HORNET SOFTBALL SET FOR SEASON OPENER IN FLORIDA

Softball | 2/7/2019 10:22:00 AM

Emporia State Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
vs. Nova Southeastern (2-4, 0-0 SSC)
Fri., Feb. 8, 2019 • 5:00, 7:00 p.m. • AD Griffin Sports Complex • Fort Lauderdale, FL
Series: Tied 0-0 Last: First Meeting
Live Stats (Game 1) (Game 2) Live Video
vs. Barry (1-3, 0-0 SSC)
Sat., Feb. 8, 2019 • 12:00, 2:00 p.m. • AD Griffin Sports Complex • Fort Lauderdale, FL
Series: Tied 0-0 Last: First Meeting
Live Stats (Game 1) (Game 2) Live Video
vs. Lynn (2-2, 0-0 SSC)
Sun, Feb. 8, 2019 • 11:00, 1:00 p.m. • AD Griffin Sports Complex • Fort Lauderdale, FL
Series: Tied 0-0 Last: First Meeting
Live Stats (Game 1) (Game 2) Live Video
Next Up: Alvy Early Memorial Classic • Bentonville, Ark. • Feb. 15-17

HEADING SOUTH
Emporia State returns to the softball diamond on Feb. 8-10 as they travel to Fort Lauderdale, FL to take compete in the Fort Lauderdale Tournament.        

LAST AT BAT
Emporia State's season came to an end on May 13, 2018 in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championship. The Hornets advanced to the championship game by defeating top seeded and #5 nationally Winona State 3-1 and Minnesota-Duluth 1-0. UMD took the third round game 4-3 over the Hornets to force the "if needed" game. UMD got on the board early with a three run HR in the top of the first. The Hornets only score came in the bottom of the second before UMD added four in the third and two in the seventh to take the 9-1 win.
 
THE COACHES
April Huddleston-Rosales is 85-89 in her fourth year as the head coach at Emporia State. She served as an assistant for seven seasons. She 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.
Julie LeMaire is 60-92 in her fourth year as head coach for the Sharks after leaving the Hornets in 2015.
Sean Cotter is 19-26 in his second year as head coach for the Buccaneer's.
Jill Moore is in her first year as head coach for the Fighting Knights.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State comes off their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth MIAA tournament title in 2018. The Hornets were slated for eighth in the MIAA Preseason Poll with on first place vote. They return two All-MIAA players in Destiny Ojigoh, a utility/pitcher and Kenzie Garvin, an outfielder.

SCOUTING NOVA SOUTHEASTERN
The Sharks are 2-4 after starting the season at the DII Gulf Shores Invitational. Tia Williams leads the Sharks with a .400 batting average with six hits and four runs. In the circle, Lexie Storrer has pitched 20.1 innings with a 2-2 record and a 3.10 era.

SCOUTING BARRY
The Buccaneer's are 1-3 after opening the season at the Florida Tech Invite. Ayana Andrade-Zygmun is leading the Buccaneer's with a .667 batting avg, four hits and one run. In the circle, Andrea Johnson holds a 1-1 record through 8.2 innings with a 4.04 era.

SCOUTING LYNN
The Fighting Knights are 2-2 after opening their season at the Flagler Tournament. Britney Purser has a team high .500 batting avg and five hits. In the circle, Kayla Sheffield has a 0.00 era through 14 innings.

UP NEXT
Emporia State travels to Bentonville, Ark. to compete in the Alvy Early Memorial Classic Feb. 15-17.

HORNETS AT THE BAT
In 2018, the Hornets held a .296 batting average with 490 hits and 296 runs scored. They tallied 22 home runs and 257 rbi. The Hornets return four players who played in at least half of the game to the lineup from last year.
Left fielder, Kenzie Garvin played in 61 games, starting in 60 for the Hornets in 2018. She finished the season with a .301 batting average on 58 hits with 44 runs.
Center fielder, Brittanie Shepherd is in her freshman season with the Hornets. She was a first-team all-conference and all-district selection in 2018 for Staley HS in Kansas City, Mo.
Designated player, Kelsey Phillips played in 31 games, starting in 25 for the Hornets in 2018. She finished the season with a .394 with 16 runs on 26 hits.
Short-stop, Hannah Steeby is in her junior season with the Hornets after transferring from Central Methodist University. In 2018, she earned first-team All-American honors from the NFCA and NAIA and was the Heart of America Conference Player of the Year.
Second base, Destiny Ojigoh played and started in 55 games for the Hornets in 2018. She held a .272 batting average with 18 runs on 40 hits. She tacked on three home runs with 34 rbi.
Catcher, Cassidy Beem started in 56 of the 57 games she played in last season. She finished the season with a .185 batting average with 14 runs and 13 rbi on 20 hits.
First base, Rachel Kauss played in 13 games for the Hornets at third base in 2018. In 16 at bats she had five hits and scored two run with a .313 batting average.
Third base, Kailee Odegard is in her freshman season with the Hornets. In her senior season at Blue Springs South HS she hit .382 with 35 runs scored in 34 games.
Right field, Presley Miller played in 18 games with four starts for the Hornets in 2018. She played primarily as a pinch runner recording just three at bats with six runs.

EMPORIA STATE PITCHING
Emporia State returns their top two pitchers from 2018 who recorded a 25-24 record together with 29 complete games and 323.2 innings.  
Montana Mesler finished the season with a 15-13 record in 37 appearances with 31 starts in 2018. She threw 20 complete games with a 4.58 era and 124 K's in 198.1 innings.
Kelsey Phillips finished the season with a 10-11 record in 30 appearances with 18 starts in 2018. She threw nine complete games with a 4.95 era and 54 K's in 125.1 innings.  

THE HORNETS WITH ROSALES
Rosales is in her fourth season as head coach at Emporia State. She holds an 85-89 overall record, 38-40 in the MIAA after taking over in November of 2015 with no seniors on the roster.
In 2018, Rosales led the Hornets to the MIAA Tournament championship and her first trip to the NCAA Central Regional Tournament as head coach. The Hornets finished the regular season on a nine game winning streak and extended that to a 12 game streak in the MIAA Tournament. Emporia State advanced to the Central Regional championship game against Minnesota-Duluth.  
In 2017, Rosales made her first appearance in the MIAA Tournament as head coach, going 4-2 and finishing second, losing to #1 seed Central Oklahoma in the championship game. She led the Hornets to their first MIAA Tournament championship appearance since 2013.
In 2016, Rosales led the Hornets to a 21-32 record, 9-17 in the MIAA in her first season as head coach. Prior to the season, she was selected as the tenth head coach for the Hornets and took over the role in November of 2015. She had served as an assistant coach for the Hornets the previous seven seasons under both coach Kristi Bredbenner and Julie LeMaire after her all-conference playing career at Emporia State.

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 12 of the last 15 years and 13 times in the last 23 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.  In the 21st Century, Emporia State has claimed the regular season title eight times (2005-08, 2010-12, 2014) and the tournament title nine times (2004-10, 2012, 2018).