Emporia State Hornets (16-12, 3-1 MIAA) vs.
Newman University Jets (5-22, 1-2 Heartland)
Fri. March 17 • 4:00 p.m. • Newman Softball Field • Wichita, Kan.
Fri. March 17 • 6:00 p.m. • Neman Softball Field • Wichita, Kan.
Series: ESU leads 11-1 Last: ESU 8, at NU 0 (3/16/2015)
Live Stats • Complete Game Notes
Up Next: at Northeastern State (DH) • Tue., March 21 • 1:00 p.m.
RiverHawks Park • Tahlequah, Okla.
TAKING OFF
The Hornets take a brief break from MIAA action to take on Newman in Wichita, Kan. The first game of the double header starts at 4:00 p.m. on Newman Softball Field.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State opened MIAA play with a 3-1 weekend, sweeping Missouri Southern (6-2, 6-0) and splitting games with Pittsburg State (3-4, 5-3). Caitlin VanVleck had a .538 batting aver- age over the weekend with five runs and four stolen bases. Hailey Cope joined her, hitting .500 through the four games with three doubles. Sarah Glass led with four RBI. Cassidy Berry had three stolen bases. Eryn Stockman went 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA, allowing only three runs and two walks in 14.0 innings. Holly Hinkel went 1-1, pitching 14.0 innings with three strikeouts. The Hornets out-scored opponents 8-0 in the fourth inning.
THE COACHES
April Huddleston is 37-44 in her sec- ond year as the head coach at Emporia State. She is the tenth head coach of the Hornet softball program. She is head coach after 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 2008, and was named First Team All-MIAA at shortstop her senior year. This is her first meeting with the Jets.
Janice Esses is 23-56 in her second season as the head coach at Newman University. This is her first meeting with the Hornets.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 16-12 on the season and 3-1 in MIAA play. The Hornets lead the MIAA in hits, doubles and stolen bases. Emporia State is second in runs and RBI. Glass is second in the MIAA with eight doubles and fourth with 18 runs. VanVleck is fourth in the conference with 30 hits and third with 11 stolen bases. McKenna Davis leads the MIAA with 18 stolen bases. Jacie Stephens is fourth in the MIAA with 30 hits and third with seven doubles. Cope is also tied for third with seven doubles. Stockman leads the MIAA with 100.2 innings pitched, is third with a .223 opponent batting average, fifth with 48 strikeouts and seventh with 13 batters struck out looking.
ABOUT NEWMAN UNIVERSITY
The Jets are 5-21 on the season and 1-2 in the Heartland. Jenson Cromer is ninth the in the conference with a .548 slugging percentage. Cromer is also sixth with 47 strikeouts as a pitcher.
THE SERIES
Emporia State leads the all-time series 11-1 over Newman University.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE JETS
Emporia State had a 8-0 shutout win over Newman in 2015 to improve to 17-5. Caitlin VanVleck had two RBI on one hit while Danielle Sprinkle had one RBI on one hit.
UP NEXT
Emporia State travels to Northeastern State on Tuesday, March 21 for a double header in MIAA play. First pitch will be at 1:00 p.m.
HORNET HITTING
The Hornets lead the MIAA with 228 hits, 50 doubles and 60 stolen bases. Emporia State has 149 runs and 134 RBI, good enough for second in the MIAA. Sarah Glass comes in second in the MIAA with eight doubles, fourth with 18 runs, seventh with 79 at-bats and eighth with seven stolen bases. McKenna Davis leads the conference with 18 stolen bases, is second with 87 at-bats, third with 14 walks and eighth with six doubles. Caitlin VanVleck sits third with 11 stolen bases and is fourth with 30 hits. Jacie Stephens is tied for third in the MIAA with seven doubles and fourth with 30 hits and 80 at-bats. Cassidy Berry ties Glass for eighth with seven stolen bases. Hailey Cope joins Stephens in third with seven doubles.
EMPORIA STATE PITCHING
Emporia State pitching has a 3.34 ERA, 72 strikeouts and a .269 opponent batting average. Eryn Stockman leads the conference with 100.2 innings pitched, comes in third with a .223 opponent batting average and is fourth with a 1.81 ERA. Stockman is also fifth in the MIAA with 48 strikeouts and seventh with 13 struck out looking. She is one of four MIAA players with at least ten wins. Holly Hinkel is seventh in the conference with 65.1 innings pitched.
TRENDS
The Hornets are 12-0 when they hold opponents to two runs or less.
When Emporia State leads after four innings, they are 11-1.
The Hornets are out-scoring opponents 31-10 in the fourth inning.
Caitlin VanVleck is currently on a nine game reached base streak and a five game hitting streak.
TOURNAMENTS WITH HUDDLESTON
Huddleston is 21-18 in tournament play as head coach at Emporia State. The Hornets went 4-1 at the St. Cloud Indoor Tournament last season and 2-2 at the Ark.-Monticello Tournament in 2016. In the 2017 season, Huddleston went 1-4 at the Southeastern Oklahoma State Tournament, 4-2 at the ASU George McCorkle Challenge, 5-1 at the 8-States Classic and 3-3 at the St. Cloud Indoor Tournament.
SUCCESS IN MAY
Emporia State has played in 12 NCAA Tournaments with a 35-25 (.583) overall record in NCAA Tournament play. The Hornets are 20-13 in NCAA tournament elimination games all-time. Emporia State has played in ten of the last 14 MIAA Tournament championship games with eight titles. Since 2001 the Hornets are 49-16 (.753) in 49-16 (.753) in MIAA Tournament play with a 48-12 (.800) record over the last 13 tournaments.
HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State has finished as the NCAA Division II National Runners-up twice, in 2006 and 2008. The Hornets have qualified for NCAA Regional play in 11 of the last 13 years and 12 times in the last 21 seasons. The Hornets won the NAIA National Championship in 1983 and 1984 and won the AIAW National Championship in 1980.
The Hornets were MIAA regular season champions four straight years from 2005- 08 and MIAA Tournament champions seven straight years running from 2004-10. Emporia State has claimed the regular season title (2005-08, 2010-12, 2014) and the tournament title (2004-10, 2012) eight times each in the 21st Century.
