#13 HORNET BASEBALL JUMPS BACK INTO MIAA PLAY AGAINST MSSU

#13 Emporia State Hornets (13-3, 3-0 MIAA) vs
Missouri Southern Lions (11-7, 4-2 MIAA)
Friday, March 10 • 5:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Saturday, March 11 • 3:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Sunday, March 12 • 1:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 61-29 Last Meeting: at MSSU 5, ESU 3 (March 14, 2016) 
Live Stats • Complete Game Notes
Up Next: Newman University • March 15, 2017
Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.

HOME SWEET HOME
The #13 Hornets return to Emporia for a five game home stand beginning with a 5:00 p.m. game against Newman on Wednesday, March 8 on Glennen Field at Trusler.
 
LAST AT BAT
The #13 Hornets claimed a 2-1 series win over Quincy to improve to 13-3 on the year. Emporia State dropped game one 7-8 and won game two, 19-7, and game three 14-2. Over the three games, Alex White went seven for 12 with five runs and five RBI. Ryan McBroom had eight RBI and five runs hitting four for 11. Levi Ashmore scored seven runs and went four for ten. BJ Dean had seven RBI while Mason Brown hit six for 12. Daniel LaMunyon had five RBI, going three for seven at the plate. Seth Holman had his first loss in game one, allowing seven runs on nine hits through 4.2 innings with four strikeouts and a walk. In game two, Jordan Plank improved to 3-1, pitching 5.0 innings with six strikeouts. Plank allowed four runs on seven hits. Tanner Cairns threw 6.0 innings for his third win, allowing two runs on ten hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
 
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 536-232 in his 14th season at Emporia State and is 842-345 overall in his 21st year as a four year head coach. He is the fifth winningest active coach in NCAA Division II and is 15th in total victories. Fornelli is the winningest active MIAA coach. 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 35-13 against the Lions.
Bryce Darnell has a careeer record of 236-185 in his tenth season at Missouri Southern. He is 12-23 against the Hornets.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 13-3 on the season, 3-0 in MIAA play and are ranked 13th in the nation. The Hornets are second in Division II with a .374 batting average. Emporia State is fourth in the nation with 190 runs, a .614 slugging percentage and a .467 on base percentage, fifth with 224 hits, seventh with 98 walks, eighth with 30 home runs and ninth with a .978 fielding percentage. The Hornets lead the MIAA in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, on base percentage and fielding percentage. Emporia State also leads the conference with five saves and three shut outs.
White was named MIAA Hitter of the Week after hitting .667 with nine RBI and six runs through four road games. He leads the MIAA with a .676 on base percentage and is second with a .577 batting average. McBroom is second with a .854 slugging percentage.
Cairns is second in the MIAA with a 1.96 ERA. Plank is eighth with 24 strikeouts and fifth with eight struck out looking.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern is 11-7 on the season, 4-2 in MIAA play. They are second in the conference with a .334 batting average. Max Hogan leads the MIAA with a 1.167 slugging percentage, 26 runs, 36 hits, nine home runs and 27 RBI.
Emporia State leads the all-time series 61-29 over Missouri Southern.
The #19 Hornets dropped the final game of the series against #22 Missouri Southern last season 5-3 to fall to 14-5. LaMunyon hit three for four with two RBI. Plank tossed 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
 
ON DECK
The #13 Hornets jump back into MIAA play, hosting Missouri Southern from March 10-12. First pitch is at 5:00 p.m. at Glennen Field.

HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 842 career wins and is 536-232 (.698) 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 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.
 
BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher Mason Brown (Jr./Littleton, Colo.) is third in the MIAA with an .836 slugging percentage and five home runs. Brown is fourth with a .473 batting average, sixth with 26 hits and seventh with 22 RBI.
 
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Kaden Shaffer (Jr./Ottawa, Kan.) sits third in the MIAA with 25 RBI and is tenth with both 24 hits and six stolen bases.
Second baseman Ryan McBroom (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is second in the MIAA with an .854 slugging percentage, eighth with a .438 batting average and a .534 on base percentage.
Shortstop Levi Ashmore (Sr./Iola, Kan.) comes in fourth in the MIAA with 21 runs and is sixth with eight stolen bases.
Third baseman Alex White (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) leads the MIAA with a .676 on base percentage, is second with a .577 batting average and ninth with a .692 slugging percentage.
 
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Mack Gowing (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) is tenth in the MIAA with a .514 on base percentage and fifth with 13 walks.
Outfielder BJ Dean (Sr./Pratt, Kan.) comes in third in the MIAA with five home runs, fourth with 21 runs, seventh with 22 RBI and eighth with 12 walks.
Outfielder Wade Hanna (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) is batting .322 on the season with 19 hits that include four doubles, two triples and a home run. He has 19 runs.
 
ON THE MOUND
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Plank (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is fifth in the MIAA with eight batters struck out looking, eighth with 24 strikeouts and one of three MIAA players with three or more wins.
Left-handed pitcher Nathan Gieber (Jr./Concordia, Kan.) has a 9.20 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched. Gieber has 12 strikeouts with three starts and six appearances.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Holman (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) sits eighth in the MIAA with 27.2 innings pitched and is one of ten MIAA pitchers with at least three wins. Holman is 3-1 on the season with a 4.23 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
 
IN THE BULLPEN
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (So./Wichita, Kan.) is second in the MIAA with a 1.96 ERA and one of ten MIAA pitchers with three or more wins.
Right-handed pitcher Taylor Thompson (Jr./Cuba, Mo.) is 2-0 with a 7.04 ERA.
Right-handed pitcher Nathan Whitcomb (Sr./Humboldt, Kan.) is third in the MIAA with three saves, pitching in 8.0 innings with a 1.12 ERA and six strikeouts.
 
TRENDS
When Emporia State out-hits opponents they are 10-0.
Emporia State is 8-0 when they score first.
Emporia State is 7-0 when they score in the first inning.
The Hornets outscore their opponents 23-6 in the seventh inning and 28-6 in the third inning.
The Hornets are out-scoring their opponents 190-89 overall.
With runners on third and two outs, the Hornets are batting .700 in 70 attempts.
Kaden Shaffer has gotten at least one hit in every game this season while BJ Dean has reached base every game.
 
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 620 at-bats. He is also in the top ten in base hits with 194, which puts him fourth all-time. He will need eight more hits to tie Jim Wood for third. Hanna is seventh with 149 runs, needing one more to tie Bob Hines for sixth. He now is sixth in games played with 178, needing to appear in seven more to tie Hines. Hanna is eighth all-time with 36 doubles, needing one more to tie Tod Schulz for seventh. In game three against Missouri S&T, Hanna broke the top ten, hitting his ninth career triple, tying Justin Harris, Dave Mosea and Conner Crubmliss for tenth. Hanna has 113 career RBI, needing 141 to break the Emporia State top ten.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
The Hornets have two comeback wins this season. Emporia State came back from an 8-4 deficit after the first two innings on Friday, Feb. 17 against Missouri S&T. The next day, the Hornets had a 9-8 walk off win against Missouri S&T after trailing 8-6 through seven innings.
 
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.
 
POWER AND LIGHT DISTRICT
Emporia State is second in Division II with a .374 batting average, third with 11.9 runs per game, fourth with 190 runs, a .614 slugging percentage and a .467 on base percentage, fifth with 224 hits, seventh with 98 walks, eighth with 30 home runs, ninth with a .978 fielding percentage and tenth with 38 stolen bases.
The Hornets lead the MIAA with a .374 batting average, 190 runs, 224 hits, 30 home runs, 171 RBI, a .614 slugging percentage, a .467 on base percentage and a .978 fielding percentage. Emporia State is second with 40 doubles, 98 walks and 28 stolen bases.
 
IN THE POLLS
There are several national rankings in NCAA Division II for baseball. Emporia State is ranked #13 in ABCA Collegiate Baseball Newspaper for the February 27th Poll. The Hornets are #6 in the Hero Sports Division II Rankings, #16 in the D2 Baseball News National Rankings, and are #14 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25.