EMPORIA STATE SOFTBALL TO PLAY HOST TO PART OF MWSU HYVEE CLASSIC

Softball | 3/18/2021 3:51:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (10-4, 0-2 MIAA)
vs. Augustana Vikings (4-2, 0-0 NSIC)
Sat-Sun, March 20-21, 2021 • 2:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 12-8 • Last Meeting: USF 7, at ESU 4 (March 16, 2018)
vs. Sioux Falls Cougars (3-5, 0-0 NSIC)
Sat-Sun, March 20-21, 2021 • 4:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 3-2 • Last Meeting: ESU 13, USF 6 (Feb. 28, 2020)
Live Stats • The MIAA Network (Sunday only) • Complete Notes in pdf
Next Up: Neb.-Kearney • Friday, March 26 • 2:00 p.m.
Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.

EMPORIA EDITION OF HYVEE CLASSIC
Due to the weather changes at the Missouri Western Hy-Vee Classic in St. Joseph, Mo., Emporia State will bring three other teams to Trusler this weekend. The Hornets will be joined by Central Oklahoma, Augustana and Sioux Falls with Emporia State and Central Oklahoma playing Augustana and Sioux Falls twice each.

LAST AT BAT
Playing without three starters due to injury, Emporia State dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Pittsburg State falling 5-0 in the first game and 6-3 in the nightcap. The Gorillas hit three home runs while the Hornets were held to just one hit in the opener. The home run was the difference again in the second game as back to back long balls by the Gorillas in the fifth broke a 3-3 tie.

THE COACHES
April Huddleston-Rosales is 139-130 in her sixth 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. She is 2-4 against Augustana and 3-2 against Sioux Falls.
Gretta Melstad is 548-226 in her 15th year at Augustana and 629-315 in her 18th year as a head coach. She is 4-4 against Emporia State.
Shannon Pivovar is 38-43 in her third year at USF. She is 0-2 against ESU.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
The Hornets are 10-4 on the year, 0-2 in the MIAA. They are batting .304 on the year with a 3.54 team ERA and .973 team fielding percentage. Roni Raines is fifth in the MIAA in on-base percentage and sixth in batting but was injured against Pittsburg State and is questionable for this weekend. Kelsey Phillips is fifth in the MIAA with a 1.13 ERA.

KNOW THE FOE
Augustana is 4-2 on the season and have not played since February 28. They are the defending national champions having won the 2019 title.
Sioux Falls is 3-5 on the season with a 2-4 record against MIAA teams.

SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the all-time series with Augustana 12-8 and lead Sioux Falls 3-2.

LAST AT BATS
The Hornets scored the first five runs of the game and then exploded for seven runs in the fifth on the way to a 13-6 victory over Sioux Falls at the Washburn Softball Complex on Feb. 28, 2020.
The Hornets had a 4-1 lead after three innings but Augie scored the final six runs in a 7-4 Viking win during the ESU St. Patrick's Classic on March 16, 2018.
 
ON DECK
The Hornets will return to MIAA play on March 26 when they play host to Neb.-Kearney. First pitch is at 2 p.m. at Trusler.