BASEBALL EDITION OF THE TURNPIKE TUSSLE STARTS THURSDAY

Baseball | 4/17/2019 12:26:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (21-15, 15-9 MIAA)
at Washburn Ichabods (19-17, 11-13 MIAA)
Thursday, April 18, 2019 • 5:00 p.m. • Falley Field • Topeka, Kan.
Radio: None Audio Stream: None Video: themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Friday, April 19, 2019 • 5:00 p.m. • Falley Field • Topeka, Kan.
Radio: None Audio Stream: None Video: themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Saturday, April 20, 2019 • 1:00 p.m. • Falley Field • Topeka, Kan.
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM Audio Stream: kvoe.com Video: themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Series History: ESU Leads 174-76-1 Last Meeting: at ESU 8, WU 3 (April 25, 2018)
Up Next: vs. Southwestern Okla. • April 23 • Enid, Okla.

TURNPIKE TUSSLE
The Hornets travel to Topeka to take on Washburn in the Turnpike Tussle. The series begins on Thursday due to the Easter holiday.

LAST AT BAT
Emporia State scored early and late in a 9-3 non-conference win at #21 Missouri Southern on Tuesday night. Three of the first four Hornets doubled to start the game and Emporia State took a 3-0 lead after half an inning. Southern scored a single run in the third before Hornet starter Jarrett Seaton settled in and retired ten straight Lions. The Hornets added two runs in the top of the sixth on a ground rule double by Paul Claassen as ESU took a 5-1 lead. Southern used three straight doubles to score two runs and pull within 5-3. Mitch Sloan hit a two run homer to in the seventh while Brian Grove and Aaron Dees each hit solo homers in the eighth to put ESU up 9-3 going to the bottom of the eighth. Grove was three for five with a home run, a double, three runs scored and an RBI while Dees went three for five with a homer, a double, two runs and two RBI.  Seaton scattered six hits over 5.1 innings and allowed three runs to pick up his third win.

THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 22-15 overall, 15-9 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.  This is his first meeting with Washburn.
Harley Douglas is 124-115 in his fifth year as head coach for the Ichabods. He is 6-11 against Emporia State.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 22-15 on the season, 15-9 in the MIAA and have gone 22-11 after starting the season 0-4. As a team they are batting .262 with 43 home runs. Hornet pitchers have a 4.66 team ERA. Connor Hurst leads Emporia State and is second in the MIAA with 11 home runs and ranks third in the league with 37 RBI while Aaron Dees is third in the MIAA with ten homers and a team high 31 runs scored. Tanner Cairns leads the MIAA with 76.1 innings, is third in ERA at 2.36 and seventh in strikeouts with 66 with just 13 walks. The Hornets are third in the MIAA with a .968 fielding percentage and have turned 42 double plays to lead the MIAA.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn is 19-17, 11-13 in the MIAA. They are batting .281 as a team and have a 4.86 team ERA. They lead the MIAA with 77 stolen bases and have three players with at least ten steals.

SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the Turnpike Tussle with an all-time record of 174-76-1.

LAST AT BAT WITH WASHBURN
Emporia State took the final Turnpike Tussle of the 2018 season with an 8-3 over Washburn. The Hornets used ten hits and five Ichabod errors to take the win. Max Simpson went 8.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
The Hornets take on Southwestern Okla. on April 23 in Enid, Okla. in a rematch of an earlier game this season.

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. He is 22-15 in his first season. 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.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Over the last 50 years Emporia State has only had three losing seasons and during one of those seasons they won the MIAA Tournament and hosted the NCAA Regional.  The four coaches in that time have all won at least 58% of their games. The Hornets have gone to 14 NCAA Tournaments, two NCAA World Series and a national championship game appearance in 2009 after advancing to seven NAIA World Series between 1969-1987 with a national championship in 1978 and runner-up finish in 1987.

AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Lou Pener (Jr./Overland Park, Kan.) has scored 23 runs and has 17 RBI this season. He has committed just three errors in 297 chances this season. In 2018, Pener took a medical redshirt at Mississippi State.
Second baseman Brian Grove (Sr./River Falls, Wis.) is fifth in the MIAA in stolen bases, eighth in doubles and tenth in triples. He has a .304 average with 31 runs, 17 RBI, 13 doubles, two triples and 14 stolen bases this season. He started 55 games at second base for the Hornets in 2018 hitting .301 with 59 runs scored, 14 doubles, three triples, and four home runs on his way to a .449 slugging percentage and MIAA All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition.
Third baseman Paul Claassen (Jr./Whitewater, Kan.) is batting .306 with 27 runs scored, three home runs, ten doubles and 26 RBI. He has a team high 16 multi-hit games this year. He played in 55 games as a sophomore at Barton CC in 2017. He had a .290 batting average, with a .370 slugging percentage, and .432 on base percentage. He hit 12 doubles, two triples, and three home runs with the Cougars.
Shortstop Josh Norlin (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) is batting .243 with 24 runs including one home run and 11 RBI this season. He leads the MIAA with 106 assists and has helped turn 23 double plays. He took a medical redshirt after an injury early in the 2018 season. As a sophomore in 2017, Norlin hit .404 for Neosho County with an on base percentage of .536, 18 doubles,  four home runs, 50 RBI and 55 walks. He was named second team All-League at shortstop.
Third baseman Tanner Arst (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) has played in 21 games with 17 starts this season. He has 11 hits with two home runs, six walks and six RBI. As a junior he played in 32 games for the Hornets. He hit .284 with eight doubles and three home runs, while driving in 21 runs.

BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher Cooper Minnick (Jr./Leon, Kan.) is batting .288 with five home runs, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored on the season. He has thrown out ten of 22 would be base stealers to lead MIAA catchers.  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.
Catcher Tyrus Barclay (Jr./Wyoming, Ontario) is batting .333 with two home runs, two doubles, nine runs scored and ten RBI in 18 games with 17 starts on the season. Last year he caught 54 of 55 games for Garden City CC with an on base percentage of .452, a .310 batting average and 12 doubles.

AT THE PLATE
Designated hitter/infielder Tucker Perkins (Sr./Belton, Mo.) has appeared in 19 games with 11 starts with a home run and two doubles this season. As a sophomore he hit .311 with a .404 on base percentage in 29 games. He hit .363 with an OBP of .441 in 42 games and was named to the all central region tournament team as a freshman.
Designated hitter Ryan Krolikowski (Jr./Grand Island, Neb.) has played in 11 games with three starts this season.  He did not have a hit in eight pinch hitting appearances but hit a home run in a start against Missouri Southern. As a sophomore at Cloud County CC he hit .364 with an OBP of .452 and finished the year with 64 hits, 14 doubles, six home runs, 53 RBI, and 22 walks as he earned Second-Team All-Conference honors.

OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Connor Hurst (Jr./Augusta, Kan.) is second in the MIAA in home runs, third in slugging percentage, fourth in RBI and ninth in doubles. He has 11 home runs, 12 doubles, 37 RBI and a .641 slugging percentage. He is batting .282 and has a .355 on base percentage. He has hit multiple home runs in three games this season. As a sophomore at Butler CC, he hit .385 with an OBP of .476 and finished the season with 12 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 64 RBIs, 57 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. He was named First Team All-Jayhawk Conference and Second Team All-Region VI.
Outfielder Aaron Dees (Sr./Burlington, Kan.) is second in the MIAA in slugging percentage and third in home runs. He is batting .314 with ten home runs, ten doubles, 31 RBI and a .669 slugging percentage. He transferred to Emporia State from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Outfielder Mitch Sloan (Sr./Paola, Kan.) has played in 23 games with 20 starts this season. He has scored 16 runs with 15 RBI and has two doubles, a triple and two home runs this year. He played in 35 games with 29 starts for Cameron in 2018 with 15 runs scored.  As a sophomore at Ft. Scott CC in 2017 he hit .338 with 68 hits, 46 runs scored, 16 doubles, and five home runs.
Outfielder Christian Roduner (Jr./Rossville, Kan.) has 17 starts in 19 games this year. He has scored nine runs on eight hits. In 2018, he hit .275 with a .433 on base percentage in 38 games at Colby CC.  
Outfielder Brett Huelsmann (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) has played in ten games with one start and has scored five runs. He was one for three with walk and two runs scored in his only start at Newman. He hit .319 with an on base percentage of .435, two home runs and four triples for Barton CC last year.

ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Cairns (Sr./Wichita, Kan.) leads the MIAA in complete games, innings pitched, and walks allowed per nine innings, and is ranked second in strikeout to walk ratio,  third in ERA, fifth in WHIP and seventh in total strike outs. He is 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA and a team high 66 strikeouts in 76.1 innings pitched with only 13 walks. He has thrown at least six innings and given up three or fewer earned runs in nine of his ten starts this season. He did not allow a run or walk and had eight strikeouts while scattering seven hits in 10.0 innings against Missouri Southern. Last year 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. He is sixth in career wins and innings pitched at Emporia State while ranking tenth in career strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Jake Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is fifth in the MIAA in opponents batting average and eighth in ERA. He is 4-3 on the season and has thrown 60.2 innings with 56 strikeouts and a 2.82 ERA. He is allowing opponents to hit just .209 against him. He had ten strikeouts with no walks and allowed only one earned run on two hits in 8.0 innings at Southwest Baptist. He medically redshirted the past two seasons. In 2016 he logged 72.2 innings in 14 starts at Johnson County CC. He was 8-1 with six complete games and 83 strike outs allowing just 30 earned runs for a 3.72 ERA.
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Lee (Sr./Grandview, Mo.) is 2-3 with a 5.67 ERA. He has seven starts in 11 appearances. His 39.2 innings pitched and 38 strikeouts both rank third on the team. As a junior in 2017 he had a 2.96 ERA in 26 innings out of the bullpen at Missouri. He was a midweek starter for Missouri and accumulated 78 innings over 10 starts with a 3.92 ERA as a sophomore. He had a 5.63 ERA over 13.1 innings as a red-shirt freshman for the Tigers.

IN THE PEN
Right-handed pitcher Drew Scrimsher (Sr./Oskaloosa, Kan.) is sixth in the MIAA in saves. He has a 2-0 record with four saves in 17 appearances out of the bullpen. He has a 1.80 ERA in 27.0 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts. Last year he appeared in 12 games for the Hornets, striking out 13 batters with a 5.87 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched.
Right handed pitcher Connor Burns (Sr./St. Albert, Alberta) has appeared in ten games and has a 1.64 ERA in 11.0 innings. He had 12 appearances and pitched 13.2 innings last year for the Hornets. As a sophomore at Garden City CC, he started 10 games and appeared in 11 with a 6-2 record. He had a 4.97 ERA with 51 K's to 14 walks in 63.1 innings pitched. As a freshman he went 5-1 with an ERA of 3.87 in 81.1 innings. He had 83 strikeouts and only seven walks.
Right-handed pitcher Drew Repp (Jr./Topeka, Kan.) is 3-0 in 12 relief appearances with a 5.92 ERA. He has struck out 18 in 24.1 innings. As a sophomore at Barton CC he had a 6.00 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 16 appearances. He had a 4.13 ERA with 32 strikeouts with a total of 14 appearances as a freshman
Left-handed pitcher Dale Miller (Fr./Lawrence, Kan.) is 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA in six relief appearances. He red-shirted last year with the Hornets after earning First-Team All-State in Class 6A for Lawrence Free State HS.
Right-handed pitcher Sloan Baker (Jr./Scott City, Kan.) has nine relief appearances with eight strike outs in 8.1 innings pitched. He redshirted last season at Emporia State.  He appeared in 25 games over two years at Butler CC.
Right-handed pitcher Mason LeClair (Jr./Mulvane, Kan.) is 0-2 in 11 relief appearances with 13 strike outs in 10.1 innings this season. He transferred to Emporia State from UNC Charlotte at semester and appeared in nine games last before an injury ended his season and caused him to take a medical red-shirt. He was a first-team All-Jayhawk reliever for Cowley CC as a sophomore.

MIDDLE OF THE WEEK
Left-handed pitcher Jarrett Season (So./Omaha, Neb.) is 3-1 in six games with four starts. He appeared in six games as a sophomore at Barton CC before suffering a season ending injury. He had a 2-3 record with 27 innings pitched and 23 strikeouts. He finished his sophomore campaign with a 3.67 ERA. As a freshman he appeared in 13 games with a 10-2 record with a 4.46 ERA. He threw 70.2 innings with 58 strikeouts. He was named First-Team All Conference, and All Region, and was named Pitcher of the Year in the Jayhawk West.
Right-handed pitcher Adam Thies (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) is 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA, 18 strikeouts and just seven walks in 15.1 innings of work over nine games with a start. He pitched in 14 games and started six with a 2-2 record and one save last year for the Hornets. He was 3-5 in 12 games with a 6.97 ERA as a sophomore at Johnson CC. He was 4-0 record with 22 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA as a freshman.
Right-handed pitcher Hayden Schaeffer (Thornton, Colo.) is 1-2 in eight appearances with four starts. He has battled injuries the last two seasons. As a freshman he started three games. He had 25 strikeouts and seven walks in 26.0 innings.
Left-handed pitcher Treston Rook (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) has started one of his four appearances this year. As a sophomore at Fort Scott CC he threw 54 innings as a starter for the Greyhounds and finished the year with an 9-2 record with 9.2 K/9 innings.

HISTORY
Emporia State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year in the 2018 season and the 13th time in the last 15 seasons. The Hornets finished seventh in the MIAA regular season after having finished first or second in regular season play for the past four seasons. With Wheeler in the dugout, Emporia State claimed the regular season title in 2017 and advanced to the MIAA tournament title game in 2018.