Softball | 2/19/2026 11:35:00 AM

Games 11-15
Emporia State Hornets (6-4, 0-0 MIAA)
vs Minnesota State Mavericks (3-1, 0-0 NSIC)
Friday, Feb. 20 • 12:00 p.m. • Sliver Lake, Kan. • Silver Lake HS

vs. Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (0-9, 0-0 NSIC)
Saturday, Feb. 21 • 10:00 a.m. • Sliver Lake, Kan. • Silver Lake HS

vs. Wayne State Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 NSIC)
Saturday, Feb. 21 • 2:00 p.m. • Sliver Lake, Kan. • Silver Lake HS

vs. Drury Panthers (4-5, 0-0 GLVC)
Sunday, Feb. 22 • 10:00 a.m. • Sliver Lake, Kan. • Silver Lake HS

vs. Rockhurst Hawks (2-2, 0-0 GLVC)
Sunday, Feb. 22 • 2:00 p.m. • Topeka, Kan. • Washburn Rural HS

WASHBURN INVITE UP NEXT
Emporia State softball travels up the turnpike for the Washburn Invitational as they are set for five games this weekend. The Hornets will play three NSIC opponents and two foes from the GLVC.

QUICK HITS

• Emporia State is 6-4 to begin the season with three of their four losses coming by just one run.
• The Hornet pitching staff has an ERA of 2.45 this season, which ranks sixth in the MIAA. Hannah Butterbaugh has a team-high of 26.2 innings in eight appearances with a 1.57 ERA.
• Four different pitchers have tossed double-digit innings so far this season and the staff is allowing just a .258 average against them.
• At the plate, the Hornets are hitting .292 as a team and reaching base at a .381 clip.
• Brooke Flewelling has led the Emporia State offense through the first ten games, posting team-highs with a .389 batting average,  14 hits, four home runs and 13 RBI.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 6-4 to begin the 2026 season, which includes a trio of one-run losses over the first two tournaments. The Hornets have a 2.45 team ERA, which is the sixth-best mark in the MIAA, with freshman Hannah Butterbaugh tossing the most innings through the first ten games. Butterbaugh has totaled 26.2 innings and has a 1.57 ERA in eight appearances. She also has a team-high 15 strikeouts while allowing opponents to hit just .245 against her. At the plate, Brooke Flewelling has been a standout so far, hitting .389 with four home runs and 13 RBI. Four more Hornets are hitting at least .300 in seven or more games played this season, including Avery Brewer who has three home runs of her own. Elina Bartlett is hitting .346 in her first season with the Hornets and Taryn Burkhardt is hitting .300 with a team-high nine steals.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State is 3-1 to begin 2026 in the first year under head coach Kristle Walcott, who replaced longtime Maverick head coach Lori Meyer. The Mavericks are hitting .316 through their first four games which have come against Minnesota Duluth and SW Minnesota State. Gianna Lara and Maddie Helin have led the offense early, combining for 15 hits and 12 RBI through the first four games. In the circle, Jorey Fry has hurled a team-high 16.2 innings and posted a 3.06 ERA.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Minnesota Crookston has struggled in the early stages of the 2026 season, going 0-9. The Golden Eagles are hitting .218 as a team and have been led by Riley Blake who is hitting .333 with nine hits, three walks and four RBI. In the circle, UMC has an 8.32 ERA while Megan Surgenor has a 5.70 ERA of her own in 23.1 innings pitched. 

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Wayne State (Neb.) is 5-1 to begin the season, which includes a pair of wins over MIAA foe Nebraska-Kearney. The Wildcats are hitting .370 in their first six games, which includes five qualified hitters above .400 to open the campaign. Emilee Marth has a .556 average with ten hits and four RBI. Maddie Scobee has a team-high ten RBI while hitting .421. Wayne State's pitching staff holds a 1.62 ERA through six games, which includes 0.75 and 0.86 ERAs from Jadeyn Stahr and Kennadi Borngrebe.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Drury is 4-5 to open 2026 with all nine games being decided by two runs or fewer. Four of their games have come against MIAA teams, with one of their wins being a 2-1 win over current #7 Missouri Southern. The Panthers are hitting .254 as a team and are led by Claire Nelson who is batting .440 with 11 hits, three doubles and five RBI. In the circle, Drury has a 2.42 ERA with four pitchers have at least 13.1 innings pitched this season. All four pitchers have an ERA of 2.90 or lower through the first nine games.

SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Rockhurst is 2-2 this season, with all four games being played three weeks ago. The Hawks scored 32 runs in those four games while McKenna Lester and Emily Berry have combined to drive 14 of them. Lester is hitting .615 and has reached base in 11 of 16 plate appearances. Rockhurst has a team ERA of 5.00 this season, but have struck out 37 batters and allowed just ten walks through their first four games.

HEART STOPPING HORNETS
Emporia State played in 17 one-run games last season, which included nine wins in such games, including two wins in extra innings. They went 4-3 record in extra innings, and in addition to their one-run games, they went 6-1 in two-run games. Over the last decade, the Hornets finished .500 or better in one-run games nine times.

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).