EMPORIA STATE SOFTBALL HEADS NORTH TO PLAY INDOORS AT ST. CLOUD STATE

Emporia State Hornets (4-6, 0-0 MIAA)
at Kelly Laas Indoor Invitational
Husky Dome • St. Cloud, Minn.
vs. Minnesota State- Mankato Mavericks (1-2, 0-0 NSIC)
Feb. 19 • 7:00 p.m.  • Series: ESU leads 8-4  Last: ESU 4, MSUM 3 (3/22/2015)   
vs. Southwest Minnesota Mustangs (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Feb. 19 • 9:30 p.m. • Series: SWMSU leads 2-1 Last: ESU 4, SWMSU 0 (5/13/2007)    
 vs. Concordia - St. Paul Golden Bears (1-4, 0-0 NSIC)
Feb. 20 • 7:00 p.m. • Series: ESU leads 10-4  Last: ESU 13, CUSP 4 (3/21/2015)   
vs. #20 Augustana Vikings (6-5, 0-0 NSIC)
Feb. 21 • 8:00 a.m. • Series: ESU leads 11-6 Last: Augie 12, ESU 8 (2/21/2015)   
vs. #20 Augustana Vikings (6-2, 0-0 NSIC)
Feb. 21 • 10:00 a.m. • Series: ESU leads 5-2 Last: ESU 8, at SCSU 2 (2/19/2015)   
 Up Next: at Lindenwood • March 4, 2016  2:00 p.m.
Lou Brock Sports Complex • St. Charles, Mo.

INDOOR BALL  
The Hornets travel St. Cloud, Minn. to take part in the Kelly Laas Indoor Invitational at the Husky Dome on the campus of St. Cloud State.

LAST AT BAT
The Hornets split four games at the 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark. before getting their final two games canceled due to weather.  Emporia State was locked in a pitchers' duel with Henderson State before the Reddies exploded for seven runs in the top of the seventh in the first game of the tourney.  The Hornets had a five run fourth inning on the way to a 6-2 win over Ouachita Baptist in the second game.  Emporia State had the tying run on base with no one out in the seventh but could not push it across in an 8-7 loss to Ark. Tech.  The Hornets finished the weekend with a 5-2 win over East Central.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State are 4-6 on the season. Sarah Glass is hitting .355 with two home runs and five RBI. Erica Harper has a team best nine RBI with two home runs and a .241 batting average. Caitlin VanVleck has scored nine runs and is batting .286 with a homer and five RBI. Jacie Stephens is batting .350 with a home run and foru RBI.
Eryn Stockman is 3-2 with a 2.06 ERA in the circle. She has struck out 28 with just nine walks in 34.0 innings. Holly Hinkel is 1-2 with a 5.78 ERA in 23.0 innings.

THE COACH
April Huddleston is 4-6 in her first year as the head coach at Emporia State. She is the tenth head coach of the Hornet softball program. She steps in as head coach for her first year having served as an assistant with the Hornets for seven seasons. Huddleston was a member of both the Hornets national runner-up teams in 2006 and 2009, and was named First Team All-MIAA at shortstop her senior year.

PLAYING INDOORS
This is the third straight year the Hornets have taken part in the Kelly Laas Indoor Tournament.  Emporia State has gone 7-2 the last two years in St. Cloud.

KNOW THE FOE
Emporia State will be play five opponents from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference over the weekend.  The Hornets will open up with Minnesota State, followed by a late night meeting with Southwest Minnesota on Friday. Emporia State has one game scheduled for Saturday against Concordia St. Paul. The Hornets will wrap up the tourney with Sunday morning games against Augustana and St. Cloud State.

 UP NEXT
The Hornets begin MIAA play on Friday, March 4 at Lindenwood.  First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.