Softball | 5/7/2022 1:49:00 AM
Emporia State Hornets (25-29, 13-13 MIAA)
vs. Neb.-Kearney Lopers (24-26, 13-13 MIAA)
Saturday, May 7 • 10:00 a.m. • Edmond, Okla.
Series Record: ESU leads 26-17 •
Last Meeting: at UNK 7, ESU 5 (4/8/2022)
Video:
The MIAA Network Live Stats:
esuhornets.com
Notes in pdf
Up Next: MIAA Fourth Round
Saturday, May 7 • 5:30 p.m. vs. UCO or MWSU • Edmond, Okla.
SEMIFINAL SATURDAY
Emporia State takes on Neb.-Kearney in the first of potentially three games on Semifinal Saturday at the MIAA Tournament.
LAST AT BAT
Sydney Righi tossed a four hit shutout as Emporia State stayed alive at the MIAA Tournament with a 2-0 win over Northeastern State on Friday.
Emma Furnish came home when
Roni Raines was caught in a rundown in the third and
Bailey Flewelling led off the fifth with a home run for the Hornets offense.
THE COACHES
April Rosales is 175-177 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 was as an assistant coach for ESU for seven seasons and a member of the Hornets national runner-up teams in 2006 and 2008. She is 7-5 against Neb.-Kearney.
Katie Ackermann is 54-64 in her third year as head coach for the Lopers. She is 1-3 against Emporia State.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
The Hornets are 25-29, 13-13 in the MIAA. They lead the MIAA and are ranked 11th nationally in total stolen bases.
Lexi Williams leads the league and is ranked 16th in the nation with 34 steals while
Abbey Ward's 27 steals rank second in the MIAA.
Brittanie Shepherd is third in the MIAA and 12th in the nation with 18 doubles.
Sydney Righi is 9-11 with a 2.80 ERA while
Gracie Rabe is 4-7 with a 2.98 ERA as well. Six Hornets have started a game in the circle this year.
ABOUT THE LOPERS
Neb.-Kearney is 24-26, 13-13 in the MIAA and are the #7 seed in their first MIAA Tourney. They defeated Central Olahoma 4-3 on Thursday before falling 9-0 in five innings to Rogers State on Friday. They have lost eight of their last ten games with the lone victories over Central Oklahoma. Sydney Thomason is hitting .337 and leads UN iwth 28 runs and 39 RBI. Katie Gosker is batting .281 with a team high 12 home runs while Carlee Liesch is hitting a team best .348 with 26 runs scored. Madison Rosenthal is 3-10 with a 3.61 ERA and 83 strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the series 26-17 and had won six straight in the series before the Lopers win earlier this season. This will be their first meeting in the MIAA Tournament.
LAST MEETING
Emporia State began their final road trip of the season with a split at Neb.-Kearney. The Hornets won game one 2-1 in eight innings before falling 7-5 in the second game.
Lexi Williams hit a solo homer in the top of the eighth to give the Hornets the 2-1 win in the first game of the double header. The Hornets stranded six runners with four of them in the final three innings of a 7-5 loss to Neb.-Kearney in the second game.
ON DECK
The winner will advance to play the winner of the game between Central Oklahoma and Missouri Western at 5:30 p.m. The winner of that game will return to play at 8:00 p.m. in the losers bracket championship for the right to play in Sunday's Championship game.
IN THE DUGOUT
April Rosales is 175-177 in her seventh season as the Emporia State head coach and 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. She is 12-6 in the MIAA Tournament. Rosales was a member of Emporia State softball during her playing days which included an run to the NCAA Division II National Championship game in 2008.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder
Brittanie Shepherd (Sr./Kansas City, MO) has started 168 of 169 games in her Hornet career. She is hitting .349 with a .441 on base percentage. She has a .483 average when leading off an inning. She has team-highs of 41 runs and 18 doubles. She is ranked third in the MIAA and 12th in the nation in total doubles. She is tied for sixth on the Emporia State single season list.
Outfielder
Alexis Dial (So./Topeka, KS) is batting .283 with 30 runs scored, ten doubles and 17 RBI. She has also swiped 22 bases in 29 attempts. She is fifth in the MIAA in stolen bases.
Outfielder
Emma Furnish (So./Goddard, KS) is batting .315 and has scored 22 runs in 43 games with 32 starts this season. She is batting .378 in conference games and is nine of nine on stolen base attempts in conference play.
Outfielder
Lexi Williams (So./Hutchinson, KS) is leading the MIAA in stolen bases with 34 steals in 39 attempts over 46 games. She is batting .330 with 27 runs and 15 RBI.
AROUND THE DIAMOND
First baseman
Harley Sturm (Fr./Tecumseh, OK) is batting .245 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 38 games. She had missed the previous eight games with an injury before returning to the line up against Washburn in the regular season finale. She is also 5-5 with two saves and a 4.53 ERA in 15 appearances in the circle.
Second baseman
McKensy Glass (So./Wichita, KS) has scored 12 runs and has 16 RBI in 48 games with 39 starts this season. She is batting .237 on the season with a .321 average in MIAA games. For the season she is hitting .324 with runners in scoring position.
Shortstop
Abbey Ward (Jr./Olathe, KS) has started 105 of 107 games in her Emporia State career. She is batting .278 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 32 runs and a team high three triples this year. She is 27 of 27 in stolen bases to rank second in the MIAA.
Third baseman
Karly Johnson (So./Lawrence, KS) has 20 RBI and 16 runs scored in 50 games with 46 starts. She has six doubles, a triple and two home runs.
Corner infielder
Josie Harrison (Jr./St. Mary's, KS) has a .297 batting average with 17 runs scored and 16 RBI. She is hitting .353 with runners in scoring position. She is also a pitcher and has a 4.06 ERA in 41.1 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts.
Second baseman
Roni Raines (Jr./Topeka, KS) has played in 34 games with 31 starts and has scored 18 runs with 19 RBI. She had missed the previous 11 games with an injury before returning to the starting lineup against Northeastern State on Friday. She is batting .258 with a .402on-base percentage. She has been hit by pitch 14 times to lead the MIAA despite missing a total of 19 games.
BEHIND AND AT THE PLATE
Designated player
Maddy Broxterman (Sr./Meriden, KS) is batting .323 with a team high 35 RBI while scoring 17 runs scored in 42 games this season. She is batting .360 with an 1.003 OPS in 25 MIAA games.
Catcher
Bailey Flewelling (So./Holton, KS) is batting .288 with 11 runs, four home runs and 15 RBI in 39 starts this season. She has thrown out two base runners this year.
IN THE CIRCLE
Pitcher
Sydney Righi (Jr./Blue Springs, MO) has started 20 games with 25 appearances and is the team leader with 112.2 innings pitched. She has a 2.80 ERA with 60 strikeouts and is 9-11 on the year.
Pitcher
Gracie Rabe (Fr./Rossville, KS) is 4-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 87.0 innings this season. She has 14 starts with four complete games, a shutout and a combined shutout in 22 appearances. She is tenth in the MIAA in ERA.
Pitcher
Jayda VanAckeren (Fr./Omaha, NE) has pitched in 47.0 innings this season, making eight starts in 18 appearances. She has a 6.40 ERA and has recorded 31 strikeouts. She also hit a game winning walk-off home run against Northeastern State.
Pitcher
Brylie Bassett (Sr./Oskaloosa, Kan.) is 2-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 16 appearances with three starts. She has 13 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.
