Hornet Baseball Hits The Road For Series Against #10 Missouri Southern

Baseball | 3/7/2024 3:26:00 PM

Emporia State Hornets (12-8, 3-3 MIAA)
at #10 Missouri Southern Lions  (17-4, 5-1 MIAA)
Friday, March 8 • 3:00 p.m. • Joplin, Mo. • Warren Turner Field
Saturday, March 9 • 3:00 p.m. • Joplin, Mo. • Warren Turner Field
Sunday, March 10 • 1:00 p.m. • Joplin, Mo. • Warren Turner Field
Series Record: ESU leads 71-53 • Last Meeting: MSSU 1, ESU 0 (3/26/23)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com • Video: The MIAA Network
Up Next: Pittsburg State • March 12 • Emporia, Kan.

TOP TEN TRAVEL
Emporia State hits the road to take on #10 Missouri Southern for a three-game slate in Joplin, Mo.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State grabbed a pair of 12-0 midweek wins against Upper Iowa at Trusler Sports Complex.

THE COACHES
Brad Hill is 12-8 in his first season as the Hornets head coach and has a career record of 898-490-3.
Bryce Darnell is 496-338 in his 17th season at Missouri Southern.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is in their first season under head coach Brad Hill and the Hornets are 12-8 on the season and 3-3 in the MIAA.On the mound, seven pitchers have made five or more appearances with Cade Barton and Ian Lanik each having five starts and over 25 innings pitched. Lanik has 29 strikeouts while Barton has 26 of his own. At the plate, Kadyn Williams has a team-high .371 average with 26 hits, 11 extra-base hits, and 19 RBI with four steals. Logan Myers and Patryk Hernandez are hitting .362 and .342 respectively while Hernandez has a team-high 20 RBI and Myers leads the Hornets with a .523 OBP. Austin Hamm has five home runs to lead the Hornets. 

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern is 17-4 this season and 5-1 in the MIAA and are ranked #10 in the latest NCBWA poll. The Lions currently lead the MIAA in runs scored, triples, RBI, and walks. The offense is led by Henry Kusiak, who is batting .429 with 33 hits, seven home runs, and 33 RBI. Will Doherty is batting .370 with seven home runs and 30 RBI. Drew Townsend has an OBP of .593 and has drawn in MIAA-leading 34 walks this season.On the mound, Cole Gayman has a 2.00 ERA in four starts across 27.0 innings pitched. In the bullpen, six different Lions have made five or more appearances, including Kyle Moore who has a team-high 18.1 relief innings and a 3.44 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 71-53 over Missouri Southern. 

LAST TIME VS. MISSOURI SOUTHERN
The Hornets and Lions met last season in Joplin, Mo. and the Lions swept the series as the Hornets fell 1-0 in the series finale.

UP NEXT
Emporia State returns home for an eight-game home stand that begins with Pittsburg State coming to Glennen Field on Tuesday, March 12 at 3:00 p.m.

TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his first season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 12-8 record. Hill has a career record of 898-490-3 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 898 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 12 wins this season with the Hornets puts him at eighth-most on the MIAA career coaching wins list with 430.

IN THE FIELD
Infielder Kadyn Williams (Jr./Emporia, Kan.) has started all 20 games for the Hornets and has a team-high .371 batting average with a .494 on-base percentage, 16 walks and a 1.165 OPS. Williams has 26 hits, five doubles, two triples, four home runs, 19 RBI and 19 runs scored. 
Shortstop Andrew Rantz (So./Topeka, Kan.) has started 18 games at shortstop and has played in 19 for the Hornets. He has 16 hits with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and 13 runs scored in his second season at Emporia State.
First Basemen Patryk Hernandez (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) has played all 20 games at first base for Emporia State and has a .342 batting average with four home runs, four doubles, 26 hits, 17 runs scored and a team-high 20 RBI.
Utility Mason Sturdy (Jr./Wamego, Kan.) has a .375 on-base percentage in 15 games played and has four doubles and nine 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 13 starts and has played in 18 games in his first season with the Hornets. Hatfield is posting a .397 on-base percentage with 12 hits, two doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI. 
Designated Hitter Austin Hamm (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) has made 15 starts for the Hornets as the designated hitter and has a .321 batting average and .438 on-base percentage. Hamm has 17 hits, five doubles, 13 RBI, 19 runs scored and a team-high five home runs.
Infielder Logan Myers (Fr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 16 games for the Hornets with 14 starts and is batting .362 with a team-high .523 on-base percentage. In his first season, Myers has three home runs, four doubles, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored.
Outfielder Drew Jennings (So./Overland Park, Kan.) has played in 15 games and has a .293 batting average and .434 on-base percentage. Jennings has six RBI, 12 hits, 10 runs scored and has drawn 11 walks. 

BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher TJ Racherbaumer (Jr./Hermann, Mo.) has played in all 19 games with 15 starts and has a .378 on-base percentage. Racherbaumer has 18 hits, three home runs, 14 RBI, and 15 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 five starts and has a 5.19 ERA across 26.0 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 19 strikeouts and seven walks allowed in 13.0 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 3.90 ERA across a team-high 30.0 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts and just six walks allowed. In 2023, Barton recorded 31 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Dawe (Jr./London, Ontario) has five relief appearances in his first season with the Hornets and has a 2.61 ERA across 10.1 innings pitched with a 3-0 record.
Right-handed pitcher Hayden Baumwart (Sr./Emporia, Kan.) has made five appearances and has four strikeouts across 8.0 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 five relief appearances and has a 4.50 ERA across 18.0 innings with 18 strikeouts and just five walks allowed.
Right-handed pitcher Greg Ross (Jr./Sarnia, Ontario) has made five appearances this season and has 13 strikeouts across 15.1 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 inings 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 8.1 innings with six strikeouts in his first six appearances.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Stover (Fr./Columbus, Kan.) has pitched 14.2 innings through his first four career appearances and has 12 strikeouts and just three walks allowed with a 2-1 record.

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.