Emporia State Hornets (28-22, 13-9 MIAA) atÂ
Northwest Missouri Bearcats (24-16, 15-7 MIAA)Â
Friday, April 21 • 3:00 p.m. (DH) • Bearcat Softball Field • Maryville, Mo.
Series: ESU leads 47-19 Last Meeting: at ESU 3, #25 NWMSU 2 (4/22/2016)Â
Missouri Western Griffons (33-15, 13-9 MIAA)Â
Saturday, April 22 • 12:00 p.m. (DH) • Griffon Softball Field • St. Joseph, Mo.
Series: ESU leads 57-30 Last Meeting: #15 MWSU 2, at ESU 1 (4/23/2016)Â
Live Stats • Complete Game Notes
Up Next: MIAA Tournament • April 27-29 • Oklahoma City, Okla.
REGULAR SEASON FINALEÂ
Emporia State finishes their regular season on the road at Northwest Mo. on Friday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. and at Mo. Western on Saturday, April 22 at 12:00 p.m.
LAST AT BATÂ
Emporia State split a double header with Southwest Baptist (1-0, 0-3) and was swept by Central Missouri (3-11, 3-8) last weekend. Through the four games, Jacie Stephens hit .364 with a .417 on base percentage, two doubles, two RBI and a .545 slugging percentage. Annie Rockley and Hailey Cope both hit .308 over the weekend, Rockley with a home run and a .615 slugging percentage. Katy Rae Nordman was walked three times in the pair of double headers. Eryn Stockman started all four games, going 1-3 over the weekend. She had a total of 19.2 innings pitched with ten strikeouts to just two walks. Stockman allowed 19 runs, 16 earned, on 26 hits. Danielle Sprinkle made three relief appearances, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
THE COACHESÂ
April Huddleston is 49-54 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 2-0 against the Bearcats and 0-2 against the Griffons.
Ryan Anderson is 275-252 in his 11th season at Northwest Mo. Anderson is 4-18 against the Hornets.
Jen Bagley Trotter is 568-324 in her 16th season as head coach at Mo. Western. Trotter is 16-37 against the Hornets.
ABOUT THE HORNETSÂ
Emporia State is 28-22 on the season and 13-9 in MIAA play. The Hornets lead the MIAA in stolen bases and are second in doubles. McKenna Davis is fourth in the MIAA in stolen bases. Sarah Glass is seventh in doubles and eighth in runs scored. Stockman leads the MIAA and is eighth in the nation with nine shut outs. She is second in the MIAA in wins, sixth in strikeouts, seventh in ERA and opponent batting average and eighth in batters struck out looking.
ABOUT NORTHWEST MISSOURIÂ
The Bearcats are 24-16 on the season and 15-7 in the MIAA. Northwest Mo. is fourth in the MIAA with a .310 batting average. Abigail Gilson is fourth with nine home runs. Taylor Blackford is sixth with a 2.13 ERA and tenth with a .251 opponent batting average.
The Hornets lead the all-time series 47-19 over the Bearcats.
Emporia State swept #25 Northwest Mo. last season. In game two, Jacie Stephens hit two for three while Holly Hinkel picked up the win with seven hits and no walks.
ABOUT MISSOURI WESTERNÂ
The Griffons are 33-15 on the season and 13-9 in the MIAA. Mo. Western is third in the MIAA with a .311 batting average. Shelbie Atwell is fifth with a .399 batting average and a .463 on base percentage. Barbara Billingsley is third with 35 batters struck out looking.
The Hornets lead the all-time series 57-30 over the Griffons.
Emporia State lost 2-1 to #15 Mo. Western to end their season last year. Danielle Sprinkle hit two for three.
UP NEXTÂ
Emporia State will compete in the MIAA Tourney starting on Thursday, April 27 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
HORNET HITTINGÂ
The Hornets lead the MIAA with 82 stolen bases and sit second with 80 doubles. As a team the Hornets are batting .284 on the season with a .351 on base percentage and a .399 slugging percentage.
Shortstop Sarah Glass (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is seventh in the MIAA with 13 doubles, sixth with eight hit-by-pitches and eighth with 37 runs scored. Glass is hitting .338 with four home runs, three triples and 28 RBI.
Outfielder Caitlin VanVleck (Jr./Liberty, Mo.) sits seventh in the MIAA with 15 stolen bases. She is batting .349 on the season with six doubles, a triple and a home run.
Catcher Jacie Stephens (Sr./Goldsby, Okla.) is sixth in the MIAA with 14 doubles. She has a .348 batting average and a .507 slugging percentage. Stephens has 48 hits that include three home runs. She has 23 RBI and has scored 22 runs.
First baseman Danielle Sprinkle (Jr./Salina, Kan.) is ranked fifth in the MIAA with 23 walks. She is batting .289 on the year with four home runs and a team high 30 RBI.
Outfielder Cassidy Berry (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) is eighth in the MIAA with 14 stolen bases. Berry is batting .274 with 26 hits that include five doubles, a triple and a homer.
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 .299 with two homers and 17 RBI. Cope is batting .244 with nine doubles and 24 RBI.
Outfielder Annelise Rockley (Jr./Independence, Mo.) is batting .301 on the year with 16 runs scored, 14 RBI and six doubles.
Second baseman Katie Yoakum (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) is hitting .235 with 18 runs scored on the year. Yoakum has 27 hits that include six doubles.
Outfielder McKenna Davis (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) is ranked fourth in the MIAA with 18 stolen bases. She is batting .246 on the season and has a .331 on base percentage.
EMPORIA STATE PITCHINGÂ
Emporia State pitching is third in the MIAA with 12 shut outs. The staff has a 3.35 combined ERA that ranks seventh in the MIAA.
Eryn Stockman (Sr./Lindsborg, Kan.) is eighth in the nation and leads the MIAA with nine shutouts. She is ranked second in the league with 19 wins and 204.2 innings pitched, is sixth with 99 strikeouts, seventh with a 2.50 ERA, a .237 opponent batting average and 28 batters struck out looking. She is ranked tenth among active NCAA Division II players with 66 complete games and ranks 11th with 17 shutouts in her career.
Holly Hinkel (Jr./North Liberty, Iowa) is 6-10 with a 4.60 ERA in 23 appearances this year.
TRENDS
The Hornets are 22-0 when they hold opponents to two runs or less.
The Hornets are 19-2 when leading after four innings.
The Hornets are out-scoring opponents 39-14 in the fourth inning.
Caitlin VanVleck is batting .377 in MIAA action.
The Hornets have 59 RBI in 120 chances with a runner on third with less than two outs.
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.
