#17 Emporia State Hornets (24-7, 13-4 MIAA)
vs. Missouri Western Griffons (15-15, 12-8 MIAA)
Wednesday, April 5 • 5:00 p.m. • Glennen Field/Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 105-46 Last Meeting: ESU 13, at MWSU 4 (3/28/2017)
Live Stats • Complete Game Notes
Up Next: #19 Central Missouri • April 7-9, 2017
Glennen Field/Trusler • Emporia, Kan.
THIRD TIME'S A CHARM
The #17 Hornets face Missouri Western for the third game of their mid-week series on Wednesday, April 5 on Glennen Field. First pitch will be at 5:00 p.m.
LAST AT BAT
The #9 Hornets dropped the first two games (6-9, 3-4) in a three game series at Central Oklahoma last weekend. They picked up the series finale win, 6-1, to improve to 24-7 on the year, 13-4 in the MIAA. Mack Gowing had a .455 batting average over the series, also scoring three runs. Ryan McBroom and Alex White each hit .364 against the Bronchos, White totaling four RBI over the weekend. Seth Holman fell to 6-2 on the year while Layne Downing fell to 2-3. Jordan Plank improved to 4-1 on the year, tossing 6.0 innings on Sunday with four strikeouts and two walks. He allowed just one run on three hits.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 547-236 in his 14th season at Emporia State and is 853-349 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 33-20 against the Griffons at Emporia State.
Charles "Buzz" Verduzco is 501-368 in his 18th year as head coach at Missouri Western. He is 27-46 against the Hornets.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 24-7 on the season, 13-4 in the MIAA and are ranked 17th in the nation. Although no individual is ranked in the top ten nationally, offensively the Hornets are third in the nation in scoring, fourth in fielding percentage, eighth in stolen bases, ninth in total runs, and tenth in walks. White is second in the MIAA with a .495 on base percentage.
Emporia State's six shutouts are the second most in the nation. The Hornet pitching staff is second in Division II in walks allowed per nine innings. Holman leads the MIAA with six wins.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western is 15-15 on the season and 12-8 in the MIAA. Griffons batters have only been struck out 189 times, good enough for third in the MIAA. Nick Gawley leads the league with 23 stolen bases. Bailey Zimmer is sixth with a .386 batting average. Richard Peoples is second in the MIAA with 61.2 innings pitched and seventh with a 2.77 ERA.
THE SERIES
The Hornets lead the all-time series 105-46 over the Griffons.
LAST AT BAT AGAINST MO. WESTERN
The #9 Hornets scored eight runs on seven hits in the second inning on the way to a 13-4 win over Missouri Western earlier this season. Mason Brown hit four for six while Kaden Shaffer had two doubles. Nathan Gieber picked up his first win going 4.0 innings with just four runs on seven hits.
ON DECK
The #17 Hornets will face #19 Central Missouri for a MIAA best match-up in a battle for first. The series is from April 7-9 on Glennen Field.
HE'S A WINNER
Emporia State head baseball coach Bob Fornelli has 853 career wins and is 547-236 (.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 848-347 (.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 .482 on base percentage and sits fifth with a .391 batting average. Brown is also ninth with 45 hits. He has seven doubles and six home runs on the year.
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Kaden Shaffer (Jr./Ottawa, Kan.) comes in fifth in the MIAA with 23 walks, is seventh with 33 RBI and sits tenth with a .464 on base percentage.
Second baseman Ryan McBroom (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is third in the conference with a .701 slugging percentage and is fourth with four triples. McBroom has a .361 batting average on the season with seven doubles and six home runs.
Shortstop Levi Ashmore (Sr./Iola, Kan.) ranks fourth in the MIAA with 14 stolen bases and is sixth with 33 runs. Ashmore is batting .333 on the year with nine doubles.
Third baseman Alex White (Sr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) is second in the MIAA with a .495 on base percentage and comes in fourth with a .392 batting average. White has 31 hits that include four doubles.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Mack Gowing (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) has a .358 batting average on the year with 38 hits that include five doubles. Gowing has scored 26 runs.
Outfielder BJ Dean (Sr./Pratt, Kan.) is fourth in the MIAA with nine home runs, eighth with 32 runs and tenth with a .617 slugging percentage. Dean has a .330 batting average on the year with 38 hits that include six doubles and 29 RBI.
Outfielder Wade Hanna (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) has 30 hits on the season that include seven doubles, two triples and a home run. He is batting .297 with 26 runs scored and 19 RBI.
TIMELY HITTING
Infielder/DH Daniel LaMunyon (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) has two late inning, game winning home runs on the season. He is seventh in the MIAA with 11 stolen bases and is batting .275 on the year. LaMunyon has 20 RBI, 21 runs and five home runs.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Seth Holman (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) leads the MIAA with six wins and comes in eighth with 53.0 innings pitched. He is fourth, allowing just nine walks on the season. Holman has a 3.74 ERA with a 6-2 record and 39 strikeouts.
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Plank (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) is sixth in the MIAA, allowing just ten walks in 37.0 innings pitched. Plank is 4-1 on the year with a 4.86 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (So./Wichita, Kan.) is sixth in the MIAA with a 2.64 ERA. Cairns is 4-0 on the year with 32 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched.
Left-handed pitcher Nathan Gieber (Jr./Concordia, Kan.) sits second in the MIAA with just five walks on the year. Gieber is 1-0 on the season with six starts and 11 appearances. He has a 6.82 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 33.0 innings pitched.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Slauter (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in 11.0 innings pitched with a combined shutout in his only start. Slauter has 11 strikeouts.
IN THE BULLPEN
Right-handed pitcher Nathan Whitcomb (Sr./Humboldt, Kan.) is ranked third in the MIAA with six saves on the year. Whitcomb has a 0.50 ERA in 18.0 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and just one walk.
Right-handed pitcher Taylor Thompson (Jr./Cuba, Mo.) is 3-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 15 appearances. Thompson has 15 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched.
Right-handed pitcher Layne Downing (Jr./Hays, Kan.) is 2-3 with a 2.42 ERA in 12 appearances with 14 strikeouts. Downing has seen 22.1 innings this year.
Left-handed pitcher Tyler Buss (Sr./Jay, Okla.) is 1-0 with a 8.78 ERA in eight games with two starts. Buss has 14 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched.
Right-handed pitcher Jacob Tetuan (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) is 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA in nine appearances. Tetuan has seen 10.2 innings this season.
TRENDS
When Emporia State out-hits opponents they are 17-1.
Emporia State is 13-1 when they score first and 10-1 when they score in the first.
The Hornets out-score their opponents 37-10 in the third and 18-4 in the ninth.
The Hornets are 10-0 when they hold their opponents to two runs or less.
With runners on third and two outs, the Hornets are batting .683 in 120 attempts.
Five of Emporia State's seven losses were by one run.
Alex White and Levi Ashmore are both currently on a 13 game hitting streak.
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 662 at-bats. He is also in the top ten in base hits with 205, which puts him third all-time. Hanna is only one of four Hornets to have at least 200 career hits. Hanna fourth all-time with 156 career runs scored. He now is sixth with 192 games played, needing to appear in 13 more to tie Bob Hines. Hanna is sixth all-time with 39 doubles, needing two more to tie Mike Carlson for fifth. Hanna hit his ninth career triple this season, tying Justin Harris, Dave Mosea and Conner Crubmliss for tenth. Hanna has 122 career RBI, needing 141 to break into the Emporia State top ten.
WALKING OFF
The Hornets have six 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. In game three against Neb.-Kearney on March 26, the Hornets came back from an 8-4 deficit to win 9-8 with a walk-off single from Wade Hanna in the ninth inning.
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 #17 in ABCA Collegiate Baseball Newspaper for the April 3 Poll. The Hornets are #13 in the D2 Baseball News National Rankings and are #5 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25.
