins. Jarrod Miller was 7-6 with a 3.63 ERA and 77 strike outs 21 base on balls in 79.1 innings pitched. Travis Hendry was 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA with 44 strike outs and ten walks in 54.0 innings. He threw a career best 102 pitches in the Hornets win against Augustana.
