MIAA Tournament Begins for Emporia State Softball at 9th Ranked Central Oklahoma

Softball | 5/1/2024 12:47:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (31-19, 14-12 MIAA)
at 
#9 Central Oklahoma Bronchos (41-11, 21-5 MIAA)
MIAA Tournament Quarterfinals
May 2 • 4:00 p.m. • Edmond, Okla. • Pinkston Stadium
Series Record: UCO leads 38-28 • Last Meeting: at UCO 10, ESU 1 (3/9/24)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com • Video: The MIAA Network 
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Winner in Semifinals
May 3 • 2:30 p.m. • Edmond, Okla. • Pinkston Stadium

CHAMPIONS ARE MADE IN MAY
Emporia State begins play in the MIAA Tournament at host #9 Central Oklahoma.

LAST AT BAT
After a 48 hour delay due to weather, Emporia State pulled out a 5-4 win over #24 Washburn in eight innings on Monday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex.
The game was resumed after being halted due to extreme weather in the bottom of the sixth inning on Saturday with the Hornets leading 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth.  Marrit Mead hit a lead off homer in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. The Ichabods had runners at first and second with no outs in the top of the eighth when they tried a double steal. Bailey Flewelling then threw out the runner from first and Abbey Ward threw back to Flewelling to get the runner from third for the inning ending double play.
In the bottom of the eighth with two outs  Brooke Flewelling laced a single into left field that plated DeLuna and gave the Hornets a 5-4 win and sweep of the Turnpike Tussle.

THE COACHES
April Rosales is 239-221 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 30-14 as acting head coach this season.
Cody White is 251-144 in his 11th season at Central Oklahoma. He is 22-7 against Emporia State.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 31-19, 14-12 in the MIAA. They have won a conference record 10 MIAA Tournament Championships. ESU is ranked 19th in the nation in triples. Alexis Dial is ninth in the nation in doubles and 21st in RBI. She leads the MIAA in doubles while ranking second in slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases and ranking third in RBI and batting average in the league. Kelly Hipsher leads the MIAA and is 15th nationally in saves.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma is 41-11, 21-5 in the MIAA, ranked #9 in the NFCA Poll and #2 in the Central Region. They are seventh in the nation in shutouts. Terin Ritz leads the MIAA with 17 home runs.  

SERIES HISTORY
The Bronchos lead the all-time series 38-28 and have won seven straight in the series. UCO leads 4-3 in MIAA tournament play but Emporia State won the last meeting 6-0 in the 2018 Championship game.

LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Emporia State softball dropped a pair of games at #12 Central Oklahoma. The Hornets stranded 12 runners in a 6-0 loss in game one and left eight on base in a 10-1 game two loss. 

ON DECK
The winner will advance to the MIAA Semifinals on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Edmond.

IN THE DUGOUT
April Rosales is in her ninth season leading the Emporia State softball program and has a 239-221 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 30-14 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) was named honorable mention All-MIAA. She is in her fourth season at Emporia State and has played in 136 career games with a .310 career batting average. This season Flewelling is batting .361 with five home runs, 30 RBI, 14 doubles, a triple and 18 runs scored. She is fourth in the MIAA in doubles. She is the older sister of Hornet Brooke Flewelling.
Ally Miller (Fr./Olathe, KS) has appeared in 12 games with ten behind the dish. She is batting batting .125 with two walks and a run scored.

IN THE FIELD
Outfielder Alexis Dial (Sr./Topeka, KS) was a First-Team All-MIAA selection. She is in her fourth season at Emporia State and has played  in 193 games with a .321 career batting average. This season, Dial is batting .432 with 20 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 60 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases. She is on a ten game hitting streak. She leads the MIAA and ranks ninth nationally in doubles while ranking third in the MIAA and 21st in the nation in RBI. She is second in the conference in slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases, third in batting average, fourth in hits and triples, fifth in on base percentage and eighth in home runs.  She is batting .500 with runners in scoring position and has 13 RBI in 16 opportunities with a runner on third and less than two outs. She is ranked second on the Emporia State single season list for doubles and is sixth in RBI.  She enters the MIAA Tournament ranked fourth in ESU history in single season batting average and slugging percentage. She was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer as a sophomore. 
Outfielder Lexi Williams (Sr./Hutchinson, KS) is in her third season at Emporia State and is a career .315 hitter in 152 games. She is batting .362 in 49 games this season with six doubles, four triples, 17 RBI and 46 runs scored. She is seventh in the MIAA in runs scored while ranking ninth in hits, triples and stolen bases. She was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer as a sophomore.
Outfielder Emma Furnish (Sr./Goddard, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and has appeared in 194 games. This season she is batting .317 with 25 RBI, 35 runs, eight doubles, four triples and three home runs. She is batting .354 with runners in scoring position. She has six outfield assists this year and 18 in her career. She is fourth the MIAA in sac flies and ninth in the league in triples. She was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer as a freshman.
Outfielder Juliana De Luna (Fr./San Antonio, TX) is in her first season at Emporia State and has played in 30 games with seven starts. She has five RBI, 12 runs scored, two walks and four stolen bases.

AROUND THE HORN
Third baseman/pitcher Josie Harrison (Gr./St. Mary's, KS) was named First-Team All-MIAA at third base. She is in her fifth year with the Hornets and is a career .312 hitter in 159 games with 17 wins and a 4.25 career ERA in the pitching circle. She is batting .355 with seven doubles, a triple, five home runs, 30 RBI and 26 runs scored this season. She is on an 11 game hitting streak. Against teams that have qualified for the MIAA Tournament she is batting a team best .431 iwth 12 RBI and 11 runs scored in 18 games. As a pitcher she is 4-3 with a save and a 4.34 ERA this season. She is the older sister of Hornet Jordan Harrison. She was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection as a junior.
Shortstop Abbey Ward (Gr./Olathe, KS) is in her fifth season with the Hornets and has played in 215 games with 212 starts. This season she is batting .272 with 12 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 43 runs scored, 16 RBI and 26 stolen bases. She leads the MIAA and is 31st in the nation in hit by pitch while ranking sixth in the association in stolen bases, seventh in doubles, and ninth in runs scored.  She has a .449 on base percentage when leading off an inning. Ward has 128 career stolen bases and broke Morgan Viola's (124 from 2004-07) ESU career record on April 5 against Neb.-Kearney. Her 128 career steals is fourth among active players in Division II while her 44 times being hit by a pitch ranks ninth among active players and her 164 runs scored ranks 26th nationally.
Second baseman McKensy Glass (Sr./Wichita, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and has played in 160 career games. She has a .269 average with 17 RBI, nine runs scored and a .382 on base percentage this season.  She has reached base in 16 consecutive games heading into the MIAA Tournament. She is fourth in the MIAA in getting hit by pitch.  She is batting .381 in the sixth and seventh inning this year with over a third of her RBI coming in those innings.
First baseman Haley Garnett (Sr./Olathe, KS) is in her second season with the Hornets and is batting .235 with a .423 on base percentage, four home runs, 18 RBI, 24 runs scored, 31 walks and three stolen bases. She is second in the MIAA and 16th nationally in walks per game.
Third baseman/designated player Brooke Flewelling (Fr./Holton, KS) is in her first season with the Hornets and has played in 34 games with 31 starts for the Hornets. She has four doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 runs scored and 15 RBI in her freshman campaign. She is the younger sister of Hornet Bailey Flewelling.
Infielder/designated player Avery Brewer (Fr./Jenks, OK) is in her first season at Emporia State is batting .290 with three doubles, 12 RBI and seven runs scored in her 25 games played with 20 starts.
Infielder/designated player Karli Wehunt (Fr./Shidler, OK) is in her first season with the Hornets and has  played in 23 games with 16 starts. She has six RBI, seven runs scored, 12 walks and a .339 on base percentage. 

IN THE CIRCLE
Pitcher Gracie Rabe (Jr./Rossville, KS) is in her third season with the Hornets and has a team-best 2.77 ERA in 113.2 innings over 26 appearances with 17 starts this season. She is 9-9 and has struck out 63 batters and allowed just 24 walks this season. She is ninth in the MIAA in walks allowed.
Pitcher Jordan Harrison (Jr./St. Mary's, KS) is in her first season with the Hornets after transferring from Johnson County CC. She is 8-4 with two saves and a 4.80 ERA in 23 appearances with 12 starts. She has tossed 84.2 innings and has a team best 71 strikeouts with just 22 walks allowed. She is seventh in the MIAA in saves and sixth in walks allowed.
Pitcher Jayda VanAckeren (Jr./Omaha, NE) is in her third season with the Hornets and has made 20 appearances with 13 starts this season. She is 7-2 with a 5.01 ERA across 64.1 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 is 3-1 with a school record five saves this season. She has 22 appearances and one start with a 3.74 ERA across 33.2 innings with 22 strikeouts this season. She leads the MIAA and ranked 15th in the nation in saves.
Pitcher Josie Harrison (Gr./St. Mary's, KS) is in her fifth season for the Hornets and has made ten appearances with seven starts this season. She is 4-3 with a 4.34 ERA and a save in 30.2 innings pitched. Harrison also has a .355 batting average with 28 RBI and 26 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.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Alexis Dial is ranked in the top six of three singles season categories at Emporia State. She is second in single season doubles with 20 and needs two to tie Stephanie Goodwin's school record of 22 set in 2015.  She is fourth in batting average at .432 and in slugging percentage at .781 entering the MIAA Tournament. She needs two RBI to tie Jessica Gragg (62 RBI in 2014) for fifth on the ESU single season list.
Kelly Hipsher has the Emporia State single season record with five saves, breaking a tie with Megan Dennis in 2009, Kelly Silvey in 1997 and Brenda Stolle in 1980.
Abbey Ward holds the Emporia State career record with 128 stolen bases.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Hornets went 14-7 at home this season with four of the seven 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
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 39th in the nation in total steals this season. 
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 holds the Emporia State career record with 128 career stolen bases. 
As a team the Hornets are 19th in the nation in triples this year.

HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State has finished as the NCAA Division II National Runners-up twice, in 2006 and 2008. The Hornets have qualified for NCAA Regional play 13 times. The Hornets won the NAIA National Championship in 1983 and 1984 and won the AIAW National Championship in 1980.
The Hornets were MIAA regular season champions four straight years from 2005-08 and MIAA Tournament champions seven straight years running from 2004-10.  In the 21st Century, Emporia State has claimed the regular season title eight times (2005-08, 2010-12, 2014) and the tournament title nine times (2004-10, 2012, 2018).