Non Conference Midweek Matchup Against Pittsburg State Up Next for Emporia State Baseball

Baseball | 4/15/2024 2:18:00 PM

Game 43
Emporia State Hornets (17-25, 8-19 MIAA)
at Pittsburg State Gorillas (27-14, 17-10 MIAA)
Tuesday, April 16 • 6:00 p.m. • Pittsburg, Kan. • Al Ortolani Field
Series Record: ESU leads 89-49 • Last Meeting: PSU 6, ESU 5 (4/9/23)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com • Video: The MIAA Network
Up Next: at Fort Hays State • April 19-21 • Hays, Kan. 

NON CONFERENCE MIDWEEK
Emporia State travels to take on Pittsburg State on Tuesday in a non conference matchup between the Hornets and Gorillas.

THE COACHES
Brad Hill is 17-25 in his first season as the Hornets head coach and has a career record of 903-507-3.
Bob Fornelli is 166-100 in his sixth year at Pittsburg State and has a career record of 1071-479. 

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is in their first season under head coach Brad Hill and the Hornets are 17-25 on the season and 8-19 in the MIAA. As a team, the Hornets rank fifth in home runs, seventh in total bases, eighth in slugging and eighth in ERA in the MIAA. Kadyn Williams leads the Hornet offense with a .351 batting average and has nine home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 49 RBI. Mason Sturdy is batting .308 while Logan Myers is batting .298. On the mound, nine pitchers have double-digit appearances with Eli Hernandez posting 13 appearances across 27.1 innings with 28 strikeouts. Graham Brunner has a 4.53 ERA through 43.2 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts and is coming off a nine strikeout performance in the 15-5 win over #2 Central Missouri over the weekend.

SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 27-14 on the season and 17-10 in the MIAA as they are in fourth place. The Gorillas rank in the top five in the MIAA in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and batting average. Blake Mozley and Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo and leading the way, batting .372 and .370 respectively while Kurahashi has a team-high 40 RBI on the season. Nixon Brannan has a team-high 13 home runs which ranks third in the MIAA. On the mound, the Gorillas also have nine pitchers with ten or more appearances, including Cadyn Castellanos and Boston Dowd who each have 16 this season. Dowd has 27 strikeouts in 27 relief innings this season while Castellanos has 31.2 relief innings and a 5-2 record.

SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 89-49.

LAST TIME VS. PITTSBURG STATE
The Hornets and Gorillas met at Glennen Field last week in the conclusion of their MIAA midweek series as Emporia State fell 6-5 in a game that Logan Myers went 3-6 with two RBI. 

UP NEXT
Emporia State travels west for a pivotal MIAA series against Fort Hays State on April 19-21.

TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his first season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 17-25 record. Hill has a career record of 903-507-3 in 25 seasons leading UCM, Kansas State and Emporia State. 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.

900 AND COUNTING
Brad Hill currently has 903 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 16 wins this season with the Hornets puts him at eighth-most on the MIAA career coaching wins list with 435.

IN THE FIELD
Infielder Kadyn Williams (Jr./Emporia, Kan.) is in his third season with the Hornets and has started all 42 games. Williams is batting .351 with a OBP of.471. Williams has a team-high 49 RBI, which is also the sixth-highest total in the MIAA. On the season, Williams has seven games with four or more RBI, including a three home run, eight RBI performance against Pittsburg State earlier this season. He has also reached base in 40 of 42 games this season and has reached bases in 20 straight games.
Infielder Logan Myers (Fr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 38 games for the Hornets in his first season with the program. Myers has also excelled at reaching base, holding an OBP of .435. He also has nine multi-hit games and six games with multiple RBI, including a 4-5, two home run and five RBI game against CSU-Pueblo (2/17). 
First Basemen Patryk Hernandez (Sr./Leawood, Kan.) has started 40 games at first base for the Hornets this season and is batting .287 on the season. Hernandez has six doubles, seven home runs and 33 RBI with a .379 OBP. Through the first 42 games, Hernandez has set new career-highs in most offensive categories, including doubles, RBI, walks and runs scored.
Utility Mason Sturdy (Jr./Wamego, Kan.) has played in 20 or more games in each of his first three seasons with Emporia State and has played in 33 this season. Sturdy has a .413 OBP with nine doubles, one home run, 20 RBI and 26 runs scored. Sturdy also has four games with multiple RBI, including two games with two RBI in the series against Rogers State. 
Shortstop Andrew Rantz (So./Topeka, Kan.) has played in 36 games this season after playing in 47 during his freshman season in 2023. This season,  Rantz has a .331 OBP with seven doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, and three stolen bases. 
Outfielder Konner Hatfield (Jr./Hollister, Mo.) is in his first season at Emporia State and has 26 starts and 36 games played for the Hornets. Hatfield has a .368 OBP with four doubles, five home runs, 19 RBI, and 22 walks. Hatfield homered three times over the weekend against #2 Central Missouri, including twice in the 15-5 win on Saturday afternoon.
Outfielder Dom Oliverio (Fr./Noblesville, In.) is in his first season at Emporia State and played in 33 games for the Hornets. Oliverio is batting .28 with a .375 OBP, five home runs, five doubles, three triples, 17 RBI, and 25 runs scored. He has eight multi-hit games, including a 5-5 game in the series finale against #10 Missouri Southern. 
Outfielder Joe Daneff (Sr./Kansas City, Mo.) is batting .231 with a .363 OBP and has six home runs, 12 extra-base hits, 27 RBI, and 21 runs scored. Against Upper Iowa (3/5), Daneff went 2-2 and recorded a career-high five RBI in the Hornets 12-0 win. 
Designated Hitter Jovanni Toledo (Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has appeared in 12 games and made 11 starts at DH and first base for the Hornets in his first season. Toledo is batting .385 with an OBP of .500 with two doubles, one home run, four RBI, ten runs scored and eight walks. Toledo has three multi-hit games across the last six games for the Hornets.
Designated Hitter Austin Hamm (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) has been with the Hornets since 2020 and has played in a career-high 24 games this season while setting career marks in several offensive categories. Hamm has a .253 average and .337 OBP this season with five home runs, five doubles, 15 RBI, 21 runs scored and nine walks. He has six multi-hit games this season, including a three-hit game against NM Highlands and a four RBI game against Washburn. 
Outfielder Drew Jennings (Jr./Overland Park, Kan.) has played in 25 games this season and has a .395 OBP with 17 hits, nine RBI and 15 runs scored. Jennings has five multi-hit games this season and three games with two RBI, including two in the last game against Northwestern Oklahoma.

BEHIND THE PLATE
Catcher TJ Racherbaumer (Jr./Hermann, Mo.) has played in 139 career games for the Hornets in his three seasons at Emporia State. This season, Racherbaumer is batting .286 with a .418 OBP and has four home runs, 26 RBI, 25 walks and 30 runs scored. Racherbaumer has nine multi-hit games  this season. In his freshman season in 2022, he was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year, hitting .362 with 41 RBI, ten home runs and 17 doubles. 
Catcher Dylan Brisbois (So./Omaha, Neb.) is in his second season with the Hornets and has made 12 appearances. He has reached base in 11 of 38 plate appearances and has seven hits, including a 2-4 game against Upper Iowa (3/4) which included his first career home run.

ON THE MOUND
Left-handed pitcher Graham Brunner (Sr./Sherwood Park, Alberta) is 3-1 this season with 48 strikeouts and 11 walks allowed in 43.2 innings pitched. Brunner has four games with seven or more strikeouts, including a nine-strikeout performance in his last outing against #2 Central Missouri.
Right-handed pitcher Ian Lanik (Jr../Eagle, Neb.) has made ten starts and has a 7.26 ERA across 53.1 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. 
Right-handed pitcher Cade Barton (Jr./Omaha, Neb.) has a 3.18 ERA across a team-high 62.1 innings pitched with 53 strikeouts and just 14 walks allowed. Barton is sidelined with an injury but after his last appearance at Missouri Western, he ranked fourth in the MIAA in ERA, ninth in opponent BA, first in innings pitched and fifth in strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Tanner Dawe (Jr./London, Ontario) has ten relief appearances in his first season with the Hornets and has a 6.14 ERA across 14.2 innings pitched with a 3-1 record. Against CSU-Pueblo (2/18), Dawe pitched four innings in relief with a career-high five strikeouts. 
Right-handed pitcher Hayden Baumwart (Sr./Emporia, Kan.) has made a team-high 12 appearances this season and has 31 appearances in his Hornet career. This season, Baumwart has pitched a career-high 17.2 innings and has six strikeouts while allowing a .294 opponent batting average and has a 2-2 record out of the bullpen.
Right-handed pitcher Trent Warstler (Jr./Celina, Texas) is in his first season with the Hornets is tied with Baumwart with 12 relief appearances with one start. Warstler has a 1-2 record and a 7.22 ERA across 28.2 innings pitched while striking out 29. In his first career appearance, Warstler went 4.1 innings and struck out a career-high seven against Oklahoma Baptist.
Right-handed pitcher Eli Hernandez (Jr./Ontario, Calif.) is in his first season with the Hornets and has 13 relief appearances while totaling 27.1 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts and just seven walks allowed. In a four-inning outing in the series finale against Washburn (3/3), Hernandez recorded a career-high seven strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Greg Ross (Jr./Sarnia, Ontario) is in his second season at Emporia State and has made 27 career appearances with five starts. This season, Ross three starts and 12 appearances and has 22 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched. In 2023, Ross made 15 appearances and led Emporia State with five saves.
Right-handed pitcher Brady Beverman (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) is in his first season at Emporia State and is tied for the third-most appearances on the Hornet pitching staff. This season, Beverman has 11 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched. In the second matchup against Northwestern Oklahoma, Beverman recorded three strikeouts in two innings.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Stover (Fr./Columbus, Kan.) is in his freshman season with the Hornets and has pitched 21.2 innings through his first six career appearances and has 16 strikeouts and just six walks allowed with a 2-4 record. Against Upper Iowa (3/4), Stover pitched a career-high 6.0 scoreless innings and matched his career-high with four strikeouts. 
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Sauter (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) has made seven appearances this season and has totaled 4.2 innings pitched and has recorded eight strikeouts for the Hornets.
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 Jake Shaults (Jr./Towanda, Kan.) has made nine relief appearances in his first season with the Hornets. Shaults has tallied 10.1 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts. Against Northwest Missouri (2/23), Shaults recorded a career-high four strikeouts in two scoreless innings of relief.
Right handed pitcher Matthew Postier (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) has made five appearances for the Hornets, his first five at Emporia State. He has tallied7.2 innings pitched and has allowed seven hits while striking out eight and has an ERA of 4.70.
Right-handed pitcher Coby Rogers (Jr./Fenton, Mo.) has made four relief appearances this season in his first year at Emporia State. Rogers has tallied 6.0 innings pitched and has four strikeouts with just one walk allowed. 

HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State is playing their 73rd season of baseball in 2024 and have won nearly 2100 games in the program's history. Since 1994, the Hornets have advanced to the MIAA Tournament in 25 of 30 seasons (excluding COVID shortened season in 2020), including 19 straight trips from 2003-2022. 
The Hornets have also won the MIAA Regular Season Title on six occasions with the most recent coming in 2017 and the first happening in 1993. Emporia State has also won the MIAA Tournament twice with wins in 2007 and 2014. The Hornets have also been runners up in the MIAA Tournament on four occasions. 

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
In addition to the success in the MIAA, the Hornets have had a presence in the NCAA Tournament throughout their time in Division II. The Hornets have 14 NCAA regional appearances, including two Regional Championships which allowed Emporia State to advance to their two NCAA D-II College World Series Appearances. The first appearance happened in 2006 and the second happened in the 2009 season. In 2009, the Hornets advanced to the College World Series final where they fell 2-1 against Lynn. 

NAIA NATIONAL PRESENCE
Prior to their transition to the Division II level in the early 1990's, Emporia State had sustained success at the NAIA level. From 1969 under Jack Smitheran to 1991 in year four under Brian Embery, the Hornets were NAIA District 10 Champions 19 times, including 15 of 16 from 1975 to 1991. 
The success continued through the NAIA Area Tournament, as Emporia State won seven Area 3 Championships, advancing to the NAIA College World Series seven times. After advancing to the NAIA College World Series semifinals for the first time in 1976, the Hornets returned in 1978 as they won the NAIA College World Series with an 8-6 win against Missouri Southern.