Baseball | 3/9/2019 8:23:00 PM
Emporia State Hornets (7-6, 4-2 MIAA)
vs Fort Hays State (1-13, 1-5 MIAA)
Sunday, March 10 • 3:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Monday, March 11 • 12:00, 3:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series History: ESU Leads 144-65 • Last Meeting: FHSU 7, ESU 4 (Mar. 31, 2018)
Up Next: vs. Newman • March 12 • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Live Stats
LATE WEEKEND
The Hornets will be the visitors on the scoreboard at Trusler Sports Complex as they host Fort Hays State in a single game on Sunday and a double header on Monday.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State defeated William Jewell 8-2 in a mid-week match-up on Thursday, March 7 in Emporia, Kan. The Hornets used ten hits with eight rbi to take the win over the Cardinals. After three scoreless innings, the Cardinals got on the board first with one run in the top of the fourth. The Hornets answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning and would take the lead indefinitely with another run in the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the seventh, the Hornets extended their lead to 6-1 with four runs on four hits. The Hornets capped their scoring with two runs in the bottom of the eighth before the Cardinals wrapped up all scoring with one run in the top of the ninth for an 8-2 Hornets win. Cooper Minnick and Paul Claassen led the Hornets with three hits and two runs each. Tanner Cairns pitched his first complete game of the season going 9.0 innings allowing just two runs on ten hits with 12 K's.
THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 7-6 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
Jerod Goodale is in his first season as head coach for the Tigers. Â
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 7-6 on the season, 4-2 in the MIAA. The Hornets have 72 runs on 100 hits with ten home runs. Hornet pitchers have 103 K's and have held opponents to a batting average of .268.
At the Bat
Cooper Minnick leads the Hornets with a .341 batting avg., with 11 runs on 15 hits including two doubles and one home run. Brian Grove and Paul Claassen each add 14 hits for the Hornets.
On the Mound
Jake Barton is ninth in the MIAA with a 2.45 era in four starts. He has pitched 22.0 innings with 15 K's. Tanner Cairns is seventh in the MIAA with 34 K's in five starts with a 2.80 era and through 35.1 innings. Out of the bullpen, Drew Scrimsher has six appearances with a 2-0 record with a 2.89 era in 9.1 innings.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 1-13 on the season, 1-5 in the MIAA. Landon Erway leads the Tigers with a .371 batting avg. and eight runs. Ryan Grasser leads the team with 14 hits while Erway and Tyler Olsen each add 13. Ethan Booe leads the team with a 5.00 era through 18.0 innings with 13 K's.
LAST TIME AGAINST FORT HAYS STATE
Emporia State defeated Fort Hays State 2-1 (7-5, 12-4, 4-7) in the three game series in Emporia, Kan. The Hornets jumped out to an early lead in game one and held off the Tigers late surge in the top of the ninth for the 7-5 win. In game two, the Hornets trailed after one, but quickly took a 6-1 lead after four innings en route to the 12-4 win. In the final game of the series, the Hornets tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, but could not hold off the Tigers attack as they fell 7-4. The Hornets were led by Kaden Shaffer and Mason Brown with six hits each in the series.
UP NEXT
The Hornets take on the Newman Jets in a mid-week single game on March 12 at the Trusler Sports Complex.
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 six runs on eight hits and nine rbi this season. In 2018, Pener took a medical redshirt at Mississippi State.
Second baseman Brian Grove (Sr./River Falls, Wis.) has 14 hits with seven runs and six 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 eight hits with nine runs including one home run and three 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 14 hits with nine runs including 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.) leads the Hornets with a .341 avg and 15 hits including one home run and two 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 Mitch Sloan (Sr./Paola, Kan.) has ten runs on nine hits with ten rbi. 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 a .276 batting avg. with seven runs on eight hits including two home runs. He transferred to Emporia State from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Outfielder Connor Hurst (Jr./Augusta, Kan.) has four runs on six hits with six 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 one complete game and has five starts with 35.1 innings with a 2.80 era and 34 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 22.0 innings with 15 K's with a 2.45 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 six appearances. He has a 2.89 era through 9.1 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.
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