HORNET SOFTBALL OPENS MIAA PLAY WITH HOME OPENER

Emporia State Hornets (13-11, 0-0 MIAA) vs.
Missouri Southern Lions (8-13, 0-0 MIAA)
Thur. March 9 • 5:00 p.m. (DH) • Turnbull Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series: MSSU leads 40-34 Last: at MSSU 4, ESU 1 (3/26/16)
Pittsburg State Gorillas (14-6, 0-0 MIAA)
Fri. March 10 • 3:00 p.m. (DH) • Turnbull Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series: ESU leads 72-52 Last: at PSU 10, ESU 4 (3/25/16)
Live Stats • Complete Game Notes
Up Next: at Newman University (DH) • Fri., March 17 • 4:00 p.m.
Newman Softball Field • Wichita, Kan.

MIAA-HOME OPENER
The Hornets open up MIAA play with a pair of double header home openers against Mo. Southern on Thursday, March 9 at 5:00 p.m. and Pitt State on Friday, March 10 at 3:00 p.m. and
 
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State went 3-3 at the St. Cloud Indoor Tournament. The Hornets swept St. Cloud, split with Sioux Falls and was swept by Minn.-Duluth. Over the weekend, Danielle Sprinkle had a .412 batting average with six RBI. Jacie Stephens hit .375  while Sarah Glass scored six runs. Caitlin VanVleck had three stolen bases. Holly Hinkel went 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA and eight strikeouts in 15.0 innings. Eryn Stockman went 1-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.
 
THE COACHES
April Huddleston is 34-43 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. Huddleston is 0-2 against both the Gorillas and the Lions.
Elizabeth Economon is 162-112 in her sixth season as head coach of Pitt State.
Melissa Chmielewski is 31-45 in her second year as head coach of Mo. Southern.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 13-11 on the season as they enter MIAA play. The Hornets lead the MIAA in runs, doubles, RBI and stolen bases. Emporia State is second in hits and home runs. Glass leads the MIAA with eight doubles. McKenna Davis is in first in the conference with 16 stolen bases. Stockman is second in the MIAA with 79.2 innings pitched, fourth with 43 strikeouts and seventh with a 2.02 ERA.
 
ABOUT PITT STATE
The Gorillas are 14-6 on the season and are third in the MIAA with a .968 fielding percentage and a 2.56 ERA. Kaity Kukowski is third in the MIAA with a .521 on base percentage. Emporia State leads the all-time series 72-52 over Pitt State.
Pitt State defeated Emporia State 10-4 last season, the Hornets falling to 15-18. Sarah Glass hit two for three with three RBI.
 
ABOUT MISSOURI SOUTHERN
The Lions are 8-13 on the season and are second in the MIAA with a .319 batting average. Abi Corbett leads the MIAA with 22 runs and 38 hits and is second with a .481 batting average. Mo. Southern leads the all-time series 40-34 over Emporia State.
Emporia State lost 4-1 at Mo. Southern last season in March. Katie Yoakum hit two for four to lead the Hornets.
 
UP NEXT
The Hornets play at Newman on March 17 at 4:00 p.m. in a double header.
 
HORNET HITTING
The Hornets lead the MIAA with 125 runs, 45 doubles, 114 RBI and 46 stolen bases. Emporia State has 195 hits good enough for second in the MIAA. Sarah Glass leads the MIAA with eight doubles and is tied for fourth with 15 runs. Glass is also fifth with six stolen bases. McKenna Davis leads the conference with 16 stolen bases, is second with 78 at-bats, tied for third with six doubles and is fourth with 11 walks. Danielle Sprinkle is ninth in the MIAA with a .472 on base percentage and comes in tenth with 16 RBI. Caitlin VanVleck sits seventh with 23 hits and is tied for fifth with six stolen bases. Jacie Stephens is tied for fourth in the MIAA with 26 hits and tied for third with six doubles. Stephens is also fifth in the conference with 68 at-bats. Katie Yoakum rounds out the MIAA top ten with five doubles. Cassidy Berry joins Glass and VanVleck for fifth in the MIAA with six stolen bases.
 
EMPORIA STATE PITCHING
Emporia State pitching has a 3.70 ERA, 66 strikeouts and a .275 opponent batting average. Eryn Stockman is second in the MIAA with 79.2 innings pitched, fourth with 43 strikeouts, seventh with a 2.02 ERA, a .226 opponent batting average, sixth with ten batters struck out looking and fourth with seven wins. Holly Hinkel is seventh in the conference with 58.1 innings pitched.
 
TRENDS
When games are decided by one run, Emporia State is 5-1 on the season.
The Hornets are 10-4 when they score first.
When Emporia State is leading after four innings they are 8-1.
When Emporia State is tied after four innings they are 4-0.
 
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.