#30 Emporia State Hornets (4-2, 0-0 MIAA)
vs. Tarleton State (5-4, 0-0 Lone Star)
Feb. 19 • 3:00 p.m. • Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex • Stephenville, Texas •
Live StatsFeb. 20 • 1:00 p.m. • Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex • Stephenville, Texas •
Live StatsFeb. 21 • 12:00 p.m. • Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex • Stephenville, Texas •
Live StatsSeries Record: Tarleton leads 1-0 Last Meeting: ESU 0, Tarleton 2 (Feb. 3, 2013)
Complete Release in pdfUp Next: at Pittsburg State • Feb 26-28 • Pittsburg, Kan.
TAKING ON THE TEXANS
The #30 Hornets will continue their road trip with a three game series against Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas.
LAST AT BAT
The #38 Hornets claimed the series 2-1 against Metro State last weekend. Derek Francis had a .400 batting average against the Roadrunners, earning six RBI and a homerun. Evan Koehler also had a homerun over the weekend. Zac Shaw went four for nine with four RBI in the second game against Metro State. Alex White, BJ Dean, and Jonny Hodges each hit .500 over the weekend. Wade Hanna hit four for five while Taylor Steen hit four for seven against the Roadrunners.
Tyler Stubblefield had six strikeouts through six innings allowing only two hits. He combined with Jordan Plank and Garrett Brummett for a shutout in the first game. Plank combined for six strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched over the weekend. Jacob Tetuan earned six strikeouts in three perfect innings on Sunday.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 488-212 in his 13th season at Emporia State and is 794-325 overall in his 20th 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 15 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State.
Bryan Conger is 210-160-2 in his eighth year as head coach at Tarleton State.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is ranked second in the MIAA with a 2.72 ERA after two weekends into the season. The Hornets pitching staff also claims second with their 67 strikeouts. Jordan Plank and Tyler Stubblefield each have a 0.00 ERA, pitching a combined 17.1 innings. Stubblefield is tied for third in the MIAA with 14 strikeouts, while Nathan Gieber and Plank claim top ten spots with 11 strikeouts each. Opponents have a .238 batting average against Emporia State's pitching.
The Hornets lead the MIAA with 18 doubles and have a .306 batting average on the season with 39 RBI and seven home runs. BJ Dean is tied for fifth in the MIAA with ten hits. Dalton Wheat is tied for fourth with eight RBI.
SCOUTING THE TEXANS
Tarleton State has started their season with a 5-4 record, claiming a 2-1 series win over then #12 St. Mary's, who has since dropped out of the rankings. Landon Thompson leads the Lone Star conference with a .700 batting average. Landon Merka and Alec Humphreys lead the conference with 14 hits and 13 hits, respectively.
THE SERIES
Emporia State and Tarleton State first met in the 2013 season at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Texans won 2-0 to lead the all-time series 1-0.
ON DECK
The Hornets will travel to Pittsburg, Kan. next weekend to open MIAA play against Pittsburg State. The three game series is set to begin on Friday, Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. at Al Ortolani Field in Pittsburg.
HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 794 career wins and is 488-212 (.697) in his 13th 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. The Hornets have made ten trips to the NCAA Tournament in his first 12 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 15 of his 19 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 five times.
He is the fourth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and ranks 15th in career victories with a 790-323 record as he begins his 20th season.
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.
A native of Lenexa, Kan., he was an honorable mention All-Central States Intercollegiate Conference catcher for the Hornets as a senior after transferring from Butler County CC. He is married to the former Jill Harris of Madison, Kan. The couple has three daughters - Emma, Rylie and Addison.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Hornets had 24 come from behind wins last season including 13 games when trailing in the fourth inning or later. In the last two years Emporia State has played in 12 post season elimination games with ten wins. Dean Long hit a walk off three-run homer with two outs in Emporia State's 10-9 win over Missouri Southern in the first MIAA Tournament Championship game last season. The Hornets were being no hit and trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning of the first MIAA Championship game in 2014 before rallying for a 3-2 victory to prolong their season.
REGIONALLY SPEAKING
Emporia State was ranked third in the NCAA Central Region last year and was one of two MIAA teams in the regional tournament. The automatic qualifiers from the MIAA, NSIC and GAC along with the next three highest ranked regional teams make up the NCAA Central Regional Tournament. As a conference the MIAA was 74-67 against non-league opponents last year.
POWER AND LIGHT DISTRICT
Emporia State was ranked in the top 15 nationally in seven offensive categories last year. The Hornets were ranked third in the nation in home runs, seventh in slugging percentage, ninth in runs scored, tenth in stolen bases, 11th in doubles, and 12th in hits. Emporia State and Seton Hill were the only two teams in the nation to be ranked in the top 11 in doubles, home runs and stolen bases.
HORNETS IN THE POSTSEASON
Last season Emporia State made their 11th trip to the NCAA Tournament and tenth in 12 years. The Hornets have advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series twice, in 2006 and 2009. In 2009 they made it to the national championship game before falling 2-1 to Lynn. They have been to three regional championship games including a 6-3 loss to Minnesota State in 2014. Emporia State made five trips to the NAIA World Series before joining the NCAA in 1992. They were the NAIA National Champions in 1978, runners up in 1987 and finished third in 1976.
