Softball | 3/26/2026 10:24:00 AM

Games 28-29 #7 Pittsburg State
Fri. Mar. 27 | 2:00 PM (DH) | Trusler Sports Complex | Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 82-62 Last Meeting: at PSU 11, ESU 1 (5 innings) 3/23/2025
Internet Audio: None Internet Video: The MIAA Network

Games 30-31 #11 Missouri Southern
Sat. Mar. 28 | 1:00 PM (DH) | Trusler Sports Complex | Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: Tied 47-47 Last Meeting: ESU 6, at MSSU 3 (8 Innings) 3/22/2025
Internet Audio: KVOE.com Internet Video: The MIAA Network
Radio: KFFX 104.9FM
Live Stats | Complete Notes in pdf

QUICK HITS
 - Emporia State is 14-7 through nonconference play to begin the season, with five of their seven losses by just one run.
 - The Hornets are hitting .321 as a team this season, with eight players hitting above .300 that have played in ten or more games this season.
 - Emporia State has 26 home runs this season, with 11 coming off the bat of Brooke Flewelling, who leads the MIAA and is seventh in the nation.. 
 - In the circle, five different Hornets have pitched this season, with Hannah Butterbaugh pacing the staff in her freshman season, as she holds a 1.19 ERA in 56.0 innings. Her ERA leads the MIAA and is ninth in the nation this season.

WELCOME HOME ALUMS
Emporia State plays host to a pair of nationally ranked teams on Spring Reunion Weekend at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets take on #7 Pittsburg State on Friday and #11 Missouri Southern on Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State scored 21 runs on 25 hits in a double header sweep of Newman on Saturday afternoon in Wichita, Kan.
The Hornets gave up a run in the first but scored the next seven in a 7-1 win in the opener. Hannah Butterbaugh went the distance in the circle for Emporia State allowing one run on six hits.  She only gave up three hits and no runs over the last 6.2 innings to pick up her ninth win of the season. Kinsey Perine was two for three with a triple, two RBI and a run scored while Ally Miller went two for three with a run scored and an RBI.  Every starter for the Hornets had at least one hit.
The first six batters reached base and scored on the way to a 14-1 run rule win in the night cap. Every starter had a hit for the Hornets in the nightcap highlighted by Addison Callaway going two for three with a double, four RBI and two runs scored. Elina Bartlett went three for three with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored while Avery Brewer had a three run homer. Morgan Tomlinson picked up the win allowing just one run on four hits in 3.0 innings of the run rule shortened 5.0 inning game.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 19-8 and 5-1 in the MIAA this season as the Hornets have won five of their first six MIAA games for the first time since starting the 2015 season 7-0. The Hornets are fourth in the MIAA in slugging percnetage, home runs and triples per game. Brooke Flewelling is leading the MIAA and ranked eighth in the nation with 11 homers and is second in the Association with a .822 slugging percentage. Taryn Burkhardt is leading the nation in solen base percentage with 22 thefts in 22 attempts and is fourth in the MIAA in steals per game.
The Hornets have the fourth-best ERA in the MIAA at 2.46. Freshman Hannah Butterbaugh's 1.19 ERA leads the Association and is ranked ninth in the nation while her WHIP of 0.99 ranks second in the MIAA. Izzy Sloan has recorded three saves to ranke third in the MIAA and seventh in the nation.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 30-1, 4-0 in the MIAA and ranked #7 in this week's NFCA National Poll. Their lone loss was 8-4 to Winona State on February 28 and they have won ten straight since then. They lead the nation in RBI, walks and sac flies while ranking second nationally in batting average, on base percentage, scoring and total runs. Heather Arnett leads the nation with a .577 batting average, 71 hits and 51 runs scored. Emma Crabb is 10-0 with a 1.47 ERA and leads the MIAA with a 4.75 strikeout to walk ratio.
SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 82-62.  Pittsburg State won the last four games in the series. 

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern is 27-5, 2-2 in the MIAA and ranked #11 in this week's NFCA National Poll. They lead the nation with 103 stolen bases and rank eighth nationally iwth a .356 team batting average. Bailey Dillon is fourth in the nation in stolen bases with 33 in 35 attempts while Taylor Nuckolls is the toughest player to strikeout in the nation with one strikeout in 112 at bats while ranking second in the MIAA with four triples.  Emily Davis is 10-3 on the year with a 1.69 ERA while Kadence Janney is second in the nation with five saves.
SERIES HISTORY
The series is tied at 47-47 after the Hornets swept last year's double header winning 3-2 in the first game and 8-0 in five innings in the nightcap at Trusler.

IN THE DUGOUTS
Megan Hill is 19-8 in her first season as the head coach for Emporia State. She joined the coaching staff in 2024,and went 30-15 to close out that season as acting coach while April Rosales was on maternity leave. She was 0-2 against Pitt State and 1-1 against MoSo that year.   
Josh Barnes is 68-17 in his second season at Pittsburg State. He is 2-0 against Emporia State.
Hallie Blackney is 226-135-1 in her eighth season at Missouri Southern. She is 6-9 against the Hornets.

IN THE CIRCLE
Hannah Butterbaugh (Fr./Lenexa, Kan.) has made an immediate impact to the Hornet pitching staff in her freshman campaign. She is 9-2 with an MIAA best 1.19 ERA that ranks ninth in the nation. Her WHIP of 0.99 ranks second in the MIAA.
Izzy Sloan (Jr./Indianola, IA) has become a staple in relief this season, as 12 of her 16 appearances have come in relief. She is 1-1 with a 3.26 ERA and her three saves rank seventh in the nation.
Chloe Wilson (So./Kingwood, Texas) has a 3.16 ERA in 12 appearances and holds a 3-3 record. She is seventh in the MIAA in walks allowed per seven innings with eight base on balls in 31.0 innings.
Morgan Tomlinson (Jr./Harveyville, Kan.) is 5-1 with a 3.89 ERA. She is third in the MIAA with 1.30 walks allowed per seven innings.

BEHIND THE PLATE AND AT BAT
Catcher/Designated Player Leslie Ramos (Sr./Grand Island, Neb.) has played in 18 games with 13 starts at both DP and catcher. She has a .341 OBP in 39 plate appearances with seven runs scored and five RBI.
Catcher/Designated Player Addison Callaway (Fr./Leavenworth, Kan.) has a hit in 14 of her last 15 games, with at least two hits in each of her last four games. She has raised her batting average from .273 to .293 over the last 15 games.

AROUND THE HORN
First baseman Avery Brewer (Jr./Jenks, Okla.) has started 25 games and is hitting .338 with six home runs and 22 RBI this season. She has reached base in 21 of 25 games played. Brewer delivered the walk-off home run in the eighth inning of game one against #18 Rogers State.
Second baseman Brynley Smith (So./Wichita, Kan.) has made 15 starts in 18 games played. She is hitting .372 with three home runs, including a three-run home run against Augustana. Smith has 12 RBI, 11 runs scored and has been hit by pitch at team high five times.
Shortstop Sydney Wagner (So./Buda, Texas) has started all 27 games and holds a .294 average. She has scored 19 runs, drawn ten walks and is reaching base at a .368 clip. Wagner matched her career-high with three RBI in game two against Drury last week.
Third baseman Brooke Flewelling (Jr./Holton, Kan.) is leading the MIAA and ranks eighth in the nation with 11 home runs while her 74 total bases and .822 slugging percentage both rank second in the MIAA. She has matched her home run total from last season and needs two more to move into the top six on the Emporia State single season homer list.
Karli Wehunt (Jr./Shidler, Okla.) has made 12 starts at second base and is hitting .268 this season with two doubles, one home run, five RBI and six runs scored.
Mallory Moore (So./Flower Mound, Texas) has 12 starts this season and is hitting .270 while reaching base in 16 of 43 plate appearances for a .372 OBP. 

OUT IN THE FIELD
Elina Bartlett (Jr./Cheney, Kan.) has made 21 starts in her first season with the Hornets after transferring from Barton CC. She has a .422 OBP while driving in 14 runs and scoring 11 of her own. Bartlett has five multi-hit games this season including a three for three effort in her last game against Newman.
Taryn Burkhardt (Sr./Silver Lake, Kan.) leads the nation in stolen base percentage with 22 steals in 22 attempts. She is fourth in the MIAA in stolen bases per game. Burkhardt has six multi-steal games this season including two games with three stolen bases.
Kinsey Perine (So./Rossville, Kan.) is hitting .303 with a .352 OBP this season while starting 23 games in right field. She has three triples this season to rank fourth in the MIAA.
Juliana De Luna (Jr./San Antonio, Texas) is in her third year with the Hornets and made nine starts. She has a .357 OBP with six walks in 28 plate appearances and has scored a pair of runs with two steals and three RBI.

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).