Baseball | 2/20/2019 11:02:00 PM
Emporia State Hornets (2-4, 0-0 MIAA)
vs Central Missouri (5-4, 0-0 MIAA)
Thursday, Feb. 21 • 3:00 p.m. • Crane Stadium • Warrensburg, Mo.
Friday, Feb. 22 • 12:00, 3:00 p.m. • Crane Stadium • Warrensburg, Mo.
Series History: UCM Leads 127-64 • Last Meeting: UCM 2, ESU 1 (May 13, 2018)
Up Next: vs. Okla. Christian • Feb. 27 • Dobson Field • Oklahoma City, Okla.
Live Stats
MIAA CONFERENCE OPENER
The Hornets open MIAA conference play against Central Missouri on Feb. 21 in Warrensburg, Mo. The Hornets will be the home team on the scoreboard.
LAST AT BAT
The Hornets defeated William Jewell 4-3 and 10-3 in double header action on Feb. 13 in Andover, Kan. In game one, the Cardinals took the lead with a two run home run in the top of the third inning. The Hornets got one run on one hit and one error in the bottom of the fourth to trail 2-1 after four innings. In the bottom of the sixth, the Hornets took a 3-2 lead on a two run home run from Aaron Dees. William Jewell tied the game in the top of the ninth before Paul Claassen hit an rbi walk off single for the 4-3 Hornet win. Christian Roduner led the Hornets with two hits and one run. In game two, the Hornets took the lead with one run in the bottom of the second and would score in seven straight innings. After the Cardinals tied the game with one run in the third inning, the Hornets took a 5-1 lead with two runs in the bottom of the third and two more in the fourth. The Cardinals closed the gap to 5-3 in the fourth but the Hornets continued their scoring streak with one run in the fifth and one in the sixth before capping off scoring with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Cooper Minnick and Josh Norlin led the Hornets with three hits each.
THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 2-4 in his first season as the Hornets head coach. Over the past three years as a pitching coach at Emporia State, Wheeler has led the Hornets to the second best ERA in the MIAA at 4.60 improving from sixth in 2014.
Kyle Crookes is 149-76, 105-45 in the MIAA in his fifth season as head coach of the Mules.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 2-4 on the season. The Hornets have 29 runs on 48 hits with seven home runs. Hornets pitchers have held opponents to a batting average of .241.
At the Bat
Mitch Sloan leads the Hornets with a .389 batting average, six runs and five rbi. Cooper Minnick has eight hits with five runs and a .348 batting average. Paul Claassen leads the Hornets with two home runs.
On the Mound
Tanner Cairns leads the Hornets with a 0.73 era and 18 K's through 12.1 innings in two starts. Jake Barton has a 0.75 era through 12.0 innings with two starts. Out of the bullpen, Ryan Lee has a 1-1 record with a 8.31 era through 4.1 innings.
SCOUTING THE MULES
Central Missouri is 5-4 on the season. The Mules are led by MAson Janvrin with a .459 batting average and 15 runs on 17 hits. Erik Webb has 13 rbi and a .424 avg. for the Mules. Ben Keisch is 2-1 with a 2.45 era through 11.0 innings on the mound.
This will be the 192nd meeting between the two teams with Central Missouri holding a 127-64 lead in the all-time series.
LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MISSOURI
The Hornets were first on the board with one run in the top of the sixth when Bryce Fischer walked and scored on a wild pitch. The Mules tied the game in the seventh before taking a 2-1 win on a walk off single that brought a runner home from second. Kaden Shaffer led the Hornets with two hits in the game.
UP NEXT
The Hornets face off with Oklahoma Christian in a mid-week match-up on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Wheels on the bus
On Friday, June 22, the Emporia State Hornets announced the hiring of Seth Wheeler as the 15th head coach in Hornet baseball history. Wheeler spent the previous three seasons as the pitching and catchers coach at Emporia State. The Hornets had the second best ERA in the conference at 4.60 over his three seasons after ranking sixth in the league in 2014. Emporia State has gone 110-52 with three trips to the NCAA Tournament and an MIAA regular season championship with Wheeler in the dugout.
He began his coaching career with the Junction City Brigade, a collegiate wood bat team that competes in the Mid-Plains League, the summer after graduating from Central Missouri. Wheeler served as the hitting coach as the team went 26-10, won the MPL and led the league in runs per game. During the school year he was an assistant coach at Butler CC. He was in charge of catchers and base running for the Grizzlies who led the NJCAA in stolen bases with 157 on the season.
AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Alex Pener (Jr./Overland Park, Kan.) has a .333 batting avg. with one run and four rbi on four hits this season. In 2018, Pener took a medical redshirt at Mississippi State.
Second baseman Brian Grove (Sr./River Falls, Wis.) has four hits and three rbi this season. He started 55 games at second base for the Hornets in 2018 hitting .301 with 59 runs scored. Grove also added 14 doubles, three triples, and four home runs on his way to a .449 slugging percentage and MIAA All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition.
Shortstop Josh Norlin (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) has five hits with two runs and three rbi with one home run this season. He attended Dallas Baptist University in the fall of 2018 before he transferred to Emporia State and took a medical redshirt after an injury early in the season. As a Sophomore in 2017, Norlin hit .404 for Neosho County with an on base percentage of .536. Norlin had 18 doubles, four home runs, 50 RBI and 55 walks. He was named second team All-League SS.
Third baseman Paul Claassen (Sr./Denver, Colo.) has a .259 era with seven hits, two home runs and two doubles. He played in 55 games as a sophomore at Barton CC in 2017. He had a batting average of .290, .370 slugging percentage, and a .432 on base percentage. 12 doubles, two triples, and three home runs with the Cougars.
Catcher Cooper Minnick (JR./Leon, Kan.) has a .348 avg and leads the Hornets with eight hits including one home run and one double. He redshirted for the Hornets in 2018. As a sophomore at Neosho County, he hit .359 in 217 AB's with 21 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, and 69 RBI's. Minnick was named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, third Team All-American, and earned the Gold Glove as a catcher in the Jayhawk Conference.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Mitch Sloan (Sr./Paola, Kan.) leads the Hornets with a .389 batting average with seven hits and six runs in five games this season. As a junior, Sloan transferred to Cameron University where he played in 29 games. He hit .338 with 68 hits, 16 doubles and five home runs as a sophomore at Fort Scott CC.
Outfielder Aaron Dees (Sr./Burlington, Kan.) has three runs on two hits with two rbi and one home run. He transferred to Emporia State from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Outfielder Christian Roduner (Jr./Rossville, Kan.) has two runs on three hits including one double. In 2018, Roduner hit .275 with a .433 on base percentage in 38 games at Colby County CC.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) has thrown 12.1 innings with a 0.73 era and 18 K's this season. He threw a total of 88.0 innings in 15 appearances with all 15 being starts in his junior season. He had a record of 9-1 with an ERA of 4.04 and had an opposing batting average of .279 to earn All-MIAA third team honors
Right-handed pitcher Jake Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) has thrown 12.0 innings with seven K's with a 0.75 era this season. He medically redshirted the past two seasons. In 2016 he logged 72.2 innings in 14 starts at Johnson County Community College. He was 8-1 with six complete games and 83 K's allowing just 30 earned runs with an era of 3.72.
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Lee (Sr./Grandview, Mo) has a 1-1 record out of the bullpen with an 8.31 era through 4.1 innings pitched. Lee transferred to Emporia State in 2018 after spending three seasons at the University of Missouri. He pitched 117.1 innings from 2015-17 at Missouri.
