Softball | 3/12/2025 1:46:00 PM
Games 26-31
Emporia State Hornets (16-9)
vs. Bemidji State Beavers (11-9)
Friday, March 14 • 1:00 p.m. CT • Clermont, Fla.
Series History: ESU leads 1-0 •
Last Meeting: ESU 4, BSU 0 (3/18/07)
vs. Lake Erie Storm (0-16)
Friday, March 14 • 3:15 p.m. CT • Clermont, Fla.
Series History: First Meeting •
Last Meeting: First Meeting
vs. Shepherd Rams (3-3)
Saturday, March 15 • 8:00 a.m. CT • Clermont, Fla.
Series History: First Meeting •
Last Meeting: First Meeting
vs. Wayne State Warriors (8-8)
Saturday, March 15 • 10:30 a.m. CT • Clermont, Fla.
Series History: First Meeting •
Last Meeting: First Meeting
vs. Saint Michael's Purple Knights (0-0)
Sunday, March 16 • 9:30 a.m. CT • Leesburg, Fla.
Series History: First Meeting •
Last Meeting: First Meeting
vs. Purdue Northwest Pride (3-10)
Sunday, March 16 • 2:00 p.m. CT • Leesburg, Fla.
Series History: PNW leads 1-0 •
Last Meeting: PNW 3, ESU 1 (3/1/19)
SUNSHINE STATE SHOWDOWNS
Emporia State travels to Florida for a six-game slate in The Spring Games against six opponents the Hornets will face for the first time.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets went 2-2 in their first weekend of MIAA action, falling in a pair of 3-2 decision against #6 Rogers State, before bouncing back with 12-10 and 8-0 wins on the road against Northeastern State on Saturday.
ABOUT THE COACHES
April Rosales is 255-231 in her tenth season as the head coach at Emporia State.
Jordan Peterson is 59-113 in her fourth season at Bemidji State.
Shannon Schaub is 0-16 in her first season at Lake Erie.
Nicole Tines is 54-102 in her fourth season at Wayne State.
Marissa Leslie is 179-129 in her eighth season at Shepherd.
Nick Goodreau is 44-132 in his seventh season at Saint Michael's.
Tristan Zink is 117-87 in her fifth season at Purdue Northwest.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 16-9 this season and 2-2 through one weekend of MIAA action. The Hornets rank top five in the MIAA in batting average, runs scored, doubles, OBP and stolen bases this season.As a team, Emporia State is hitting ,298 and are led in batting average by Leslie Ramos and Sydney Wagner who are hitting .356 and .351 respectively. Taryn Burkhardt has a team-high .469 OBP while also leading the Hornets with 17 steals, 20 walks, and 21 runs scored. Brooke Flewelling has also impacted the Hornet lineup on the power side, as she has a team-high six home run, 26 RBI, and 1.116 OPS. In the circle, a trio of senior make up the pitching staff for Emporia State, including Jordan Harrison and Gracie Rabe who both have pitched over 60 innings this season. Harrison has posted eight or more strikeouts in three of her last four starts and leads the way with 69 on the season.
UP NEXT
Emporia State will return from Florida for a pair of MIAA doubleheaders against Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State on March 22-23.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Bemidji State is 11-9 to start the season and began their stay in Florida for The Spring Games late last week as the Beavers are playing a total of 14 games over the course of eight days in the Sunshine State. The Beavers are led on offense by Mariah Stevenson and Calleigh Richards who both have over ten RBI this season while hitting .333 or better.
SCOUTING THE STORM
Lake Erie is 0-16 to start the season and are pushing to rebuild the program in the first year under head coach Shannon Schaub. The Storm have played four games against top-20 opposition and are playing ten total games in Florida throughout the week. Peyton Powers leads the way with a .410 average and has reached base in 23 of 46 plate appearances this season.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Shepherd is 3-3 to start the season and like Lake Erie, will be playing ten games during their stay in the Sunshine State, as they have gone 2-2 through their first two days. Multiple players are hitting above .300 in their first six games and Lauren Moore has a team-high eight hits.Â
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Wayne State is 8-8 to begin 2025 and have played eight of their scheduld 12 games in The Spring Games. The Warriors are hitting above .300 as a team and have 16 home runs in 16 games to begin the season. Elly Koopman and Katelyn DeWitt both are hitting .400 or better and have three home runs to lead the team.
SCOUTING THE PURPLE KNIGHTS
Saint Michael's is opening their season at The Spring Games and will play 12 games over seven days to kickoff their 2025 campaign, their seventh under head coach Nick Goodreau. The Purple Knights will likely be led by Jenna Devens who hit over .400 in her junior season in 2024, driving in a team-high 22 runs.
SCOUTING THE PRIDE
Purdue Northwest is 3-10 to start the season, but have posted a winning record in each of the last three seasons, including back-to-back 33-22 seasons in 2023 and 2024 under head coach Tristan Zink. The Pride are led by Kylie Dugan and Olivia Hernandez who are hitting north of .400 while Hernandez has a team-high 12 RBI.
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 255-231. 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 .345 through the first 25 games and has started 18 games with 14 behind the plate and four at designated player. Miller has five doubles, five runs scored and 14 RBI on the season, including a career-high six in game one against Northeastern State last weekend.
Catcher Leslie Ramos (Jr./Grand Island, NE) is in her first season with the Hornets and has started 17 games with 11 behind the plate and the other six at designated player. Ramos has posted a team-high .356 batting average through 25 games and has a home run, eight RBI and 12 runs scored.
Infielder Haley Garnett (Gr./Olathe, KS) is in year three with the Hornets and has played in 116 games at Emporia State. This season, Garnett has 15 hits, two home runs, 14 RBI and eight runs scored and has a trio of games with multiple RBI.
Infielder Kennedy Topping (So./Wichita, KS) has started 11 games for the Hornets with eight coming at second base. Topping has a .355 batting average and has reached base in 14 of 34 plate appearances.
Infielder Mallory Moore (Fr./Flower Mound, Texas) has started 15 games in her first season with the Hornets and is batting .292 with two doubles, eight RBI and seven runs scored.
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 .297 with six home runs, six doubles and a team-high 26 RBI, which also ranks fourth 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 24 games at shortstop for the Hornets in her first season, and is batting .351 with 27 hits, seven stolen bases and a .425 OBP. Wagner has four doubles, ten RBI, and 16 runs scored.
Outfielder Taryn Burkhardt (Jr./Silver Lake, KS) is in her first year with the Hornets and has made an immediate impact at the top of the Emporia State lineup. Burkhardt is batting .320 with a team-high 21 runs scored and 20 walks drawn, which leads the MIAA, as she has reached base at a .469 clip while reaching base in all 25 games to open the season.
Outfielder Juliana De Luna (So./San Antonio, TX) played in 30 games as a freshman last season and has started 24 games this season in the corner outfield positions for the Hornets. De Luna is batting .306 and has ten RBI, three doubles, 16 runs scored and three stolen bases.Â
Outfielder Kinsey Perine (Fr./Rossville, KS) has started all 25 games for the Hornets, joining De Luna in the corner outfield positions. Perine is batting .267 with three doubles, one home run, 13 runs scored, nine stolen bases and 15 RBI, which included eight in four games played in the Midwest Classic.
IN THE CIRCLE
Senior Gracie Rabe (Sr./Rossville, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and has pitched in 393.1 career innings for Emporia State. Rabe has a 3.76 ERA this season across 64.2 innings pitched. She has tallied 52 strikeouts and allowed just 12 walks and holds a 5-6 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 67.2 innings pitched with a 3.46 ERA in her 17 appearances this season. Harrison has a 8-2 record, including four wins at the Washburn Invitational, and has 69 strikeouts and is allowing a .232 batting average against.
Senior Jayda VanAckeren (Sr./Omaha, NE) has made 65 career appearances in the circle for the Hornets and set multiple career-bests in the 2024 season. VanAckeren has pitched 31.0 innings through her first nine appearances in 2025 and holds a 3-1 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 50-57 on the base paths through the first 25 games, with their 50 steals ranking second in the MIAA.
HEART STOPPING HORNETS
Emporia State has played in ten one-run games so far this season, and have gone 6-4 in those games, which includes a pair of eight-inning victories. Of the four losses in one-run affairs, three have come against opponents ranked in the top six of the NFCA Coaches Poll. 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).
