Emporia State Softball Opens MIAA Tournament at Fort Hays State

Softball | 4/30/2025 12:00:00 AM

Emporia State (30-22, 10-14 MIAA) at Fort Hays State (24-20, 9-15 MIAA)
MIAA Tournament
Wednesday, April 30 | 1:00 p.m.
Hays, Kan. | Fleharty Family Field
Overall: ESU leads 30-20  Last Meeting: at ESU 12, FHSU 1 (5) (3/29/25)
Radio: None Internet Audio: None Video: The MIAA Network
Live Stats | Ticket Info | Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: winner vs Central Oklahoma
Thursday, May 1 | 11:00 a.m.
Hays, Kan. | Fleharty Family Field

MEMORIES ARE MADE IN MAY 
Emporia State begins play in the MIAA Tournament against tourney host Fort Hays State. The Hornets have won ten MIAA Tournament Championships, most recently in 2018. This is the ninth tournament meeting between Emporia State and Fort Hays State.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State won the second game of their Turnpike Tussle double header with Wasbhurn to earn a spot in the MIAA Tournament.
The Hornets scored the first two runs and the last two runs in a 4-2 victory in eight innings to end the regular season. 
In the second inning Kennedy Topping had an RBI double followed by an RBI single from Taryn Burkhardt to give Emporia State a 2-0 lead. Jaden LaBarge led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to make it 2-1 and Washburn tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on an unearned run as the game went to extra innings.  The Hornets loaded the bases in the top of the eighth before Juliana De Luna worked a walk to drive in a run and put the Hornets up 3-2.  Ramos followed with a sac fly for an insurance run. Jordan Harrison then worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth to pick up her 15th win of the season.
Sydney Wagner went three for four with a run scored while Leslie Ramos was one for three with a run and an RBI.  Harrison went the distance in the circle for the win.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 30-22, 10-14 in the MIAA and the #8 seed in the tournament. They are 19-2 against teams under .500 on the season. 
The Hornets are second in the MIAA and 18th in the nation with 112 total stolen bases. Taryn Burkhardt is second in the association and 11th nationally in stolen bases and fourth in the MIAA in walks drawn. Brooke Flewelling is fifth in the MIAA in slugging percentage, sixth in home runs, eighth in OPS and tenth in RBI. Kinsey Perine is sixth in the conference in stolen bases.
In the circle, the Hornets are fifth in the MIAA in strikeout to walk ratio and are led by a trio of seniors. Gracie Rabe is second in  the MIAA in appearances and walks allowed per seven innings,  is fifth in WHIP, sixth in shutouts and strikeout to walk ratio. Jordan Harrison is fourth in the league strikeout to walk ratio, fourth in appearances, fifth in complete games and innings pitched, and eighth in strikeouts. Jayda VanAckeren is one of just three MIAA pitchers to have given up just two or fewer homers on the season.
Emporia State has a team fielding percentage of .960 to rank tenth in the MIAA. Juliana De Luna was named an MIAA Gold Glove winner in the outfield with a 1.000 fielding percentage and four assists.

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 269-244. 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. She is 12-10 in the MIAA Tournament.
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 9-9 against Fort Hays State.
Adrian Pilkington is 249-283 in her 11th season at Fort Hays State. She is 9-11 against Emporia State.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 24-20 overall, 9-15 in the MIAA and the ninth seed in the tourney. They had lost seven straight before beating Neb.-Kearney in the final game of the regular season to secure their spot in the MIAA Tournament. They have a .290 team batting average to rank eighth in the MIAA. Madison Pierce was a second-team All-MIAA selection at catcher while batting .367 with 28 runs scored. As a staff they have a 4.10 ERA while ranking third in the MIAA in strikeout to walk ratio and strikeouts per seven innings but are 12th in the association with in walks. Savanah Egger is third in the MIAA in strikeout to walk ratio and fifth in strikeouts per seven innings.

SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the series 51-35 and have won eight of the last 12 meetings. The two split this season's match up in Emporia with Fort Hays State winning 2-1 in eight innings in the first game before Emporia State came back with a 12-1 five inning win in the night cap.

LAST AT BAT WITH FORT HAYS STATE
Emporia State flipped the script offensively from game one getting a 12-1 victory in five innings. The bats got going with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first. Brooke Flewelling delivered a two RBI single and Leslie Ramos capped off the inning with an RBI single. 
Jordan Harrison quickly retired the Tigers in order in the second, and allowed the Hornets to add to their total in the bottom half. Taryn Burkhardt walked and stole second to lead off the inning before scoring on an RBI single from Sydney Wagner to make the score 5-0. 
In the third, Emporia State rallied for a seven-run inning, matching their highest total in an inning this season. The Hornets got RBI from six different Hornets in the inning, as they boosted their lead to 12-0 heading to the fourth. 
Fort Hays State was able to grab one run off of Harrison in the fifth, but the Hornets secured the 12-1 win in five innings to split the doubleheader.
Sydney Wagner had three hits while Brooke Flewelling and Ally Miller each had two of their own. Flewelling drove in three runs while Wagner and Juliana De Luna each had two RBI in the game. Harrison pitched all five innings allowing one run, none earned, with four strikeouts.
 
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 in that position again this season. Emporia State is 112 of 130 on the base paths, with their 112 total steals ranking second in the MIAA and 18th in the nation. Four players have at least ten stolen bases led by Taryn Burkhardt with 39 steals on the season. Burkhardt needs one steal to tie Abbey Hughes (40 in 2010) for third on the ESU single season chart, three to tie Hughes (42 in 2011) for second and six to tie Jessie Wiard's school record of 45 set in 2008.

ROAD WARRIORS 
Emporia State played 34 games before they made their home debut at the Trusler Sports Complex on March 28 against Neb.-Kearney. It was the latest home opening date for the Hornets since opening the 2022 season on April 1 after playing 32 games away from Trusler. Emporia State will play 42 of their 52 regular season games away from Trusler this year.

HEART STOPPING HORNETS
Emporia State has played in 17 one-run games so far this season, and have gone 9-8 in those games, which includes a pair of eight-inning victories, an eight inning and a nine inning loss. They have a 4-3 record in extra inning games. They have gone 6-1 in two run games this season. In the first nine years under Rosales, the Hornets finished .500 or better in one-run games eight times, and ESU won 11 one-run games in 2024, their most in a single season in Rosales' tenure.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
The first official NCAA Central Regional Rankings were released this week and the MIAA has five of the top nine teams. 

IN THE FIELD
Catcher/Designated Player Ally Miller (So./Olathe, KS) is batting .301 in 40 games with 30 starts at catcher and eight at DP this season. She has seven doubles, a triple, a home run, 21 RBI and a .347 on base percentage on the season. She is hitting .350 in her last eight games. 
First baseman Haley Garnett (Gr./Olathe, KS) is in year three with the Hornets and has played in 132 games at Emporia State. In 51 starts this year she is batting .230 with a .329 on base percentage, 16 walks, seven doubles, a triple and two home runs. She is batting .348 in her last ten games.
Second baseman Mallory Moore (Fr./Flower Mound, TX) has started 39 of her 44 games as a true freshman. She is batting .295 including a .341 average with two outs on the season. She is batting .364 with four RBI in last ten games. 
Third baseman Brooke Flewelling (So./Holton, KS) was an Honorable Mention All-MIAA performer. She is in year two with the Hornets after playing in 35 games as a freshman. She is hitting .305 with 11 home runs, nine doubles and three triples for a .680 slugging percentage and 1.097 OPS. She has 42 RBI on the year and needs two homers to tie Hannah Steeby for sixth on the ESU single season list.
Shortstop Sydney Wagner (Fr./Buda, TX) is an Honorable Mention All-MIAA pick this year. She has started 51 games for the Hornets in her first season. She is batting .364 with ten doubles, a triple, 29 runs scored and 21 RBI. She is batting . .411 with runners in scoring position.
Outfielder Taryn Burkhardt (Jr./Silver Lake, KS) was named Honorable Mention All-MIAA after transferring to ESU from Johnson County CC. Burkhardt has started all 52 games in center field and is batting .301 with a team-high 40 runs scored and 31 walks drawn. She has a .420 on base percentage overall and a .486 OBP while leading off an inning. Burkhardt is 39 of 45 on stolen bases this year to rank fifth on the Hornets all-time single season list. She had a .411 batting average and stole 68 bases in two seasons at Johnson County CC, twice earning All-Region VI honors.
Outfielder Juliana De Luna (So./San Antonio, TX) played in 30 games as a freshman last season and has started 51 of her 52 games this season. She earned an MIAA Gold Glove after finishing the regular season with a 1.000 fielding percentage adn four outfield assists. She is batting .275 and has reached base at a .366 clip. She has 28 runs scored and 24 RBI this spring.
Outfielder Kinsey Perine (Fr./Rossville, KS) has started all 52 games as a freshman. She is batting .291 with 21 RBI, 26 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. Her mother Shanna (Spann) was a starter for the Lady Hornets 1998 national runner up basketball team.
Catcher Leslie Ramos (Jr./Grand Island, NE) transferred from Barton CC. She has played in 38 games with 22 starts at catcher and 11 at DP. She is hitting .279 overall and ..333 over her last ten games. She hit .356 with a .468 on base percentage and .554 slugging percentage in 85 games for the Cougars.
Utility player Kennedy Topping (So./Wichita, KS) has played in 29 games with 20 starts this season with ten starts at DP, eight at second base and two at third base. She is batting .310 on the year with a .471 average with two outs.
Infielder Brynley Smith (Fr./Wichita, Kan.) is batting .261 in 13 games with eight starts as a freshman including three at second base, two at third and two at short stop. .

IN THE CIRCLE
Gracie Rabe (Sr./Rossville, KS) is in her fourth season with the Hornets and has pitched in 466.0 career innings over 109 games with 73 starts for Emporia State. She is 10-11 with a 2.61 ERA, four shutouts, three saves and 79 strikeouts while walking just 24 in 134.1 innings.
Jordan Harrison (Sr./St. Mary's, KS) is in year two at Emporia State after tossing 88.0 innings last season. She is 15-7 with a 3.09 ERA, 117 strikeouts and just 35 walks in 138.1 innings this year.
Jayda VanAckeren (Sr./Omaha, NE) has made 79 appearances over her four years in the circle for the Hornets and has a 22-10 career record. She is 5-4 this season with a shutout and 3.86 ERA.

HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State has qualified for NCAA Regional play 13 times and finished as the NCAA Division II National Runners-up in 2006 and 2008. ESU 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).

30 FOR 30
The Hornets 21-9 record was their best start after 30 games since going 23-7 to start the 2015 season. That team would finish the year 35-20, 16-9 in the MIAA.

BLACK JACK
The Hornets have five players with exactly 21 RBI entering the MIAA Tournament.