General | 9/25/2026 1:07:00 PM

September 25, 2026- All-Americans, one of the winningest coaches in D2 history, an amazing supporter and a team that advanced to the World Series make up this year's induction class into the Emporia State Athletic Hall of Honor.  Five individuals and one team will join a group of 250 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators and 24 teams who have distinguished themselves, the University and their professions through their athletic achievement. 

This year's class will be inducted at the Hall of Honor Luncheon at 12 noon in the KSTC Ballroom of the ESU Memorial Union on Friday, October 23. The public is invited to attend and reservations can be made at esuhornets.com. The cost of the induction ceremony is $35. The class will then be recognized at halftime of the Hornet football game against Central Missouri on Saturday, October 24.
 
2026 ESU ATHLETIC HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES
Bob Fornelli, Baseball Player 1988-89/Coach 2004-18
Fornelli is the winningest coach in Emporia State baseball history at 599-266 after 15 years in the Hornet dugout with 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. He finished his career 1,120-495 and took a total of 18 teams to the NCAA Tournament in 29 years as a head coach. He re-established Emporia State as a perennial baseball power in the Midwest with 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament, five MIAA regular season championships, two MIAA Tournament titles, two World Series appearances and a national runner-up finish in his 15 years with the Hornets. He had over 30 Hornet players sign professional contracts and six players drafted in his 15 years at Emporia State. He was an honorable mention all-CSIC catcher as a senior.

Stephanie Goodwin, Softball 2012-15
Goodwin was a three-time All-American for the Hornets. She was named MIAA Player of the Year and was the only unanimous selection to the All-MIAA first-team. She graduated as the MIAA career record holder in hits and doubles and ranked 12th all-time in NCAA Division II with 71 career doubles. She was a three-time first-team All-MIAA performer and was the MIAA Freshman of the Year as a designated player in 2012. She was named first-team NFCA Division II All-America honors as a senior after receiving second-team honors as a freshman from the NFCA and was an honorable mention Daktronics honorable All-American as a junior and senior.
 
Greg Kossover, Men's Tennis 1981-85/Contributor
Kossover was a member of the Hornet tennis team in the early 1980's. He won individual CSIC titles in singles and doubles as well as leading Emporia State to the CSIC team championship. After graduation he moved on to a successful career in business.  He was instrumental in the development and construction of the Kossover Family Tennis Center, providing one of the lead gifts for the first and so far only on campus indoor tennis facility in the MIAA. 
 
Jurmaine Mitchell, Cross Country/Track & Field 1993-96
Mitchell was an eight-time All-American and 13-time MIAA Champion for the Hornets. He won the MIAA cross country championship in 1994 and 1996 and earned cross country All-American honors placing 15th in 1993, third in 1994 and seventh in 1996. He was an indoor track All-American with seventh place finish in mile and 5000m in 1994, and a third place in the 5000m in 1995. Outdoors he earned All-American honors with a third place finish in the 10,000m at Welch Stadium in 1995 and sixth place finish in the 10,000m in 1996. He is the only person to win MIAA championships in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m in the same meet as he led the Hornets to the 1995 outdoor team title.
 
Mike Peterson, Baseball 1972-75
Peterson was an All-Great Plains Conference and NAIA All District choice his junior and senior years. A graduate of Yates Center HS, he was featured on the cover of the August 9, 1971 issue of Sports Illustrated. After becoming a starter late his first year, he never left the field the next three years. His best statistical year was 1973 when he hit .382 on a 28-10 team. In 1975 his teammates named him team captain. After his senior year he played professionally for the Sequin Toros.

Brent Wilson, Football 2012-15
Wilson was a D2CCA All-American and the Offensive Player of the Year in the MIAA as a senior. As a senior he was named the Ken B. Jones Award winner as the top male student-athlete in the MIAA and was fourth in the Harlon Hill voting for the top D2 football player. Wilson was 337 of 521 for 4,244 yards and 40 touchdowns and added 316 rushing yards for 4,560 yards of total offense as he led the Hornets to an 11-3 record and the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals in 2015. He graduated ranked second in MIAA history on both single season passing and total offense. Wilson was ranked third in MIAA history in single season touchdown passes and fifth in single season passing yards, is third in MIAA history in single season total offense after his senior season. Despite missing seven games as a junior with broken collar bone, he ended his career with 9,516 yards of total offense to rank seventh in MIAA history and his 8,621 passing yards ranked ninth on the MIAA career list.
 
Taylor Zordel, Softball 2012-15
Zordel was named first-team All-MIAA at shortstop three times after earning second-team honors as a freshman. As a senior she earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors despite playing the final six regular season and three MIAA Tournament games with a broken bone in her glove hand. She led the MIAA in assists, was ranked second in runs, third in stolen bases, and ninth in batting average. She finished her career ranked third in career stolen bases, runs and hits at Emporia State. She was a third-team NFCA All-American following her sophomore season. She earned ESU Female Student-Athlete of the Year honors and the Student-Athlete Above the Crowd Award as a senior.  She was a second-team Capital One Academic All-American in 2015.
 
1976 Baseball Team
The Hornets went 32-18 and placed third in the NAIA World Series in 1976. They opened the World Series with a 7-4 win over Guilford (NC) before falling into the loser's bracket with a 2-0 loss to Kentucky State. The Hornets defeated St. Mary's (Texas) 9-5 before falling 2-1 to eventual national champion Lewis in the loser's bracket championship. The battery of Ben Bounous and Mike Shinn both earned All-American honors, Bounous on the mound and Shinn behind the plate.