Baseball | 2/29/2024 10:14:00 AM
Emporia State Hornets (9-6, 2-1 MIAA)
vs. Washburn Ichabods (7-7, 2-1 MIAA)
Friday, March 1 • 3:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Glennen Field
Saturday, March 2 • 2:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Glennen Field
Sunday, March 3 • 1:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Glennen Field
Series Record: ESU leads 179-84-1 • Last Meeting: WU 7, ESU 6 (4/16/23)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com • Video: The MIAA Network
Up Next: Upper Iowa • March 4-5 • Emporia, Kan.
TIME TO TUSSLE
Emporia State is set for the Turnpike Tussle as they host Washburn in their first home MIAA series of the season.
THE COACHES
Brad Hill is 9-6 in his first season as the Hornets head coach and has a career record of 895-488-3.
Harley Douglas is 231-203 in his 10th season at Washburn.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is in their first season under head coach Brad Hill and the Hornets are 9-6 on the season and 2-1 in the MIAA.On the mound, nine pitchers have made multiple appearances with Cade Barton and Ian Lanik each having four starts and over 20 innings pitched. Lanik has 23 strikeouts while Barton has 21 of his own. At the plate, five different Hornets have recorded ten or more RBI with Patryk Hernandez leading the way with 16 of his own. Hernandez has a team-high .373 batting average with a .439 on-base percentage and a team-high four home runs. Logan Myers has three home runs on the season with 12 RBI while Kadyn Williams, TJ Racherbaumer, Konner Hatfield, Andrew Rantz, and Austin Hamm have two home runs each. As a team, the Hornets are batting .275 with a .371 on-base percentage and are outscoring opponents 104-84.
SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn is 7-7 on the season and 2-1 in the MIAA following a series win against Pittsburg State to open conference play. As a team, the Ichabods are batting .333 and have an OPS of 1.012. Payton McHarg is leading the way with eight home runs, 14 extra-base hits and 25 RBI while starting all 14 games. On the mound, Cooper Carlgren and Griffin Huiatt and have pitched 18.2 and 18.1 innings respectively while Carlgren is 2-0 on the mound with a team-high 27 strikeouts. In the bullpen, Caden Bressler has five relief appearances with a 2-1 record and one save.
SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 179-84-1 with the Hornets looking for the first series win over the Ichabods since 2019.
LAST MEETING VS. WASHBURN
The Hornets and Ichabods met last season in Topeka with Washburn taking two of three games against the Hornets. Emporia State fell 7-6 in the series finale in a game that included three RBI from Patryk Hernandez.
UP NEXT
The Hornets remain home for two non-conference games against Upper Iowa on March 4-5.
TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his first season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 9-6 record. Hill has a career record of 895-487-3 in 24 seasons leading Kansas State and Central Missouri. In his career, Hill has taken 13 teams to the NCAA Tournament, nine trips with the Mules and four with the Wildcats. At Central Missouri, Hill made nine NCAA Tournament trips in nine seasons with seven Division II World Series appearances, including the 2003 National Championship.
He moved from Warrensburg to Manhattan following the 2003 national championship and would lead K-State to four NCAA Regional Tournaments and the Wildcats first ever Super Regional berth in 2013. He was named the ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2009 as the Bat Cats advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
A proven producer of talent, Hill has coached 64 players that were selected in the MLB Draft with 46 at Kansas State and 18 in nine years at Division II Central Missouri.
Hill was a three-time All-American in 1982-84 for the Hornets and is the career record holder in games played (244), home runs (47), and RBI (264), while also ranking second in career doubles, at-bats and base hits in Hornet baseball history.
NEARING 900
Brad Hill currently has 895 wins in his 25th season as a head coach at the Division I and II levels. Hill is the winningest coach at both Central Missouri and Kansas State with 418 and 468 wins at each program. His 418 wins during his time at Central Missouri in addition to his nine wins this season with the Hornets puts him at eighth-most on the MIAA career coaching wins list with 427.
IN THE FIELD
Infielder Kadyn Williams (Jr./Emporia, Kan.) has started all 15 games for the Hornets and has a team-high .382 batting average, .477 on-base percentage, 10 walks and a 1.113 OPS. Williams has 21 hits, four doubles, two triples, two home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored. Last season, Williams was named Honorable Mention All-MIAA at second base in his sophomore season.
Shortstop Andrew Rantz (So./Topeka, Kan.) has started 14 games at shortstop and has played in all 15 for the Hornets. He has 13 hits with one double, two home runs, seven RBI and 11 runs scored in his second season at Emporia State.
Designated Hitter/First Basemen Patryk Hernandez (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) is leading the Hornets with four home runs and 16 RBI while hitting .373 and posting an on-base percentage. Hernandez has surpassed his career-high totals in hits, doubles, runs scored that were previously set last season through the first 15 games.
Infielder Mason Sturdy (Jr./Wamego, Kan.) has a .361 on-base percentage in 11 games played and has four doubles and eight RBI, including all three in the 3-2 walk-off win in game one of the Hornets' series against Colorado School of Mines.
Outfielder Konner Hatfield (Jr./Hollister, Mo.) has 10 starts and has played in 14 games in his first season with the Hornets. Hatfield is posting a .326 on-base percentage with 11 hits, two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI.
Designated Hitter Austin Hamm (Sr./Olathe, KS) has made 11 starts for the Hornets as the designated hitter and has a .308 batting average and .426 on-base percentage. Hamm has 12 hits, four doubles, two home runs, six RBI and 12 runs scored.
Infielder Logan Myers (Fr./Pittsburg, KS) has played in 11 games for the Hornets in his freshman season. Myers is batting .343 with two doubles, one triple, three home runs and 12 RBI. He has two 4-5 games this season, with one coming in the series opener against CSU-Pueblo as he drove in five runs.
BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher TJ Racherbaumer (Jr./Hermann, Mo.) has played in all 15 games with 13 starts and has a .351 on-base percentage. Racherbaumer has 15 hits, two home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored. Last season, Racherbaumer posted a .366 on-base percentage while hitting six doubles, five home runs and driving in 28 runs. Racherbaumer hit .362 and was named MIAA Freshman of the Year in the 2022 season.
ON THE MOUND
Right-handed pitcher Ian Lanik (Jr../Eagle, Neb.) has made four starts and has a 3.86 ERA across 21.0 innings pitched. Lanik was named MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Week following a complete game shutout against Colorado School of Mines. Last season, Lanik pitched 67.0 innings pitched across 16 appearances with 43 strikeouts while recording five wins, two complete games and one save as he was named Honorable Mention All-MIAA.
Left-handed pitcher Graham Brunner (Sr./Sherwood Park, Alberta) is 1-1 this season with 18 strikeouts and seven walks allowed in 12.0 innings pitched. In 2023, Brunner made 13 appearances with 12 starts and recorded 43 strikeouts in 55.1 innings pitched.
Right-handed pitcher Cade Barton (Jr./Omaha, Neb.) has a 3.00 ERA across a team-high 24.0 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts, just five walks allowed. In 2023, Barton recorded 31 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Dawe (Jr./London, Ontario) has four relief appearances in his first season with the Hornets and has a 3.24 ERA with a 3-0 record.
Right-handed pitcher Hayden Baumwart (Sr./Emporia, Kan.) has made four appearances and has four strikeouts across 6.0 innings pitched. In 2023, Baumwart made 11 relief appearances and had eight strikeouts in 11.1 innings.
Right-handed pitcher Trent Warstler (Jr./Celina, Texas) has made four relief appearances and has a 2.87 ERA across 15.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and just three walks allowed.
Right-handed pitcher Greg Ross (Jr./Sarnia, Ontario) has made three appearances this season and has six strikeouts across 10.2 innings pitched. Ross made 15 appearances in his first season with the Hornets in 2023 while tallying 42 strikeouts in 35.1 innings and recording a team-high five saves.
Right-handed pitcher Will Hann (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) has pitched 2.2 relief innings across three appearances and has two strikeouts. Hann pitched 31.1 innings in the 2023 season, his first with the Hornets. Hann totaled 18 strikeouts and allowed just four walks, posting a 3.45 ERA in 20 relief appearances last season.
Right-handed pitcher Brady Beverman (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) is in his first season with the Hornets and has pitched 5.1 innings with a 3.38 ERA through his first four appearances.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Stover (Fr./Columbus, Kan.) has pitched 8.2 innings through his first three career appearances and has eight strikeouts and just three walks allowed.
