#30 HORNETS BASEBALL BEGIN SEASON AT COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO

#30 Emporia State Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs
Colorado State - Pueblo Thunderwolves (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
Friday, Feb. 3 • 1:00 p.m. • Rawlings Sports Complex • Pueblo, Colo.
Saturday, Feb. 4 • 1:00 p.m. • Rawlings Sports Complex • Pueblo, Colo.
Sunday, Feb. 5 • 12:00 p.m. • Rawlings Sports Complex • Pueblo, Colo.
Live Stats • Game Notes
Series Record: ESU leads 3-2 Last Meeting: at ESU 3, CSU - Pueblo 0 (Feb. 7, 2016)  
Up Next: Metropolitan State - Denver • Feb. 10-12, 2017
Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.

BASEBALL BEGINNINGS
Emporia State will begin their season with a three game series in Colorado against CSU-Pueblo. The first pitch will be on Friday, Feb. 3 at 1:00 p.m. at Rawlings Sports Complex.
 
FLASHBACK
The Hornets went 39-19 on the season and 27-12 in the MIAA in 2016. Emporia State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year and the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. They finished second in the MIAA regular season. The Hornets finished the 2016 season ranked fourth in the nation in fielding percentage, fifth in doubles, sixth in runs scored and seventh in hits. Tucker Perkins was named to the NCAA Division II Regional All-Tournament team at second base after hitting .357 in the Hornets' four games in St. Cloud, Minn.
The Hornets led the MIAA with a .329 batting average, 503 runs, 683 hits, 132 doubles, 457 RBI, and a .972 fielding percentage while coming in second with a 4.53 ERA.
 
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 523-229 to begin his 14th season at Emporia State and is 829-342 overall in his 21st 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 16 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State. He is 2-1 against the Thunderwolves.
Stan Sanchez won his 1,100th game last season and led CSU-Pueblo to its second straight RMAC Plains Division Championship. He has taken the Thunderwolves to nine NCAA Regionals and finished fifth at the 1996 World Series.
 
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason poll and begin the season ranked 30th in Division II. Emporia State returns seven position players as well as two starting pitchers and four relievers that combined for 17 wins from last year's team that advanced to the NCAA Central Regional Tournament.
Jonny Hodges ended last season seventh in the MIAA with a .388 batting average. Daniel LaMunyon finished 2016 fifth in the conference with 17 doubles. Wade Hanna ended the 2016 season fifth in the MIAA with six triples and leading all Hornets returners with 72 hits.
Jordan Plank finished the 2016 season seventh in the MIAA with 80 strikeouts, tenth with only 39 runs allowed and fifth with eight wins. Matt Slauter led the MIAA in fewest walks allowed with 11 walks.
 
SCOUTING THE THUNDERWOLVES
Colorado State - Pueblo went 28-19 last season, 19-12 in the RMAC. The Thunderwolves return Gilbert Sauceda who had a .368 batting average with 31 runs and 27 RBI last season. Kyle Peeler started ten games last season, compiling a 4-2 record, 5.09 ERA and 35 strikeouts. He earned a spot on the RMAC All-Tournament team.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 3-2 over CSU-Pueblo.
 
LAST TIME VS CSU - PUEBLO
Then #38 Emporia State claimed the series last season with a 3-0 win over #31 Colorado - Pueblo. Gieber allowed three hits and no runs with seven strikeouts through six innings. Levi Ashmore went two for three on the day.
 
ON DECK
The #30 Hornets will host Metro St. for their home opening series beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10 at Glennen Field.

HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 829 career wins and is 523-229 (.696) in his 14th 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 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament in his first 13 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 16 of his 20 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 823-337 (.710) 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.
 
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Kaden Shaffer (Jr./Ottawa, Kan.) was named to the All-Jayhawk conference team last season as a sophomore at Fort Scott Community College. Shaffer had a .394 batting average with 85 hits that included 18 doubles, ten home runs, 56 RBI and 64 runs scored.
Second baseman Ryan McBroom (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) finished last season with a .298 batting average, .344 on base percentage, ten doubles and four home runs. He also had a .992 fielding percentage.
Shortstop Levi Ashmore (Sr./Iola, Kan.) hit .292 for the Hornets last season with a .375 on base percentage. He had 14 doubles, seven home runs, 36 RBI and 59 runs scored.
Third baseman Daniel LaMunyon (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) hit .335 last season with 68 hits including 17 doubles and five home runs. He was named to the All-MIAA Honorable Mention.
 
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Jonny Hodges (Jr./DeSoto, Kan.) had a .388 batting average last season with 45 hits that included eight doubles and two home runs. 
Outfielder BJ Dean (Sr./Pratt, Kan.) started in 39 games last season in left field with a 1.000 fielding percentage. Dean had a .317 batting average, 12 doubles, nine home runs and 35 RBI.
Outfielder Wade Hanna (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) had a .335 batting average last season with a .421 on base percentage. He had 72 hits that included 13 doubles, six triples, five home runs, 36 RBI and 11 stolen bases. He was named Third Team All-MIAA.
 
ON THE MOUND
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Plank (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) had 12 starts in 19 appearances in the 2016 season. He finished with 74.1 innings pitched, 80 strikeouts, an 8-3 record and a 4.00 ERA. Plank was an Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection. 
Left-handed pitcher Nathan Gieber (Jr./Concordia, Kan.) started two games, throwing 11 innings with a 3.27 ERA and a 2-0 record before getting a forearm injury leading to a medical redshirt last season.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Holman (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) has spent the last two seasons battling an elbow injury. Holman transferred to Emporia State for the 2016 season, previously playing at Cowley County Community College.
 
HISTORY
Emporia State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year in the 2015 season and the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. The Hornets have finished second in MIAA regular season play for the past three seasons. Under Coach Fornelli, Emporia State won the MIAA Tournament in 2014 and 2007 and claimed the regular season title in 2011, 2009, 2008 and 2006.
 
RECORD BOOKS
In his fourth and final season with the Hornets, Wade Hanna looks to make an impact on the career batting recordings. Hanna currently sits fifth all-time with 561 at-bats. He is also in the top ten in base hits with 175 which puts him sixth all-time. Hanna falls short of a few categories that he should break into in his senior season including four games short in games played, three runs short of top ten, three doubles shy and two triples to go for the top ten list.