Baseball | 3/20/2019 3:41:00 PM
Emporia State Hornets (12-9, 8-4 MIAA)
at Southwest Baptist (9-14, 4-9 MIAA)
Friday, March 22 • 3:00 p.m. • Dodson Field • Bolivar, Mo.
Saturday, March 23 • 1:00 p.m. • Dodson Field • Bolivar, Mo.
Sunday, March 24 • 1:00 p.m. • Dodson Field • Bolivar, Mo.
Series History: ESU Leads 61-13 • Last Meeting: ESU 18, SBU 8 (Mar. 4, 2018)
Up Next: at Newman • March 26 • McCarthy Field • Wichita, Kan.
Live Stats
ACROSS STATE LINES
The Hornets travel to Bolivar, Mo. to take on Southwest Baptist in a three game series on March 22-24.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State split the mid-week double header with Oklahoma Christian in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The Hornets got started early in game one taking an early lead with four runs on four hits capped off with a grand slam from Aaron Dees in the top of the first. The Eagles battled back to bring the game within 4-3 after four innings, but the Hornets got two runs in the top of the seventh including a solo home run from Connor Hurst to take the 6-3 win. The second game of the day saw 33 total runs. The Hornets trailed 9-0 after two innings, but fought back within 9-8 after four. After a three run third inning, the Hornets put five runs up on six hits in the top of the fourth led off by Hursts second home run of the day. Emporia State would take the lead in the sixth with another five run inning as Hurst got his third home run of the day (second in game two)Â for a grand slam to put the Hornets up 13-9. After adding one run in the seventh, the Hornets allowed five Eagles runs to tie the game at 14 after seven innings. The Hornets regained the lead with one run in the eighth before the Eagles took the lead indefinitely with four runs in the bottom of the inning as OCU took the 18-15 win.
THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 12-9 overall, 8-4 in the MIAA 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. Â
Chris Martin is 186-237-1 in his ninth season as head coach for the Bearcats.Â
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 12-9 on the season, 8-4 in the MIAA. The Hornets have 136 runs on 180 hits with 20 home runs. Hornet pitchers have 160 K's and an opponent batting average of .273.
At the Bat
Brian Grove leads the Hornets with a .329 batting avg. and has 17 runs on 26 hits with eight doubles. Connor Hurst leads the team with six home runs and 21 rbi on the season.
On the Mound
Jake Barton is fourth in the MIAA with a 1.78 era in six starts. He has pitched 35.1 innings with 25 K's. Tanner Cairns is tenth in the MIAA with 41 K's in six starts with a 2.91 era through 43.1 innings. Out of the bullpen, Drew Scrimsher has nine appearances with a 2-0 record, one save and a 2.70 era in 16.2 innings.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Southwest Baptist is 9-14 on the season, 4-9 in the MIAA. Caleb Sneed leads the Bearcats with a .446 batting avg, 24 runs and 41 hits. Hunter Hisky has 29 hits and 15 runs with a .377 batting avg. Dalton Morrow has started in seven games with a 3.26 era and 49 K's through 47.0 innings and two complete games.
LAST TIME AGAINST SBU
Emporia State completed the weekend sweep over the Bearcats with an 18-8 win in seven innings in Emporia, Kan. The Bearcats got on the board first, but the Hornets tied the game at 3 in the bottom of the second. Trailing 7-4 after four, the Hornets scored took the lead with four runs in the fifth and blew the game open with eight in the sixth en route to the 18-8 run rule win.
UP NEXT
The Hornets travel to Wichita, Kan. to take on Newman in a mid-week single game.
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 was 110-52 with three trips to the NCAA Tournament and an MIAA regular season championship with Wheeler as an assistant 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 15 runs on 17 hits and 15 rbi this season. In 2018, Pener took a medical redshirt at Mississippi State.
Second baseman Brian Grove (Sr./River Falls, Wis.) has a .329 batting avg. and 26 hits with 17 runs and ten 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 16 hits with 16 runs including one home run and six rbi 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 .325 batting avg and has 27 hits with 17 runs including two home runs and five 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 16 runs on 21 hits including one home run and three doubles. 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 Christian Roduner (Jr./Rossville, Kan.) has eight runs on seven hits including three doubles this season. He has played in 15 games for the Hornets, starting in 13. In 2018, he hit .275 with a .433 on base percentage in 38 games at Colby CC. Â
Outfielder Aaron Dees (Sr./Burlington, Kan.) has a .317 batting avg. with 14 runs on 19 hits including four home runs. He transferred to Emporia State from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Outfielder Connor Hurst (Jr./Augusta, Kan.) has 12 runs on 17 hits including a team high six home runs and 21 rbi for the Hornets. In 2018, As a Sophomore at Butler Community College, he hit .385 with an OBP of .476 and finished the season with 69 hits including 12 doubles, 4 triples, 18 Home runs, 64 RBIs, 57 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Was named First Team All-Jayhawk Conference Outfield and Second Team All-Region VI.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) has thrown two complete games and has six starts with 43.1 innings with a 2.91 era and 41 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 35.1 innings with 25 K's with a 1.78 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 Drew Scrimsher (Sr./Oskaloosa, Kan.) has a 2-0 record out of the bullpen with nine appearances. He has a 2.70 era through 16.2 innings pitched. In 2017, his junior year, Scrimsher appeared in 12 games for the Hornets. In 15.1 innings he struck out 13 batters posting a 5.87 ERA.
