Baseball | 2/27/2020 9:12:00 AM
Emporia State Hornets (8-6, 0-0 MIAA)
vs.
Missouri Southern Lions (13-1, 0-0 MIAA)
Friday, Feb. 28 • 4:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex/Glennen Field • Emporia, Kan.
Saturday, Feb. 29 • 2:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex/Glennen Field • Emporia, Kan.
Sunday, March 1 • 12:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex/Glennen Field • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 67-35
Last Meeting: ESU 9, at MSSU 3 (April 16, 2019)
Live Stats •
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Northwest Missouri • March 6-8, 2020
Trusler Sports Complex/Glennen Field • Emporia, Kan.
CONFERENCE TIME
The Hornets begin MIAA play against Missouri Southern.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State split a four game series with then #17 Augustana over the weekend. The Hornets dropped the first game 14-6 on Friday and then fell 6-4 in the first game of a double header on Saturday. Emporia State came back to take a 16-12 win in the nightcap on Saturday before winning the final game of the series 7-3 on Sunday.
Paul Claassen hit .429 for the series with four runs and four RBI.Â
Cooper Minnick hit .308 but had a .500 on base percentage, .615 slugging percentage with five RBI and four runs scored.
THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 35-28 in his second season as the Hornets head coach. He is 2-2 against Missouri Southern.
Bryce Darnell is 372-277 in his 13th year as head coach for the Lions. He is 18-29 against Emporia State.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 8-6 on the season. As a team they are ranked tenth in the league in batting average at .253 but are third with a .389 on base percentage. They have a team ERA of 5.27 and are ranked fifth with 111 strikeouts. The Hornets have turned a league high 11 double plays in 14 games.
Blake Carroll is in the top ten of the MIAA in on base percentage, runs scored, home runs and stolen bases.
Jake Barton ranks third in the MIAA with 34 strikeouts and is ninth with a 2.66 ERA.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern is 13-1 on the season and ranked #11 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association national poll. The Lions have won 11 straight games, all at home, after going 2-1 at the Edmond First Pitch Classic to open the season. They are batting .282 as a team with a 2.25 team ERA and a .969 fielding percentage. Zach Parish, Will Bausinger and Zac Shoemaker are ranked first, second and fourth in the MIAA in strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the all-time series 67-35 after splitting four games last season.
LAST TIME AGAINST MO. SOUTHERN
Emporia State scored early and late in a 9-3 non-conference win at #21 Missouri Southern.
The Hornets took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and scored a pair of runs in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth inning for the win.
Brian Grove was three for five with a home run, a double, three runs scored and an RBI while
Aaron Dees went three for five with a homer, a double, two runs and two RBI.Â
Jarrett Seaton scattered six hits over 5.1 innings and allowed three runs to pick up his third win.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will wrap up a ten game home stand with a three game series against Northwest Missouri next weekend at the Trusler Sports Complex. The first game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6 with game two set for Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and the series finale at 12 noon on Sunday.
