Emporia State Hornets (35-15, 27-12 MIAA)
vs. Central Oklahoma Bronchos (29-20, 21-17 MIAA)
MIAA Tournament
May 12, 2016 • 12:30 p.m. • Lou Brock Sports Complex • St. Charles, Mo.
Series Record: ESU leads 26-21 Last Meeting: at ESU 25, UCO 8 (April 3, 2016)
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM Internet Audio:
kvoe.com
Live Stats Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Either WU or NSU
May 13, 2016 • winners at 4:00 p.m.; losers at 9:00 a.m.
MAY MADNESS
Emporia State opens play in the MIAA Tournament as the #2 seed against seventh seeded Central Oklahoma. The Hornets have been in the MIAA Championship game the last two years.
LAST AT BAT
The Hornets wrapped up the second seed in the MIAA Tournament by taking two of three games from Southwest Baptist in the final series of the year. After dropping the first game 6-5, Emporia State posted 16-6 and 14-8 wins in the final two games at Trusler. Dalton Wheat extended his hitting streak to 21 games, hitting .571 for the weekend with nine runs scored and six RBI. Jonny Hodges went nine for 15 in the three games while Evan Koehler hit .500 with two home runs and seven walks in the three games.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 519-225 in his 13th season at Emporia State and is 825-338 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 20-15 against the Bronchos. He is 30-23 in all MIAA Tournament games.
John Martin is 29-20 in his first year as head coach at Central Oklaoma. He was a first team All-MIAA catcher for the Hornets in 2006 and was drafted in the 24th round by the LA Dodgers. He is 0-3 against Emporia State and making his first appearance in the MIAA Tournament as a head coach.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 35-15 on the season, 27-12 in the MIAA and the second seed in the MIAA Tournament. They were ranked tenth in last week's NCAA Central Regional Rankings. In the latest NCAA statistics the Hornets are ranked fourth in runs scored, fifth in fielding percentage and hits, ninth in doubles and tenth in slugging percentage. Evan Koehler is ranked third in the nation in home runs and seventh in RBI. Dalton Wheat enters the MIAA Tournament on a 21 game hitting streak and is batting .464 in MIAA games this season.
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma is 29-20 on the season and went 21-17 in the MIAA to earn the seventh seed in the tournament. They lead the MIAA and are ranked fifth in the nation in home runs.
THE SERIES
Emporia State leads the all-time series 26-21 and have won seven straight against UCO. The Bronchos won the first three MIAA Tournament games between the two before the Hornets took a 12-1 win in the 2014 semifinals.
LAST AT BAT AGAINST UCO
The Hornets outscored the Bronchos 43-17 as they swept their three game series in Emporia. BJ Dean had four home runs and nine RBI in the three games for Emporia State.
ON DECK
Emporia State will play either Washburn or Northeastern State on Friday. The winners will play at 4:00 p.m. while first pitch for the losers is set for 9:00 a.m. at the Lou Brock Sports Complex.
HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 825 career wins and is 519-225 (.698) 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 825-338 (.709) 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.
HORNETS IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT
The Hornets have won two MIAA Tournament Championships and been involved in seven of the last 11 championship games. Since Coach Fornelli took over in 2004 Emporia State is 21-17 in final site games at the MIAA Tournament. Last season the Hornets were 3-1 in the MIAA Tournament and defeated Missouri Southern 10-9 on Dean Long's walk-off home run in the final game played. The Lions were named the winner as the highest remaining seed when the if necessary game was rained out. It was the second time in eight years that Emporia State had been on the wrong end of a rain out situation in the championship game of the MIAA Tournament. In 2008 the tournament was shortened by rain and the final game was declared a winner take all as Central Missouri defeated Emporia State 4-3 for the Hornets only loss of the tourney after they had defeated the Mules 11-4 earlier in the tournament.
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.
PUTTING UP RUNS
The Hornets lead the MIAA in five offensive categories with 453 runs scored, 412 RBI, 600 hits, 121 doubles, a .336 batting average, a .541 slugging percentage and a .973 fielding percentage and they are second in the league with 69 home runs, and 79 stolen bases. Emporia State is fourth in the nation in runs scored, fifth in hits and fielding percentage, ninth in doubles, tenth in slugging percentage, 14th in home runs and 16th in batting average. They have scored at least ten runs in 19 games and at least 15 runs in ten games with four games in which they have scored at least 20 runs.
Evan Koehler is leading the MIAA and third in the nation with 22 home runs. He also leads the league and ranks 14th nationally in slugging percentage at .796, is second in the MIAA and seventh in the nation with 70 RBI, ninth in walks with 37, and tenth with a .471 on base percentage and 56 runs scored. Dalton Wheat is third in the league with a .411 batting average and 19 doubles, is fourth in hits with 78, ranks sixth with 56 RBI and a .489 on base percentage, is seventh with 17 stolen bases and is ninth with a .647 slugging percentage and four triples. He is on a 21 game hitting streak. Wade Hanna is fourth in the MIAA with six triples. Derek Francis ranks fourth in the MIAA with five sac flies and is tenth with a .643 slugging percentage.
SWING AND MISS STUFF
The Hornets are leading the MIAA with 395 strike outs and are second with a 4.38 ERA and three shut outs, while ranking third in the league with only 163 walks. Emporia State is 35th in the nation in strike outs per innings pitched.
Tyler Stubblefield is second in the MIAA with eight wins and a 2.52 ERA. He is fifth in the league with 81 strike outs and 85.2 innings pitched while his opponents batting average of .233 ranks seventh in the MIAA. Matt Slauter has allowed an MIAA low nine walks on the season and leads the league with a 5.22 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.34 walks allowed per nine innings. Jordan Plank is tenth in the MIAA with 68 strike outs and ranks eighth with seven wins. Garrett Brummett is sixth in the MIAA in with five saves before moving into the starting rotation.
TRENDS
Emporia State is outscoring opponents 87-22 in the fourth inning.
The Hornets are 20-0 when scoring in the first inning.
Emporia State is 31-3 when leading after the sixth inning.
The Hornets are 29-1 when scoring at least six runs in a game.
Emporia State is 26-2 when scoring first.
Emporia State has been outscored in a series just once in 16 three game series this year.
RECORD BOOKS
Evan Koehler is ranked fifth among active players in NCAA Division II and seventh among all active NCAA Divisions with 36 career home runs. He is tenth in D2 with a .719 slugging percentage. He is ranked third in career home runs at Emporia State and his 22 homers this year rank fourth on the single season list.
Wade Hanna is tied with several players for tenth on the Emporia State single season list with six triples.
COMEBACK KIDS
Emporia State has 15 come from behind wins this year, including six where they have trailed and ultimately won by at least ten runs. They have scored a tying or winning run in the eighth inning or later five times this season.
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 11 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. The Hornets were being no hit and trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning of 2014's first MIAA Championship game before rallying for a 3-2 victory to prolong their season.
REGIONALLY SPEAKING
Emporia State is ranked tenth in the NCAA Central Region and are one of four MIAA teams in the top ten. The automatic qualifiers from the MIAA, NSIC and GAC along with the next five highest ranked regional teams make up the NCAA Central Regional Tournament. As a conference the MIAA was 75-60 (.556) in non-league action this year while the GAC went 73-89 (.451) and the NSIC was 74-106 (.411) overall. Against only Division II opponents, the MIAA was 72-59 (.550), the NSIC went 52-82 (.388) and the GAC was 50-80 (.385).
In inter-conference play the MIAA was 12-5 against the NSIC and 15-10 against the GAC. Six of the MIAA's wins against the NSIC were by teams that did not make the MIAA Tournament, including four wins against NSIC teams that were regionally ranked last week.
