Emporia State Hornets (22-16, 8-4 MIAA) Â
vs. Washburn Ichabods (17-22, 5-7 MIAA)Â
Friday, March 31 • 2:00 p.m. (DH) • Washburn Softball Field • Topeka, Kan.
Saturday, April 1 • 1:00 p.m. (DH) • Turnbull Field/Trusler • Emporia, Kan.
Series: ESU leads 89-55-1 Last Meeting: at WU 7, ESU 5 (3/12/2016)
Saturday Game One Only Radio: KVOE 1400AM/96.9FM Live Desktop Internet: kvoe.com Â
Live Stats Complete Release in pdf
Up Next: Ft. Hays State (DH) • Friday, April 7
4:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan.
TURNPIKE TUSSLE WEEKENDÂ
After getting a midweek double header rained out, the Hornets take on Washburn in a four game series starting Friday in Topeka and ending on Saturday at Trusler.
LAST AT BATÂ
Emporia State had a perfect weekend at home, sweeping Lindenwood (1-0, 4-0) and Lincoln (8-3, 12-1) to improve to 22-16 on the season, 8-4 in the MIAA. Eryn Stockman pitched two complete games against the Lions, totaling eight strikeouts, no walks and no runs on seven hits. Cassidy Berry went three for six on the day with three stolen bases. Emporia State had four stolen bases against Lindenwood.
In game one against the Blue Tigers, Stockman picked up another win to improve to 15-7 on the season. She had three strikeouts and only three runs on eight hits. In the second game Holly Hinkel allowed just one run on six hits in 5.0 innings as the Hornets run-ruled Lincoln 12-1. Caitlin VanVleck hit four for seven against the Blue Tigers with three runs and three RBI. Emporia State hit .429 against Lincoln.
THE COACHESÂ
April Huddleston is 43-48 in her second 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. She is 2-2 against Washburn.Â
Brenda Holaday is 17-22 in her first year at Washburn, but was 351-93 in 19 seasons at Washburn Rural HS. This is her first meeting with Emporia State.
ABOUT THE HORNETSÂ
Emporia State is 22-16 on the season and 8-4 in MIAA play. The Hornets lead the MIAA in doubles and stolen bases while ranking second in hits. Sarah Glass is eighth in the nation and second in the MIAA with 13 doubles. McKenna Davis third in the MIAA with 17 stolen bases. As a team Emporia State is second in the MIAA and ranked sixth in the nation with ten shutouts. Stockman is second in Division II with seven shutouts. She is second in the MIAA and 13th in the nation with 14 wins.
ABOUT WASHBURNÂ
The Ichabods are 17-22 on the season and 5-7 in the MIAA. They are batting .259 as a team with a 3.75 team ERA. Former Hornet Erica Harper is batting .361 with seven home runs and 22 RBI to lead the Ichabod offense. Another former Hornet Kelsee Henry is 8-10 with a 3.12 ERA in the circle for Washburn
THE SERIESÂ
The Hornets lead the all-time series 89-55-1 and had won 38 straight in the series before a loss in the second game of last year's four game series.
LAST AT BAT VS. THE ICHABODSÂ
The Hornets split day two with the Ichabods to end their four game Turnpike Tussle. Emporia State took the first game with a 7-4 win and dropped the second game 7-5.
UP NEXTÂ
Emporia State will play their final four scheduled home games next weekend starting with Ft. Hays State on April 7. They will wrap up the home portion of the schedule with Senior Day against Neb.-Kearney on April 8 at Trusler. The final four regular season games will be on the road.Â
HORNET HITTINGÂ
The Hornets lead the MIAA with 63 doubles and 73 stolen bases. Emporia State is second with 288 hits. As a team the Hornets are batting .296 on the season with a .358 on base percentage and .417 slugging percentage.
Outfielder McKenna Davis (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) is ranked third in the MIAA with 17 stolen bases and is tied for tenth with 15 walks. She is batting .267 on the season and has a .358 on base percentage.
Shortstop Sarah Glass (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is second in the MIAA and eighth in Division II with 13 doubles. She is ranked fifth in the MIAA with 29 runs and ninth in the league with ten stolen bases. She is hitting .346 with four home runs and 21 RBI.
Outfielder Caitlin VanVleck (Jr./Liberty, Mo.) sits fifth in the MIAA with 42 hits and 13 stolen bases and is seventh with a .393 batting average.
Catcher Jacie Stephens (Sr./Goldsby, Okla.) is tied for fourth in the MIAA with nine doubles. She is batting .353 with three home runs and 19 RBI. She missed the second game against Lincoln after getting hit with a foul tip.
First baseman Danielle Sprinkle (Jr./Salina, Kan.) is ranked fourth in the MIAA with 17 walks and is sixth with 27 RBI. She is batting .330 on the year with three home runs.
Outfielder Cassidy Berry i(Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) s tied for fifth with 13 stolen bases in the MIAA.
Katy Rae Nordman (Jr./Augusta, Kan.) and Hailey Cope (Jr./Baldwin, Kan.) have switched back and forth between third base and designated player. Nordman is batting .338 with two homers and 16 RBI. Cope is batting .218 with eight doubles and 16 RBI.
Outfielder Annelise Rockley (Jr./Independence, Mo.) is batting .302 on the year with ten runs scored.
Second baseman Katie Yoakum (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) is hitting .212 with 14 runs scored on the year. She missed three of the four games last weekend with an illness.
Catcher Valerie Kinney (So./Bennington, Neb.) replaced Stephens behind the plate against Lincoln. She is batting .375 in her last four games over the past two weeks
EMPORIA STATE PITCHINGÂ
Emporia State pitching is second in the MIAA and ranked sixth in the nation with ten shut outs. The staff has a 3.18 combined ERA that ranks sixth in the MIAA.
???????Eryn Stockman (Sr./Lindsborg, Kan.) is second in the nation and leads the MIAA with seven shutouts. She is ranked second in the league with 14 wins and 139.0 innings pitched, is fourth with a .222 opponents batting average, fifth with 72 strikeouts and sixth with a 1.81 ERA.
Holly Hinkel (Jr./North Liberty, Iowa) is 6-8 with a 4.97 ERA in 19 appearances this year.
TRENDS
The Hornets are 17-0 when they hold opponents to two runs or less.
When Emporia State leads after four innings, they are 16-2.
The Hornets are out-scoring opponents 38-12 in the fourth inning.
With runners on third and two outs, the Hornets are batting .538 in 93 at-bats.
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 MAYÂ
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.
