Baseball | 4/27/2023 12:52:00 PM
Emporia State Hornets (17-29, 11-19 MIAA)
vs. Central Oklahoma Bronchos (29-16, 16-14 MIAA)
Friday, April 28 • 6:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan.• Glennen Field
Saturday, April 29 • 2:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan.• Glennen Field
Sunday, April 30 • 1:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan.• Glennen Field
Series Record: ESU leads 149-69 •
Last Meeting: UCO 8, ESU 3 (5/1/22)
Video: The MIAA Network •
Live Stats: esuhornets.com
Radio: KVOE 104.9 FM •
Internet Audio: kvoe.com
Up Next: MIAA Opening Round Series (if qualified) • May 5-7
REGULAR SEASON WRAP UP
Emporia State hosts Cental Oklahoma in the final series of the regular season as the Hornets fight for a spot in the MIAA Opening Round Series.
LAST AT BAT
The Hornets hosted Missouri Western and took home the series final with a 6-4 win behind home runs from
TJ Racherbaumer and
Gibrian Pena.
THE COACHES
Seth Wheeler is in his fifth season as the Hornets head coach. He is 96-114 through four-plus seasons at the helm.
John Martin is 242-145-1 in his eighth season at Central Oklahoma.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 16-29 and 10-19 in the MIAA this season. At the plate,
Noah Geekie leads the Hornets with a .351 batting average with 12 extra-base hits and 23 RBI on the season. In addition to his production at the plate, Geekie has pitched 69.1 innings while recording 60 strikeouts.
Chandler Bloomer holds a .292 average and a .387 on-base percentage with six doubles and 21 RBI.
Kadyn Williams leads the Hornets with 16 extra-base hits and 38 RBI.
Ian Lanik has made 15 appearances and 11 starts across 66.0 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen,
Will Hann and
Braden Meek each have tallied 18 or more relief appearances while Meek has 24 strikeouts in 28.0 innings.
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma is 29-16 on the season and 16-14 in the MIAA as they are in fifth place in the conference standings. Jaden Parsons leads the Bronchos with a .362 average across 163 at-bats in 41 games. Parsons also has nine doubles and 30 RBI on the season. Seth Gray is batting .313 with 25 extra-base hits and a team-high 52 RBI which also ranks ninth in the MIAA. Grays' total of seven home runs ranks second on the team while Noah Olson leads the way with 11 home runs and a 1.122 OPS on the season. On the mound, Diego Dominguez has pitched a team-high 51.0 innings while Jacob Bailey has a 2.39 ERA over a team-high 22 appearances.
SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the series 149-69.
LAST TIME VS. THE BRONCHOS
The Hornets clinched a MIAA Opening Round Series berth with an 8-3 win last season's regular season finale behind two home runs by
Kadyn Williams.
UP NEXT
The MIAA Opening Round Series start on May 6 at the four highest seeded teams. The winners of the two out of three series will advance to Edmond, Okla. for the rest of the MIAA Tournament.
WHEELS ON THE BUS
Seth Wheeler is in his fifth season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program. Wheeler has a career record of 96-114. Before taking over as the head coach of Emporia State, Wheeler spent the previous three seasons as the pitching coach at Emporia State. During this time, the Hornet pitching staff held the second lowest ERA in the MIAA. The success has continued since taking over as ESU ranked top-five in two of his first three seasons in ERA. While the 2020 season was cut short, Emporia State has reached the MIAA tournament in all three of Wheeler's full seasons at the helm.
A 2014 graduate of Central Missouri, Wheeler was an honorable mention All-MIAA selection at catcher for the Mules. He hit .324 as UCM won the MIAA Regular Season Championship his senior year. He played two years at Butler CC, earning All-Jayhawk Conference honors as a sophomore.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Outfielder
Noah Geekie (Sr./Strathclair, Manitoba) is batting .351 this season with an on-base percentage of .415. He has tallied 23 RBI and 26 runs scored. In addition to his play in the field and at the plate, Geekie plays a role on the mound for the Hornets as he has pitched 69.1 innings in 12 starts this season.
Outfielder
Quinton Carlberg (So./Lee's Summit, Mo.) has played in 40 games for the Hornets and has a team-high eight home runs and 31 runs scored while also drawing 26 walks and driving in 19 runs.
Outfielder
Brenden Tauber (Jr./Omaha, Neb.) has made 33 starts and played in 36 games for the Hornets and is batting .257 this season with a .377 on-base percentage. Tauber has 18 runs scored with two home runs and five doubles on the season.
AROUND THE HORN
First Baseman
Chandler Bloomer (Sr./Ottawa, KS) has played in 41 games this season, while making 39 starts. Bloomer is batting .292 with a .387 on-base percentage. He has recorded six doubles, 21 RBI and scored 30 runs on the season.
Second Basemen
Kase Johnson (Jr./Iowa Park, Texas) has played in 28 games and made 18 starts in the middle infield for the Hornets. Johnson has hit four doubles and scored ten runs while driving in nine runs of his own.
Infielder
Kadyn Williams (So./Emporia, KS) has played in 42 games and made 39 starts at four different positions for the Hornets. Williams holds a .387 OBP with six doubles, three triples, five home runs and 36 RBI on the season.
Shortstop
Andrew Rantz (Fr./Topeka, Kan.) has started 44 games at shortstop for the Hornets and holds a .266 on-base percentage. Rantz is second on the Hornets with seven home runs and has 14 extra-base hits while driving in 22 runs and scoring 26 of his own.
Third Baseman
Palmer Hutchison (So./Hays, Kan.) has played in 43 games for the Hornets and made 40 starts at third base. Hutchison holds a .339 OBP and has 18 RBI on the season with six home runs, including two home runs and four RBI last week against Oklahoma Baptist.
Designated Hitter
Jake Bucovetsky (So./Toronto, Ontario) has started 26 games for Emporia State in the designated hitter role and has played in 29 games. Bucovetsky holds a batting average of .250 with four home runs, ten RBI, 15 runs scored, six doubles and one triple.
Designated Hitter/First Basemen
Patryk Hernandez (Jr./Leawood, Kan.) is batting .274 with a .400 OBP. Hernandez has six home runs and 20 RBI including three home runs and seven RBI in the final two games against Washburn.
Infielder
Mason Sturdy (So./Wamego, Kan.) has played in 22 games for the Hornets and is batting .297, including a 4-5 game with three home runs, four RBI and five runs last week against Oklahoma Baptist.
BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher
TJ Racherbaumer (So./Hermann, MO) has started all 46 games for the Hornets behind the plate and holds a .360 on-base percentage. Racherbaumer has four home runs, 25 RBI, and 24 runs scored. Last season, during his freshman campaign, Racherbaumer posted a .362 batting average along with a .456 on-base and .675 slugging percentage. He tallied 10 home runs, 41 RBI and 17 doubles as he earned MIAA Freshman of the Year honors.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher
Ian Lanik (So./Eagle, Neb.) has made 15 appearances for the Hornets this season, with 11 as a starter. Against Fort Hays State, Lanik pitched 6.0 scoreless innings allowing just three hits as he earned MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors. He has pitched 66.0 innings this season and has five wins and one save. He has struck out 43 batters while allowing just 28 walks and is only allowing a .257 batting average.
Right-handed pitcher
Noah Geekie (Sr./Strathclair, Manitoba) has taken the mound for 12 starts for the Hornets this season. Geekie has tallied 69.1 innings pitched has struck out 60 batters while allowing just 27 walks. He holds a 5-4 record and is allowing just a .284 batting average against.
Left-handed pitcher
Graham Brunner (Jr./Sherwood Park, Alberta) transferred to Emporia State from Illinois State and has started ten games for the Hornets and made 12 appearances. Brunner has tallied 51.2 innings pitched with 37 strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher
Greg Ross (So./Sarnia, Ontario) has 13 appearances with two starts and has recorded a team-high four saves. Across his 13 appearances, he has pitched 31.2 innings and has recorded 40 strikeouts and allowed just 23 walks. Ross has allowed just nine extra-base hits and is limiting opponents to a .278 batting average.
Right-handed pitcher
Braden Meek (Jr./Enid, OK) has appeared in 18 games for the Hornets with 28.0 innings pitched while recording 24 strikeouts and allowing just six walks.
Right-handed pitcher
Cade Barton (So./Omaha, Neb.) has started six games for the Hornets this season and has totaled 33.0 innings pitched across his 11 appearances. Barton has recorded 30 strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher
Grant Huffman (Fr./Lee's Summit, Mo.) has appeared in eight games for the Hornets this season, with seven relief appearances and one start. Huffman has pitched 10.0 innings and recorded 17 strikeouts and allowed just nine walks.
Right-handed pitcher
Brayden Tower (Fr./Shawnee, KS) has made ten appearances and made three starts for the Hornets this season and has tallied 22.0 innings pitched and 19 strikeouts. Earlier this season, Tower pitched the final three innings against Pittsburg State to claim his second win of the season with five strikeouts and just one hit allowed.
Right-handed pitcher
Will Hann (Jr./Olathe, KS) has pitched 31.0 innings across 19 relief appearances and holds a 3.19 ERA while striking out 18. Hann has also recorded three saves.
HISTORY
Emporia State has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 14 times in the program's history. The Hornets have captured the regular season MIAA championship on six occasions and have won the MIAA Tournament title twice.
