Softball | 2/28/2025 1:55:00 PM
Games 18-21
Emporia State Hornets (11-6)
vs. Maryville Saints (7-8)
Saturday, March 1 • 11:00 a.m. • Shawnee, KS
Series History: ESU leads 2-1 •
Last Meeting: ESU 2, MU 1 (8 inn.) (2/25/25)
vs. Minnesota State Mavericks (5-3)
Saturday, March 1 • 4:00 p.m. • Shawnee, KS
Series History: ESU leads 15-14 •
Last Meeting: MSU 11, ESU 3 (2/23/25)
vs. Rockhurst Hawks (1-5)
Sunday, March 2 • 10:00 a.m. • Shawnee, KS
Series History: ESU leads 11-4 •
Last Meeting: ESU 9, RU 7 (2/25/25)
vs. #5 Augustana Vikings (5-3)
Sunday, March 2 • 12:30 p.m. • Shawnee, KS
Series History: ESU leads 13-10 •
Last Meeting: ESU 3, AU 2 (8 inn.) (2/24/24)
SHOW OUT IN SHAWNEE
Emporia State Softball travels to Shawnee for a four-game slate this weekend, with three opponents the Hornets faced last weekend in Topeka and fifth-ranked Augustana.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets went 5-1 at the Washburn Invitational, which included a trio of one-run wins. Emporia State went 1-1 on the first day, with a 2-1 win over Concordia St. Paul and a loss to Minnesota State. The Hornets also played Maryville and Rockhurst on Tuesday, recording a 9-7 win over the Hawks and an eight-inning 2-1 win over the Saints. Emporia State hit .305 as a team in their six games at the Washburn Invitational, including a .345 average with two outs.
ABOUT THE COACHES
April Rosales is 250-228 in her tenth season as the head coach at Emporia State.
Chanin Billings is 7-8 in her first season at Maryville.
Lori Meyer is 1,410-752-3 in her 41st season at Minnesota State.
Dana Goss is 18-29 in her second season at Rockhurst.
Gretta Melsted is 737-275 in her 19th season at Augustana.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 11-6 on the season with eight games of their first 17 games decided by just one run. The Hornets are currently 6-2 in one-run games this season. As a team, the Hornets are hitting .292, with six players hitting .300 or better. Leslie Ramos is batting .375 with a .531 slugging percentage. Sydney Wagner is batting .360 after going 8-18 in Topeka with five RBI. Taryn Burkhardt is batting .353 at the top of the order for Emporia State, and has scored a team-high 15 runs while leading the way with 12 steals. Brooke Flewelling has a team-high five home runs and 21 RBI so far this season, which have both surpassed her total from last season as a freshman. In the circle, the Hornets' pitching staff is made up of a trio of seniors, Gracie Rabe, Jordan Harrison and Jayda VanAckeren. Rabe and Harrison have combined to pitch 88.1 innings with 74 strikeouts. Harrison leads the way with a 3.30 ERA and a 6-0 record after recording four wins at the Washburn Invitational.Â
UP NEXT
Emporia State will head south to the Sooner State to open MIAA action against #8 Rogers State and Northeastern State.
SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Maryville is 7-8 to start the 2025 season, including wins over MIAA opponents, Newman, Missouri Southern and Northwest Missouri. The Saints are hitting .247 as a team and are led by Jenna Kosnoff who is batting .364 this season. Kosnoff has three home runs, nine RBI, six doubles and a 1.186 OPS. Catcher Kaitlyn Wagner has three doubles, three home runs, and a team-high 11 RBI.
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State is 5-3 to start the season and are in the 41st year under head coach Lori Meyer, The Mavericks are led on offense by Gianna Lara who is batting .409 and has reached base in 14 of 27 plate appearances with a team-high eight RBI. In the circle, six Mavericks have made an appearance, with Sailor Hall pitching a team-high 20.1 innings and 16 strikeouts. Â
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Rockhurst is 1-5 to start the season with all six games against MIAA opponents and four games decided two or fewer runs. The Hawks have struggled at the plate in their first six games, hitting just .225. Claire Tipton leads the way with seven hits and is batting .412. McKenna Lester is batting .353 and has driven in five runs.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Augustana is 5-3 to begin the season, which included a pair of 2-1 losses against preseason #12 Mississippi College and Harding, who currently ranks #17 in the latest NFCA Coaches Poll. The Vikings are hitting .269 as a team and are led by Desi Cuevas and Ashton Dorman who are hitting .500 and .440 respectively. Cuevas has a team-high five home runs, nine RBI and 13 hits. In the circle, three players have made multiple appearances, led by Grace Glanzer who has a 1.64 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts.
IN THE DUGOUT
April Rosales is in her tenth season leading the Emporia State softball program. Her record as head coach for the Hornets is 250-228. 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.
IN THE FIELD
Catcher Ally Miller (So./Olathe, KS) is batting .303 through the first 17 games and has started 11 games with eight behind the plate and three at designated player. Miller has two doubles, a triple, five RBI and a .361 OBP.
Catcher Leslie Ramos (Jr./Grand Island, NE) is in her first season with the Hornets and has started 11 games with nine behind behind the plate. Ramos is batting .375 with a home run, six RBI, and six runs scored while also stealing three bases.
Infielder Haley Garnett (Gr./Olathe, KS) is in year three with the Hornets and has played in 98 games at Emporia State. This season, Garnett has eight hits, one double, one home run, four RBI and eight walks.
Infielder Kennedy Topping (So./Wichita, KS) has started nine games for the Hornets with seven coming at second base. Topping has a .333 batting average and has reached base in 11 of 27 plate appearances. She has six RBI, one double, one triple and three stolen bases.
Infielder Brooke Flewelling (So./Holton, KS) is in year two with the Hornets after playing in 35 games as a freshman, primarily at third base. Flewelling has been a driving force in the Emporia State offense this season, hitting .298 with five home runs, four doubles and a team-high 21 RBI, which also ranks second in the MIAA this season. She joins Alexis Dial from last season as the only Hornets since 2014 with 20 or more RBI within the first 20 games of the season.
Infielder Sydney Wagner (Fr./Buda, TX) has started 16 games at shortstop for the Hornets in her first season, and is batting .360 with 18 hits, six stolen bases and a .439 OBP. Wagner has three doubles, seven RBI, and nine runs scored.
Outfielder Taryn Burkhardt (Jr./Silver Lake, KS) is in her first year with the Hornets and has made a strong impact at the top of the Emporia State lineup. Burkhardt is batting .353 with a team-high 15 runs scored and 16 walks drawn, which leads the MIAA, as she has reached base at a .507 clip while starting all 17 games this season in center field.Â
Outfielder Juliana De Luna (So./San Antonio, TX) played in 30 games as a freshman last season and has started 16 games this season in the corner outfield positions for the Hornets. De Luna is batting .313 and has nine RBI, two doubles, ten runs scored and two stolen bases.Â
Outfielder Kinsey Perine (Fr./Rossville, KS) has started all 17 games for the Hornets, joining De Luna in the corner outfield positions. Perine is batting .275 with one double, one home run, five RBI, six runs scored and six stolen bases.
IN THE CIRCLE
Senior Gracie Rabe (Sr./Rossville, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and has pitched in 370.2 career innings for Emporia State. Rabe has a 4.29 ERA this season across 42.0 innings pitch. She has tallied 33 strikeouts and allowed just eight walks and holds a 4-5 record.
Senior Jordan Harrison (Sr./St. Mary's, KS) is in year two at Emporia State and after pitching 88.0 innings last season, has totaled 46.1 innings pitched with a 3.30 ERA in here 12 appearances this season. Harrison has a 6-0 record, including four wins at the Washburn Invitational, and has 41 strikeouts and is allowing a .210 batting average against.
Senior Jayda VanAckeren (Sr./Omaha, NE) has made 63 career appearances in the circle for the Hornets and set multiple career-bests in the 2024 season. VanAckeren has pitched 24.0 innings through her first seven appearances in 2025 and holds a 1-1 record.
OFF AND RUNNING
The Hornets have led or finished inside the top three in the MIAA in stolen bases in eight of the last nine seasons and are off to a similar start this season. Emporia State is 39-43 on the base paths through the first 17 games, with their 39 steals leading the MIAA to this point.
HEART STOPPING HORNETS
Emporia State has played in eight one-run games so far this season, and have gone 6-2 in those games, which includes a pair of eight-inning victories. In the first nine years under Rosales, the Hornets finished .500 or better in one-run games eight times, and Emporia State won 11 one-run games in 2024, their most in a single season in Rosales' tenure.
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).
