Baseball | 4/18/2024 2:52:00 PM
Emporia State Hornets (18-25, 8-19 MIAA)
at Fort Hays State Tigers (22-20, 9-18 MIAA)
Friday, April 19 • 6:00 p.m. • Hays, Kan.
Saturday, April 20 • 3:00 p.m. • Hays, Kan.
Sunday, April 21 • 1:00 p.m. • Hays, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 151-67 • Last Meeting: ESU 15, FHSU 4 (3/5/23)
Live Stats: esuhornets.com • Video: The MIAA Network
Listen: FHSU Radio (Sat. Only)
Up Next: at Washburn • April 19-21 • Hays, Kan.
ROAD SERIES WRAP UP
Emporia State travels west for their final MIAA road series of the regular season as they are set to take on Fort Hays State.
THE COACHES
Brad Hill is 18-25 in his first season at Emporia State. Hill has a career record of 904-507-3 across 25 seasons as a head coach.
Justin Wichert is 42-50 in his second season at Fort Hays State.
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State (18-25, 8-19) heads west for a pivotal three-game road series against Fort Hays State. The Hornets rank fifth in the MIAA in home runs, fourth in walks, ninth in OBP, seventh in ERA and first in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kadyn Williams is posting a team-high .342 batting average and .464 OBP while starting all 43 games. Williams has nine home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 49 RBI. His RBI total ranks sixth in the MIAA this season. Mason Sturdy is batting .308 with nine doubles, one home run, 20 RBI while posting a .413 OBP. Logan Myers, Dom Oliverio and TJ Racherbaumer are batting .297, .295 and .290 respectively and all have 11 or more extra-base hits. Oliverio ranks second on the team behind Williams with a .533 slugging percentage while Myers ranks second with a .434 OBP. On the mound, nine Hornet pitchers have made double-digit appearances on the season. Graham Brunner is 3-1 on the season and is coming off a nine-strikeout performance in the Hornets' 15-5 win over #2 Central Missouri last weekend and has 48 strikeouts on the season. Ian Lanik has 11 starts this season, the most on the team, and has pitched 53.1 innings with 44 strikeouts. In the bullpen, Eli Hernandez and Trent Warstler are tied for the team-high with 13 appearances. Hernandez has 27.1 relief innings and 28 strikeouts with just seven walks allowed.
LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State traveled to Pittsburg State on Tuesday for a nonconference matchup against the Gorillas. The Hornets came out quickly on offense, scoring four in the first highlighted by a three-run Dom Oliverio home run. After the Gorillas rallied to take a 6-4 lead through four innings, Emporia State answered back with five runs in the fifth and held on for a 9-7 win. Coby Rogers picked up the win after two innings in relief and Grant Huffman recorded his first career save with a scoreless ninth.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State (22-20, 9-18) is one of four teams tied at 9-18 in the MIAA, just one game in front of the Hornets. The Tigers are coming off a series against Washburn where they lost all three games, with two coming by one run. Two hitters, Brady Kreutzer and Elliott Herrmann, are both hitting .342 this season and have double-digit home runs. Herrmann has 12 home runs and 47 RBI while Kreutzer has 11 home runs, 43 RBI and a team-high 29 extra-base hits, including an MIAA-leading seven triples. On the mound, Cade Flaherty has a team-high 11 starts and has 42 strikeouts across 53.1 innings pitched. Ty Riley has a 3.10 ERA in 49.1 innings pitched and has struck out a team-high 53 batters while allowing a .220 batting average.
SERIES HISTORY
Emporia State leads the all-time series 151-67 and have won eight of the last ten meetings, including the series in 2023.
TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his first season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 18-25 record. Hill has a career record of 904-507-3 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 904 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 436 wins across his years at Central Missouri and this season at Emporia state ranks eighth in MIAA history.
AROUND THE HORN
Kadyn Williams (Jr./Emporia, Kan.) is in his third season with the Hornets and has started all 43 games. Williams is batting .342 with a OBP of.464. 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.
Logan Myers (Fr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 39 games for the Hornets in his first season with the program. Myers has also excelled at reaching base, holding an OBP of .434. 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).
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.
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.
Andrew Rantz (So./Topeka, Kan.) has played in 37 games this season after playing in 47 during his freshman season in 2023. This season, Rantz has a .333 OBP with eight doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, and three stolen bases.
Konner Hatfield (Jr./Hollister, Mo.) is in his first season at Emporia State and has 27 starts and 37 games played for the Hornets. Hatfield has a .370 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.
Dom Oliverio (Fr./Noblesville, In.) is in his first season at Emporia State and has played in 34 games for the Hornets. Oliverio is batting .295 with a .383 OBP, six home runs, five doubles, three triples, 20 RBI, and 27 runs scored. He has nine multi-hit games, including a 5-5 game in the series finale against #10 Missouri Southern.
Joe Daneff (Sr./Kansas City, Mo.) is batting .219 with a .347 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.
Jovanni Toledo (Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has appeared in 13 games and made 12 starts at DH and first base for the Hornets in his first season. Toledo is batting .405 with an OBP of .527 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, 12 runs scored and nine walks. Toledo has four multi-hit games across the last seven games for the Hornets.
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.
Drew Jennings (Jr./Overland Park, Kan.) has played in 26 games this season and has a .378 OBP with 17 hits, ten 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
TJ Racherbaumer (Jr./Hermann, Mo.) has played in 140 career games for the Hornets in his three seasons at Emporia State. This season, Racherbaumer is batting .290 with a .418 OBP and has four home runs, 27 RBI, 25 walks and 31 runs scored. Racherbaumer has ten 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hayden Baumwart (Sr./Emporia, Kan.) has made a team-high 13 appearances this season and has 32 appearances in his Hornet career. This season, Baumwart has pitched a career-high 19.2 innings and has eight strikeouts while allowing a .289 opponent batting average and has a 2-2 record out of the bullpen.
Trent Warstler (Jr./Celina, Texas) is in his first season with the Hornets is tied with Baumwart with 13 relief appearances with one start. Warstler has a 1-2 record and a 7.04 ERA across 30.2 innings pitched while striking out 30. In his first career appearance, Warstler went 4.1 innings and struck out a career-high seven against Oklahoma Baptist.
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.
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.
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.
Seth Stover (Fr./Columbus, Kan.) is in his freshman season with the Hornets and has pitched 23.2 innings through his first ten career appearances and has 17 strikeouts and just seven 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.
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.
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.
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.
Coby Rogers (Jr./Fenton, Mo.) has made five relief appearances this season in his first year at Emporia State. Rogers has tallied 8.0 innings pitched and has five strikeouts. In his last outing against Pittsburg State (4/16), Rogers picked up his first career win.
Grant Huffman (So./Lee's Summit, Mo.) has made four appearances this season and has allowed just one run in 5.0 innings pitched with four strikeouts. In the last game against Pittsburg State, Huffman pitched a scoreless ninth inning to clinch his first career save.
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 20 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.
