#8 Emporia State Hornets (19-4, 8-1 MIAA)
vs
Missouri Western Griffons (11-11, 8-4 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 21 • 4:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 104-45 Last Meeting: MWSU 7, ESU 3 (5/15/16-MIAA Semis)
Live Stats Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Nebraska-Kearney • March 24-26, 2017
Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
MIDWEEK START UP
The #8 Hornets begin midweek MIAA action against Missouri Western at the Trusler Sports Complex. Next week Emporia State will travel to St. Joseph, Mo. before finishing the series on April 4 back in Emporia.
LAST AT BAT
The #15 Hornets put up seven runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 12-0 win over Ft. Hays State in seven innings on Sudnay at Lark's Park in Hays, Kan. to complete a three game sweep of the Tigers. Emporia State outscored Ft. Hays State 32-5 during the three game series with two run-rule wins - 15-1 on Friday and 12-0 on Sunday - sandwiched around a 5-4 come from behind victory on Saturday. Levi Ashmore hit .556 during the three game series and scored six runs in the three game set. The pitching staff had a 1.88 ERA on the weekend while the bullpen did not allow a run in 8.1 innings.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 542-233 in his 14th season at Emporia State and is 848-346 overall in his 21st year as a four year head coach. He is the fifth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and is 14th in total victories. Fornelli is the winningest active MIAA coach. He has led Emporia State to two Division II World Series appearances in 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament. 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 34-21 against the Griffons.
Buzz Verduzco is 512-379 in his 18th year as head coach at Missouri Western. He is 24-42 against the Hornets.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 19-4 on the season, 8-1 in the MIAA, and are ranked #8 in the nation. Although no individual is ranked in the top ten nationally, offensively the Hornets lead the nation in stolen bases and are ranked third in the nation in scoring per game, fifth in total runs, and eighth in total home runs.
The Hornets five shutouts are the second most in the nation behind three teams with six shutouts. The pitching staff is fourth in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings.
Emporia State ranks third in the nation in fielding percentage.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western is 11-11 on the season and 8-4 in the MIAA. They have only playe three home games on the season. Nick Gawley is batting .404 with a home run and team best 15 RBI. Richard Peoples is 4-1 on the year with a 3.05 ERA. The Griffons have used 20 pitchers this year, seven of whom have starts.
THE SERIES
Emporia State leads the all-time series 104-45, but Missouri Western won four of five meetings last season.
LAST AT BAT WITH THE GRIFFS
Emporia State fell behind 7-0 in the fifth inning and fell 7-3 to Missouri Western in the 2016 MIAA Tournament semifinals at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.
ON DECK
The #8 Hornets play host to Neb.-Kearney over the weekend at the Trusler Sports Complex. The three game series begins Friday at 3:00 p.m. and continues on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday at 12 noon.
HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 848 career wins and is 542-233 (.699) 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 and is the winningest active MIAA 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 fifth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and ranks 14th in career victories with a 848-346 (.710) record in his 21st season as a head coach.
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.
BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher Mason Brown (Jr./Littleton, Colo.) is fourth in the MIAA with a .520 on base percentage, fifth with a .699 slugging percentage and seventh with a .422 batting average. He is fifth in home runs with six and is seventh in the league with 28 RBI.
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Kaden Shaffer (Jr./Ottawa, Kan.) is tied for tenth in the MIAA with five home runs and 12th in RBI with 27 while ranking fifth with 18 walks.
Second baseman Ryan McBroom (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) sits fourth in the MIAA with a .710 slugging percentage and is tied for tenth with five homers. McBroom is batting .377 on the season with six doubles and 21 RBI.
Shortstop Levi Ashmore (Sr./Iola, Kan.) ranks second in the MIAA with 14 stolen bases and is fourth in the league with 30 runs scored. He is batting .354 on the season.
Third baseman Alex White (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) leads the MIAA with a .468 batting average and is second with a .569 on base percentage.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Mack Gowing (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) is batting .354 with a .444 on base percentage and .439 slugging percentage. He has four doubles, a home run nad a 13 RBI.
Outfielder BJ Dean (Sr./Pratt, Kan.) comes in second in the MIAA with eight home runs, is eighth with 26 runs scored, tenth with a .679 slugging percentage and tied for 12th iwth 27 RBI. He is batting .345 on the season.
Outfielder Wade Hanna (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) has 21 hits, 23 runs, five doubles and two triples on the season. He has two outfield assists and a 1.000 fielding percentage.
TIMELY HITTING
Infielder/DH Daniel LaMunyon (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) had two late inning, game winning home runs last week. He is fifth in the MIAA with ten stolen bases and is tied for tenth with five home runs.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Seth Holman (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) is tied for the MIAA lead with five wins in six starts. He is second in the MIAA in walks per nine innings, is third with a 1.06 WHIP, ranks fourth in strike out to walk ratio, and is ninth in total strikeouts. He has a 3.02 ERA and opponents are batting just .229 against him.
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Plank (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is seventh in the MIAA in strike out to walk ratio. He is 3-1 with a 5.52 ERA in six starts and has 28 strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (So./Wichita, Kan.) is 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA in seven appearances and four starts. He has struck out 20 while walking just ten.
Left-handed pitcher Nathan Gieber (Jr./Concordia, Kan.) has four starts in eight outings and has struck out 19 with just four walks. He has yet to get a decision and has an 8.59 ERA.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Slauter (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched with a combined shutout in his only start.
IN THE BULLPEN
Right-handed pitcher Nathan Whitcomb (Sr./Humboldt, Kan.) is ranked 12th in the nation with five saves. He has a 0.63 ERA in 11 relief appearances. He has 11 strike outs and no walks in 14.1 innings.
Right-handed pitcher Taylor Thompson (Jr./Cuba, Mo.) is 3-0 with a 4.15 ERA in ten appearances.
Right-handed pitcher Layne Downing (Jr./Hays, Kan.) is 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in nine games.
Left-handed pitcher Tyler Buss (Sr./Jay, Okla.) is 1-0 with a 10.97 ERA in six games with two starts.
Right-handed pitcher Jacob Tetuan (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in six appearances.
TRENDS
When Emporia State out-hits opponents they are 13-1.
Emporia State is 11-1 when they score first.
Emporia State is 9-1 when they score in the first inning.
The Hornets have out-scored their opponents 35-6 in the third inning and 17-2 in the ninth.
The Hornets are out-scoring their opponents 243-112 overall.
Hornet pinch hitters are batting .405 in 37 at bats this season..
All four of Emporia State's losses were by one run.
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 third all-time with 638 at-bats. He is also in the top ten in base hits with 196, which puts him fourth all-time. He will need seven more hits to tie Jim Wood for third. Hanna is sixth with 153 runs, needing one more to tie Brett Berry for fifth. He now is sixth with 184 games played, needing to appear in 21 more to tie Bob Hines. Hanna is seventh all-time with 37 doubles, needing two more to tie Kevin Wempe for sixth. Hanna hit his ninth career triple this season, tying Justin Harris, Dave Mosea and Conner Crubmliss for tenth. Hanna has 113 career RBI, needing 141 to break the Emporia State top ten.
WALKING OFF
The Hornets have five comeback wins this season. On February 18 Alex White had an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth of a 9-8 walk off win against Missouri S&T after trailing 8-6 through seven innings. In an extended game due to weather delay, Kaden Shaffer hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win in game two against Missouri Southern after trailing 3-1 headed into the sixth inning. Against Newman on March 15, the Hornets trailed 6-2 after five innings before Daniel LaMunyon hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 7-6 win.
REGIONALLY SPEAKING
Emporia State was ranked third in the NCAA Central Region last year and was one of two MIAA teams in the regional tournament. The automatic qualifiers from the MIAA, NSIC and GAC along with the next three highest ranked regional teams make up the NCAA Central Regional Tournament.
IN THE POLLS
There are several national rankings in NCAA Division II for baseball. Emporia State is ranked #8 in ABCA Collegiate Baseball Newspaper for the March 20 Poll. The Hornets are #14 in the D2 Baseball News National Rankings, and are #12 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25.
