FINAL NON-CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES FOR EMPORIA STATE SOFTBALL

Softball | 3/18/2022 11:59:00 AM

Emporia State Hornets (12-14, 1-3 MIAA)
at
Drury Panthers (15-8, 3-1 GLVC)
Saturday, March 19 • 2:00 p.m. (DH) • Springfield, Mo.
Series Record: ESU leads 3-1 • Last Meeting: ESU 7, DU 2 (2/18/2017)
Video: GLVC Network
Live Stats • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: at Central Missouri
Friday, March 25 • 3:00 p.m. (DH) • Warrensburg, Mo.

INTO THE OZARKS
Emporia State continues their season opening road swing as they travel to Springfield, Mo. for a non-conference double header at Drury. The Hornets will have played 32 road games before their first action at the Trusler Sports Complex.

LAST AT BAT
Emporia State stepped out of conference play and dropped a pair of games to William Jewell on Wednesday at the Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City, Mo.  The Cardinals score the first three and the last three runs of the game as they defeated the Hornets 6-3 in the matinee. Emporia State had a 6-3 lead going to the sixth and a one run lead in extra innings before falling 8-7 in eight innings in the nightcap.

THE COACHES
April Huddleston-Rosales is 162-163 in her seventh year as the head coach at Emporia State. She has taken the Hornets to two MIAA Championship games and the 2018 NCAA Central Sub-Regional Championship game. She served as an assistant coach for Emporia State for seven seasons. She was a member of both the Hornets national runner-up teams in 2006 and 2008. She is 1-0 against Drury.
Jerry Breaux is 107-81 in his fifth year at William Jewell and 846-489-2 in his 29th season overall. This is his first meeting with Emporia State.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
The Hornets are 12-14, 1-3 in the MIAA and have yet to play a home game. Six of their losses have been by one run with four coming in their opponents last at bat. They have out-scored their opponents 100-76 in the first four innings, but have been out-scored 56-38 from the fifth inning on. Brittanie Shepherd is batting .388 to lead six Hornets hitting at least .300 on the season. Sydney Righi is 3-4 with a 2.89 ERA as six Hornets have started a game in the circle.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Drury is 15-8, 3-1 in the GLVC. Kristina Bettis is 10-1 with a 1.69 ERA. She has five shutouts and 118 strikeouts on the season. Lauren Beier is batting .319 with six home runs with 16 RBI.

SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the series 3-1 but the two have not met since the 2017 season.
 
LAST MEETING
Katy Rae Nordman hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie on the way to a 7-2 win by Emporia State over Drury at the 8-States Classic in Bentonville, Ark. in 2017.

ON DECK
The Hornets get back to MIAA play on Friday, March 25 at Central Missouri. First pitch in Warrensburg, Mo. is set for 3:00 p.m.

IN THE DUGOUT
April Rosales is 162-163 in her seventh season leading the Emporia State softball program. Since taking over the program in 2016, Rosales has led the Hornets to an MIAA Tournament Championship, two MIAA Tournament title game appearances, and an appearance in the NCAA Central Sub-Regional Championship.
Rosales was also a member of Emporia State softball during her playing days which included an run to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2008 which resulted in a National Runner-Up finish. During the 2008 season, she hit .324 with 30 RBI while playing nearly every game at shortstop for the Hornets. She was named First Team All-MIAA that season.

AROUND THE DIAMOND
First baseman Josie Harrison (Jr./St. Mary's, KS) has a .328 batting average with 13 runs scored and nine RBI. She is hitting .435 with runners in scoring position. She is also a pitcher and has a 3.86 ERA in 29.0 innings pitched with a team-high 26 strikeouts.
First baseman Harley Sturm (Fr./Tecumseh, OK) is batting .303 with two home runs and eight RBI in 18 games. She is also a pitcher and is 3-4 with a save and a 5.69 ERA in nine appearances in the circle.
Second baseman McKensy Glass (So./Wichita, KS) has scored six runs while recording two doubles and seven RBI in 25 games with 21 starts this season. She is batting .194 on the season but her average goes up to .348 with runners on base and .357 with runners in scoring position.
Shortstop Abbey Ward (Jr./Olathe, KS) has started 77 of 80 games in her Emporia State career. She is ten of ten on stolen bases this season and has two home runs with ten RBI and 15 runs scored this year.
Third baseman Karly Johnson (So./Lawrence, KS) has 15 RBI and nine runs scored in 25 games with 23 starts. She has three doubles, a triple and a home run.

OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Brittanie Shepherd (Sr./Kansas City, MO) has started every game this season. She is hitting .388 with an OPS of 1.018 and a .468 on base percentage. She has a .579 average when leading off an inning. She has team-highs of 22 runs, 18 RBI, nine doubles and two triples.
Outfielder Alexis Dial (So./Topeka, KS) is batting .348 with 16 runs scored, eight doubles and 11 RBI. She has also swiped 12 bases in 16 attempts.
Outfielder Lexi Williams (So./Hutchinson, KS) is batting .288 and has a team high 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts. She has scored 14 runs and driven 12 in 23 games with 20 starts.
Outfielder Emma Furnish (So./Goddard, KS) has scored ten runs in 18 games.

AT THE PLATE
Designated Player Roni Raines (Jr./Topeka, KS) has played in 22 games with 21 starts and has scored 14 runs with 11 RBI. She is batting .262 with a .408 on-base percentage thanks to five walks and ten hit by pitches.

BEHIND THE PLATE
Catchers Maddy Broxterman (Sr./Meriden, KS) and Bailey Flewelling (So./Holton, KS) have split time behind the plate this year.
Broxterman is batting .318 with eight RBI and five runs scored in 13 starts this season. She has thrown out two base runners and has a pick-off this year.
Flewelling is batting .290 with five runs and six RBI in 14 starts this season. She has thrown out one base runner this year.

IN THE CIRCLE
Pitcher Sydney Righi (Jr./Blue Springs, MO) has started nine games and is the team leader with 43.2 innings pitched. She has a 2.89 ERA with 23 strikeouts and is 3-4 on the year.
Pitcher Josie Harrison (Jr./St. Mary's, KS) is 1-1 with a save and a 3.86 ERA in 29.0 innings pitched. She also has a team high 26 strikeouts in 11 appearances with four starts. In addition to her abilities at the plate, Harrison posts a .328 batting average.
Pitcher Gracie Rabe (Fr./Rossville, KS) has a 3.71 ERA in 28.1 innings in her first season with the Hornets. She has made four starts while appearing in nine games.
Pitcher Harley Sturm (Fr./Tecumseh, OK) is 3-4 with a save and a 5.69 ERA in nine appearances with three starts.
Pitcher Brylie Bassett (Sr./Oskaloosa, Kan.) is 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA in eight appearances with one start. She has ten strikeouts and just three walks in 24.0 innings.
Pitcher Jayda VanAckeren (Fr./Omaha, NE) has pitched in 22.2 innings this season, making five starts in eight total appearances. She has a 7.10 ERA and has recorded 14 strikeouts.