Baseball | 1/30/2025 9:18:00 AM
Games 1-3
Emporia State Hornets (0-0)
vs. MSU Denver Roadrunners (0-0)
Friday, January 31 • 10:00 am • Edmond, Okla. • Wendell Simmons Field
Series History: ESU leads 14-6 •
Last Meeting: ESU 10, MSUD 6 (2/21/22)
vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm (0-0)
Saturday, February 1 • 6:30 p.m. • Edmond, Okla. • Wendell Simmons Field
Series History: SEO leads 16-13 •
Last Meeting: SEO 3, ESU 2 (10 inn.) (2/2/19)
vs. East Central Tigers (0-0)
Sunday, February 2 • 10:00 a.m. • Edmond, Okla. • Wendell Simmons Field
Series History: ESU leads 1-0 •
Last Meeting: ESU 17, ECU 1 (8 inn.) (2/1/24)
SEASON TWO STARTS IN EDMOND
The second season of the
Brad Hill era begins with the Hornets traveling south for the Edmond First Pitch Classic. Emporia State will open the season in Edmond for the fourth consecutive season and the sixth time in the past seven years. The Hornets will be looking to return to the MIAA Tournamment after finishing ninth in the regular season standings each of the last two seasons.
2024 IN REVIEW
Emporia State went 21-29 in the first season under Brad Hill and feature a mix of returning players and newcomers in 2025. Logan Myers returns in the middle infield after being named Co-Freshman of the Year in the MIAA last season along with TJ Racherbaumer who has played in 145 career games. On the mound, Cade Barton, who earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention last season, and Ian Lanik will headline the rotation.
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State finished the 2024 campaign with a 21-29 record and an 11-22 record in MIAA action, finishing ninth in the conference. Despite missing the MIAA Tournament, the Hornets made notable jumps in statistical categories across both the pitching staff and the batting lineup. On the mound, the Hornet posted a 6.70 ERA, down from 7.47 in 2023, while also allowing less walks and a lower opponent batting average. This was catalyzed by Cade Barton, who pitched a team-high 62.1 innings and posted a 3.18 ERA with 53 strikeouts and just 14 walks. Key members of the staff that return include Ian Lanik, Eli Hernandez, Tanner Dawe, and Trent Warstler. In the lineup, Emporia State improved nearly across the board in Coach Hill's first season, recording improved numbers in batting average, OPS, slugging percentage, walks, and on-base percentage. Logan Myers and TJ Racherbaumer return to the lineup after posting averages above .300 in 2024. Myers was named MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year after hitting .301 and posting a .431 OBP in his first season at Emporia State. Racherbaumer enters year four with the Hornets, playing in 145 games over the last three years. The senior from Herrmann, Mo. hit .304 last season and looks to resume his duties behind the plate.
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
Metro State Denver enters the 2025 season after 28-24 season in 2024 where they went 19-13 in the RMAC, finishing seventh in the regular season. The Roadrunners are slated third in the RMAC Preseason Poll and tenth in the South Central Region. Multiple key players return in 2025, led by All-American infielder Jesse Velders, who hit .460 and drove in a team-high 57 RBI in 2024. The lineup also includes All-RMAC honorees from last season Tyler Tobey, Cam Yuran and Cal Walsh.
SCOUTING THE SAVAGE STORM
Southeastern Oklahoma went 17-32 and 7-26 in the GAC last season and enter 2025 in year one under head coach Alan Trayler. The Savage Storm were picked tenth in the GAC Preseason Poll and will be led by their leading hitter from last season, Wesley Mitchell who hit .325 with eight home runs and 31 RBI. Catcher Brady Evans will also look to tack on from his 2024 campaign where he hit .309 with five home runs.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
East Central struggled in 2024 under head coach Kevin Paxson in his first season, going just 9-41. The Tigers look to improve on last season with the help of their leading hitter in 2024, Tanner Collins, returning to the lineup this season. In 2024, Collins hit .345 and posted a .438 OBP.Â
TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his second season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 18-25 record. Hill has a career record of 907-511-3 in 26 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 907 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 439 wins across his years at Central Missouri and this season at Emporia state ranks eighth in MIAA history.
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