Show Me Showdowns This Weekend for Emporia State Softball

Softball | 3/21/2024 10:39:00 AM

Emporia State Hornets (19-12, 3-5 MIAA)
at Lincoln Blue Tigers (8-16, 0-6 MIAA)
Friday, March 22 • 2:00 p.m. (DH) • Jefferson City, Mo. • LU Softball Field
Series Record: ESU leads 36-3 • Last Meeting: at ESU 9, LU 1 (3/25/23)
at Central Missouri Jennies (12-13, 3-3 MIAA)
Saturday, March 23 • 12:00 p.m. (DH) • Warrensburg, Mo. • South Rec Complex
Series Record: ESU leads 64-49 • Last Meeting: UCM 4, at ESU 1 (3/24/23)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com • Video: The MIAA Network
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: vs. Missouri Western • March 29 • Emporia, Kan.

SHOW ME
Emporia State continues MIAA play in the Show Me State as they travel to Lincoln and Central Missouri this weekend.

LAST AT BAT
Emporia State dropped both ends of a double header with third ranked Rogers State on Saturday afternoon.  The Hornets fell 14-4 in five innings in the matinee before taking a 3-2 loss in eight innings in the night cap. In the opener the Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the first but the Hillcats would score the next nine runs on the way to a 14-4 RSU win. All of the runs in game two came via solo home runs as Emporia State took Rogers State to extra innings in a 3-2 loss.
 
THE COACHES
April Rosales is 227-214 in her ninth season at Emporia State. She has taken the Hornets to two MIAA Tournament Championship Games with a win in the 2018 MIAA Tournament. Coach Rosales will not be coaching while on maternity leave. 
Assistant Coach Megan Hill will coach in her absence and is 18-7 as acting head coach this season.
Jason Ollison is 15-57 in his second season at Lincoln. He is 0-2 against Emporia State.
Susan Anderson is 516-389 in her 18th season as head coach for the Jennies.  She is 12-29 against Emporia State.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 19-12, 3-5 in the MIAA. They are ranked 21st in the nation in stolen bases. Three players are batting over .400 with Alexis Dial at .451, Bailey Flewelling at .438 and Lexi Williams at .411 on the season. Dial is second in the MIAA and 18th in the nation with 35 RBI. Flewelling is second in the association and 27th nationally iwth 19 doubles. 

ABOUT THE BLUE TIGERS
Lincoln is 8-16, 0-6 in the MIAA. They are batting .243 as a team with a 4.67 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the all-time series 36-3.
LAST TIME VS. LINCOLN
The Hornets swept the Blue Tigers 8-0 and 9-1 at Trusler last year.

ABOUT THE JENNIES
Central Missouri is 12-13, 3-3 in the MIAA. They are batting .234 as a team with a 2.78 ERA. Three pitchers have an ERA under 2.60 led by Brooke Weimer with a 2.19 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the all-time series 64-49 with the road team winning the last six games.
LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL MISSOURI
The Hornets were swept by the Jennies last season in Warrensburg, 5-4 and 4-1.

ON DECK
Emporia State returns to Trusler for a double header against Missouri Western on Friday, March 29. First pitch on Turnbull Field is set for 3:00 p.m.

IN THE DUGOUT
April Rosales is in her ninth season leading the Emporia State softball program and has a 227-214 record. 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. She is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her son.
Assistant Coach Megan Hill is serving as the acting head coach while Coach Rosales is away on maternity leave. She has gone 18-7 this season. She was a four-time All-MIAA performer, earning first-team honors from 2005-07 at third base. She holds teh Emporia State single season and career RBI records with 73 in 2006 and 216 in her career from 2004-07.

BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher Bailey Flewelling (Sr./Holton, KS) is in her fourth season at Emporia State and has played in 117 career games. This season Flewelling is batting .438 with a 1.198 OPS and has five home runs, 24 RBI, ten doubles and 16 runs scored. She is second in the MIAA lead in, ranks sixth in batting average, seventh in home runs, and eighth in slugging percentage. 
Ally Miller (Fr./Olathe, KS) has appeared in eight games with seven behind the dish. She is batting batting .143 with a walk and two runs scored.

IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Alexis Dial (Sr./Topeka, KS) is in her fourth season at Emporia State and has played  in 174 career games. This season, Dial is batting .451 with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs, 35 RBI, 22 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. She is second in the MIAA and ranked 18th in the nation in RBI and is fourth in the league in batting average and doubles. 
Outfielder Lexi Williams (Sr../Hutchinson, KS) is in her third season at Emporia State and is batting .411 in 30 games with five doubles, three triples, 13 RBI and 29 runs scored. She is ninth in the MIAA in runs scored, tenth in stolen bases and seventh in triples. In her career, Williams has 77 stolen bases across 133 games played. 
Outfielder Emma Furnish (Sr./Goddard, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and is batting .313 with 16 RBI, six doubles, a triple and two home runs. 
Outfielder Juliana De Luna (Fr./San Antonio, TX) is in her first season at Emporia State and has played in 22 games with seven starts. She has five RBI, seven runs scored, two walks and four stolen bases.

AROUND THE HORN
Shortstop Abbey Ward (Gr./Olathe, KS) is in her fifth season with the Hornets and is batting .312 this season with seven doubles, a triple, three home runs, 30 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. She is seventh in the MIAA in stolen bases and eighth in runs scored this season. Ward is second in Emporia State history with 119 career stolen bases and needs four to tie Morgan Viola's (124 from 2004-07) ESU career record. Her 119 career steals is third among active players in Division II while her 42 times being hit by a pitch ranks fourth among active players.
Infielder/designated player Haley Garnett (Sr./Olathe, KS) is in her second season with the Hornets and is batting .269 with four home runs, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored and three stolen bases. She is leading the MIAA and ranked 14th nationally in walks per game.
Second baseman McKensy Glass (Sr./Wichita, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and has played in 137 career games. Glass has a .268 average with nine RBI, eight runs scored and a .359 on base percentage this season. 
Infielder Brooke Flewelling (Fr./Holton, KS) is in her first season with the Hornets and has played in 18 games with 16 starts for the Hornets. She has a double, a triple, two home runs, seven runs scored and six RBI in her freshman campaign.
Infielder Karli Wehunt (Fr./Shidler, OK) is in her first season with the Hornets and has  played in 14 games with nine starts. She has four RBI, five runs scored, seven walks and a .353 on base percentage. 
Infielder/designated player Avery Brewer (Fr./Jenks, OK) is in her first season at Emporia State is batting .333 with three doubles, 13 RBI and six runs scored in her 20 games played.

IN THE CIRCLE
Pitcher Gracie Rabe (Jr./Rossville, KS) is in her third season with the Hornets and has a team-best 2.94 ERA in 64.1 innings over 15 appearances with seven starts. She is 5-5 on the season and has struck out 38 batters and allowed just 12 walks this season. 
Pitcher Jayda VanAckeren (Jr./Omaha, NE) is in her third season with the Hornets and has made 12 appearances with nine starts this season. She is 6-2 with a 4.48 ERA across 50.0 innings pitched. She earned MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors following her outing against Wayne State, a complete game shutout where she allowed just three hits. 
Pitcher Kelly Hipsher (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) is in her second season with the Hornets and has 15 appearances with a 3.69 ERA across 24.2 innings with 15 strikeouts with one start. She is second in the MIAA and ranked 15th in the nation in saves.
Pitcher Jordan Harrison (Jr./St. Mary's, KS) is in her first season with the Hornets after transferring from Johnson County CC. She is 4-2 with a 6.69 ERA in 11 appearances with eight starts. She has tossed 37.2 innings and has 34 strikeouts with just ten walks allowed.
Pitcher Josie Harrison (Gr./St. Mary's, KS) is in her fifth season for the Hornets and has has made seven appearances with six starts this season. She is 3-3 with a 4.90 ERA in 20.0 innings pitched. Harrison also has a .270 batting average with 13 RBI and 13 runs scored at the plate this season.

ON A ROLL
Earlier this season Emporia State had a 15-game winning streak, matching their longest winning streak since the 2012 season where Emporia State won 42 games, including the MIAA Tournament Championship.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Hornets are 8-3 at home this season with two of the three losses to nationally ranked teams. After winning their final twelve home games of the 2023 season, Emporia State won all five games at the ESU Classic to extend their home winning streak to 17 games. 

OFF AND RUNNING
Through the first 31 games of the season, Emporia State is among the top teams in Division II in stolen bases. After leading the MIAA in steals in seven of the last eight years as well as ranking top ten in the nation in both total steals and steals per game last season, the Hornets are currently 21st in total steals and 40th in steals per game in the nation. 
Abbey Ward has been an important part to the success of the Hornets on the bases in her career. Ward led the MIAA last season in stolen bases and ranked second in each of her first two full seasons. She is currently second in program history with 119 career stolen bases. The program record is held by Morgan Viola (2004-07) with 124 stolen bases.