HORNETS HEAD TO NORTHWEST MISSOURI FOR FINAL ROAD TRIP

Emporia State Hornets (30-14, 22-11 MIAA)
vs
Northwest Missouri Bearcats (24-19, 19-14 MIAA)
April 28 • 3:00 p.m. • Bearcat Field • Maryville, Mo.
April 29 (DH) • 12:00 p.m. • Bearcat Field • Maryville, Mo.
Series Record: ESU leads 57-33
Last Meeting: at ESU 10, NWMSU 9 (April 12, 2015)  
Live Stats  Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Southwest Baptist • May 6-8, 2016 • Glennen Field/Trusler • Emporia, Kan.
 
BATTLING THE BEARCATS
Emporia State will travel to Maryville, Mo. to face Northwest Missouri for a three game series in two days. First pitch will be Thursday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m.
 
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State pounded out 16 hits on the way to a 13-3 run rule win in eight innings over #27 Washburn on Wednesday at Trusler. The Hornets got on the board in the second inning on a two run home run by Wade Hanna before taking control with a five run third inning. Emporia State added four more runs in the fouth inning to go up 11-0. 
That was more than enough run support for Garrett Brummett. Making his first start since the season opener, he went 5.2 innings allowing two runs on six hits with eight strike outs. Evan Koehler went three for three with three RBI, two runs, a home run and two walks.
 
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 514-224 in his 13th season at Emporia State and is 820-337 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. He is 36-12 against the Bearcats.
Darin Loe is 433-442 in his 16th year as head coach at Northwest Missouri and 589-576 in 23 years as a head coach. He is 22-43 against the Hornets.
 
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 30-14 on the season and 22-11 in the MIAA. The Hornets are ranked fourth nationally in fielding percentage, 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in scoring and runs, 15th in doubles and 16th in hits and home runs. Evan Koehler is fifth in the nation with 18 home runs, 13th in RBI and 25th in slugging percentage.
Emporia State leads the MIAA with 363 strike outs and is second with a 4.46 ERA. Tyler Stubblefield is 14th in the nation with eight wins, is second in the MIAA with 78 strike outs and third with a 2.62 ERA. Matt Slauter is 13th in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings and 14th in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri is 24-19, 19-14 in the MIAA. The Bearcats are fourth in the MIAA with 64 stolen bases and a 5.00 ERA. Nikko Pablo is fifth in the league with a .224 opponent batting average and sixth with a 3.38 ERA. Anthony Caenepeel is third in the MIAA with 77 strike outs.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 57-33 over Northwest Missouri.
 
LAST TIME VS NORTHWEST MISSOURI
Emporia State defeated Northwest Missouri 10-9 on a walk-off sac fly hit by Dalton Wheat  last season. Jake Eikleberry pitched 5.0 innings with five strike outs, only allowing three runs.
 
ON DECK
Emporia State will finish the regular season at home with a three game series against Southwest Baptist on May 6-8 at Trusler.

HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 820 career wins and is 514-224 (.696) 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 820-337 record in 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.
 
PUTTING UP RUNS
The Hornets lead the MIAA in seven offensive categories with 400 runs scored, 364 RBI, 529 hits, 108 doubles, a .337 batting average, a .545 slugging percentage and a .974 fielding percentage and they are second in the league with 72 stolen bases. Emporia State is fourth in the nation in fielding percentage, 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in both scoring and runs, 15th in doubles, 16th in hits and home runs, 20th in batting average, 26th in triples. They have scored at least ten runs in 17 games and at least 15 runs in nine games with four games in which they have scored at least 20 runs.
Evan Koehler is leading the MIAA and fifth in the nation with 19 home runs. He is third in the league and 13th in the nation with 60 RBI and ranks third in the MIAA, 25th in the nation, with a .770 slugging percentage. Dalton Wheat is fifth in the league with a .395 batting average, is seventh with 16 stolen bases and 14 doubles, ranks eighth with a .479 on base percentage, and is ninth with four triples. Wade Hanna is fifth in the MIAA with five triples. Derek Francis is sixth in the MIAA with a .394 batting average and seventh with a .697 slugging percentage.
 
SWING AND MISS STUFF
The Hornets are leading the MIAA with 363 strike outs and are second with a 4.46 ERA. Emporia State is 20th in the nation in strike outs per innings pitched.
Tyler Stubblefield leads the MIAA and is ranked 14th in the nation with eight wins. He is third in the MIAA with 78 strike outs and a 2.62 ERA, is ranked fourth with 75.2 innings pitched and sixth with a .225 opponent batting average. Matt Slauter 13th in the nation with 1.05 walks allowed per nine innings and 14th with a 7.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Jordan Plank is ninth in the MIAA with both 59 strike outs and a 3.88 ERA. Garrett Brummett is fifth in the MIAA in saves, but moved into the starting rotation on Wednesday against Washburn.
 
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. The Hornets are tenth in the first regional rankings this season.
 
TRENDS
Emporia State is outscoring opponents 77-22 in the fourth inning.
The Hornets are 18-0 when scoring in the first inning.
Emporia State is 26-3 when leading after the sixth inning.
The Hornets are 25-1 when scoring at least six runs in a game.
Emporia State has been outscored in a series just once in 14 three game series this year.
 
RECORD BOOKS
Evan Koehler is ranked sixth among active players in NCAA Division II, 11th among all active NCAA Divisions with 33 career home runs and is 12th in D2 with a .693 slugging percentage. He is ranked third in career home runs at Emporia State and his 19 homers this year rank fourth on the single season list.