MID-WEEK NON-CON MATCH-UP WITH PITT STATE NEXT FOR EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL

Baseball | 4/12/2021 8:41:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (11-16, 7-14 MIAA)
vs. Pittsburg State Gorillas (16-10, 12-9 MIAA)
Tuesday April 13, 2021 • 6:00 p.m. • Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 86-40
Last Meeting: ESU 10, at PSU 9 (3/30/2021)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com Video Stream: themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM Audio Stream: kvoe.com
Complete notes in pdf
Up Next: Missouri Western • April 16-17, 2021
Trusler Sports Complex • Emporia, Kan.

FINAL NON-CON
Emporia State plays host to Pittsburg State in the final non-conference game of the season.

LAST AT BAT
Emporia State and Washburn each scored in their final at bat for wins in a Turnpike Tussle double header split on Saturday in Topeka.  
Emporia State fell behind 10-1 after four innings but scored 12 unanswered to take a 13-10 victory in the matinee. The Hornets jumped out to a 4-0 lead but could not hold on in a 5-4 Ichabod win in the nightcap.

THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is 51-45 in his third season as the Hornets head coach. He is 3-3 against Pittsburg State.
Bob Fornelli is 61-39 in his third season at Pittsburg State. He is 966-418 in his 25th year as a head coach including a 599-266 record in 15 years at Emporia State.  He is 3-3 against the Hornets at Pittsburg State and was 13-2 against the Hornets while at Ft. Hays State.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 11-16, 7-14 in the MIAA. As a team they are hitting .307 with a 6.80 ERA and .955 fielding percentage. As a team they lead the MIAA in stolen bases and rank fourth in batting average and runs scored. Brady Michel is leading the MIAA with a .440 batting average and ranks third with a .519 on base percentage. He has reached base safely in 20 straight games. Blake Carroll is leading the nation with six triples. Cooper Minnick is tenth in the MIAA with 28 runs scored. Jake Barton is seventh in the MIAA with 47 strikeouts in 41.1 innings.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 16-1 overall with a 12-9 mark in MIAA play. As a team, the Gorillas have a .289 batting average, a 5.67 staff ERA, and .973 team fielding percentage. Garrett McGowan is fifth in the MIAA with 30 RBI, sixth in walks and ninth in runs scored. David Henderson is ranked fifth in ERA and opponents batting average while Dawson Pomeroy and Nick Brown are tied for fifth in saves with three each.

SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the all-time series 86-40 with Emporia State winning six of the last ten games.

LAST AT BAT AGAINST PITT STATE
Emporia State led 5-0 going to the bottom of the fifth, trailed 7-5 after seven, scored five in the top of the eighth and gave up a two run homer in the bottom of the ninth on the way to a 10-9 win at Pittsburg State. Brady Michel went three for five with two RBI, a run scored, a walk and a double.  Cooper Minnick was two for three, was hit three times, scored three runs, stole two bases and had an RBI. Brigham Mooney was three for four with three doubles, a run and an RBI.  Coleton Crisp worked the final 2.1 innings to get the win.

UP NEXT
The Hornets play host to Missouri Western in a three game series this weekend at the Trusler Sports Complex. First pitch for game one is set for 6:00 p.m. on Friday.