EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL BEGINS FINAL HOME STAND WITH SINGLE GAME AGAINST NEWMAN

Emporia State Hornets (30-11, 20-11 MIAA)
vs.
Newman Jets (19-20, 9-12 Heartland)
April 22, 2015 • 6:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler • Emporia, Kan.  
Series Record: ESU leads 45-18  Last Meeting: ESU 16, at Newman 11 (Feb. 25, 2015)   
Radio: None Internet Audio: None
Live Stats  Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Pittsburg State • April 22, 23, 24, 2015 • 6:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m.
Glennen Field/Trusler • Emporia, Kan.

HOME AGAIN
The Hornets return to the friendly confines of the Trusler Sports Complex for their final five regular season games beginning with a single non-conference game against Newman.

LAST AT BAT
Emporia State earned another series win with a double header split at Ft. Hays State on Monday afternoon.  The Hornets won game one 11-5 before falling 12-10 in the nightcap. Garrett Bane went the distance allowing five runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts for the win in the matinee. Cody Bobbit finished the first game three for four with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. In the second game Dean Long was three for five with a double, three runs scored and two RBI and Evan Koehler finished two for five with three RBI and a run scored. The Hornets used five pitchers with Jacob Tetuan getting the loss. He gave up three runs in 2.0 innings in relief of starter Jagger Harjo who went 1.1 innings but gave up six runs on five hits with two walks.

THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is Bob Fornelli is 475-205 in his 12th season at Emporia State and is 781-318 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. He is 9-4 against Newman since coming to Emporia State.
Zane Heling is 135-142 in his sixth season as head coach at Newman including a 20-19 stint as interim coach of the Jets in 2010.  He is 2-5 against Emporia State.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 30-11 on the season, 20-11 in the MIAA. In the latest NCAA statistics the Hornets are ranked third in the nation in slugging percentage, fourth in doubles per game, sixth in home runs, eighth in batting average and ninth in stolen bases.

SCOUTING THE JETS
Newman is 19-20 on the year and 9-12 in the Heartland Conference. They have won four straight and six of their last eight games.  They are 3-2 against the MIAA this season. The Jets lead the Heartland and are ranked 17th in the nation in stolen bases. Jarrod Flax has 22 stolen bases to lead their conference and rank 15th in the nation. Tyler Bugner is batting .433 with 40 runs and 18 stolen bases. They have a team ERA of 5.69 on the season.

THE SERIES
This will be the 64th meeting between the two with Emporia State leading 45-18 all-time.

LAST AT BAT VS. NEWMAN
Every starter had a hit and scored a run as Emporia State pounded out 15 hits in a 16-11 win at Newman in Wichita. Emporia State blew the game open in the third when 11 straight batters reached base on the way to an eight run inning and 9-0 lead. The Hornets only had four hits in the inning, but benefited from five walks and two hit batters. Dean Long had one hit but three RBI and scored two runs while Evan Koehler matched his one for four, three RBI and two runs scored effort.  By design the Hornets used nine pitchers in the nine inning game.

ON DECK
The Hornets wrap up the regular season with a four game home series against Pittsburg State. The first game is scheduled to start on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. at Trusler.

HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 781 career wins and is 475-205 (.699) in his 12th season at Emporia State. Fornelli is the second winningest coach at Emporia State behind Dave Bingham who was 557-223 (.714) in 14 years from 1974-87. 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 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
Emporia State is ranked in the top ten nationally in five offensive categories and are the only team in the nation to be ranked in the top ten in home runs, stolen bases and doubles. The Hornets are ranked third in the nation in slugging percentage, fourth in doubles per game, sixth in home runs per game, eighth in batting average and ninth in stolen bases.  

IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS
Justin Harris leads the nation in doubles, is ranked fourth in batting average and hits, fifth in stolen bases, seventh in runs per game and 11th in on base percentage. His 24 doubles rank fifth on the Emporia State single season list and his 35 two baggers in two years are tenth on the career list for the Hornets. He has a .532 on base percentage when leading off an inning. He is on a 26 game hitting streak, the longest by a Hornet since Dillon Hazlett had a 32 game streak in 2011.

HIT IT LONG
Dean Long is ranked fifth in the nation in RBI, is sixth in hit by pitch, seventh in total home runs and 11th in slugging percentage. His 16 home runs rank seventh on the Emporia State single season list while his 30 home runs over the last two years is tied for third on the Hornets career list. He has reached base safely in

MOUND PRESENCE
Emporia State's pitchers have 277 strike outs and 116 walks in 327.2 innings and rank 41st in the nation in strike out to walk ratio. 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.

STARTERS
Seven different players have started a game for the Hornets this year. Travis Hendry has 12 appearances with nine starts and is 8-1 on the season with a 3.93 ERA. He has 40 strikeouts and just 15 walks. Garrett Brummett is the only pitcher to not see action out of the bull pen this season. He is 3-2 with a 5.91 ERA and leads Emporia State with 51 K's and only ten walks in 45.2 innings.

THE IRON THRONE
Shawn Talkington has moved into the closer role. He is 5-4 on the season with a 4.60 ERA and 47 strikeouts on the season. He is 3-2 with a 2.92 ERA and seven saves in 14 appearances out of the bullpen. He has 31 strikeouts and just three walks in 24.2 relief innings. He has 198 career strikeouts and to rank seventh all-time at Emporia State.