Baseball | 2/21/2025 1:09:00 PM
Games 8-10
Emporia State Hornets (4-3)
at (RV) Pittsburg State Gorillas (7-0)
Sunday, February 23 • 2:00 p.m. (DH) • Al Ortolani Field • Pittsburg, Kan.
Monday, February 24 • 1:00 p.m. • Al Ortolani Field • Pittsburg, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 90-49 •
Last Meeting: ESU 9, at PSU 7 (4/16/24)
Video: The MIAA Network •
Live Stats: esuhornets.com
Up Next: Central Oklahoma • Feb. 28-Mar. 2 • Emporia, Kan.
MIAA ACTION AWAITS
Emporia State opens the MIAA slate with a road series against Pittsburg State with the first two games as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, before taking on the Gorillas in the series finale on Monday afternoon.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets originally scheduled home opener against Concordia-St. Paul was canceled due to weather and the Hornets last played in four games at the HSU Invitational. Emporia State won the first game against the hosts, Henderson State 7-4, but fell in their final three matchups of the weekend. The Hornets were tied or within two runs in the eighth inning or later in each of their three losses in Arkadelphia.
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 4-3 through their first seven games and enter the series against the Gorillas for their first games in two weeks since competing in the HSU Invitational. The Hornets are batting .257 as a team and reaching base at a .357 clip. Noah Steele is batting a team-high .450 with three doubles, one home run and three RBI. TJ Racherbaumer has a team-high three home runs and and a .393 OBP as he is tied with Elijah Reeves for most walks with five this season. On the mound, ten different pitchers have tallied at least 3.2 innings pitched, with Trent Warstler leading the way with 10.2 through his two starts. As a pitching staff, Emporia State ranks sixth in the MIAA in strikeouts while allowing the third fewest walks.
SCOUTING THE GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 7-0 to start the 2025 season and are currently receiving votes in both the NCBWA and D2 Baseball polls. The Gorillas rank inside the top five in the MIAA in multiple offensive categories, including batting average, extra-base hits, OBP and slugging percentage. As a team, Pittsburg State is hitting .302 and Dagen Brewer leads the way with a .476 average and a team-high 11 RBI. On the mound, the Gorillas are off to a strong start, posting a team ERA of 1.37 which leads the MIAA. Kolby Dougan has a 0.75 ERA in two starts with 28 strikeouts, including a complete game shutout against Truman State. The bullpen is led by Cadyn Castellanos who has 11 strikeouts in 6.0 relief innings.
TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his second season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 25-32 record. Hill has a career record of 911-514-3 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 911 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 443 wins across his years at Central Missouri and in two years at Emporia state ranks eighth in MIAA history.
BEHIND THE PLATE
TJ Racherbaumer (Sr./Herrmann, Mo.) is in his fourth season with the Hornets and has played in 152 career games. Racherbaumer is leading Emporia State with three home runs and is tied for the lead with five walks, helping him post a .393 OBP through the first seven games.
Dylan Brisbois (R-So./Omaha, Neb.) and Austin Lynn (R-Fr./North Las Vegas, Nev.) have both played for the Hornets behind the plate through the first seven games. Brisbois has made four starts with one behind the plate and three at designated hitter. The redshirt sophomore from Omaha is hitting .286 with a home run and two RBI. Lynn has started one game behind the plate, and recorded an RBI in the game.
AROUND THE HORN
First Basemen/Designated Hitter Jovanni Toledo (So./Tucson, Ariz.) has started a;; sevem games for the Hornets, with six at first base and one at designated hitter. Toledo has driven in a team-high nine runs and has two doubles, one home run and two runs scored.
Second Basemen Logan Myers (So./Pittsburg, Kan.) is coming off a 2024 season where he was named MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year after hitting .301 with a .431 OBP last season. Myers has started five games at second base this season and has three hits, one RBI and one walk.
Infielder Peyton Lewis (Sr./Kansas City, Mo.) is in his first season with the Hornets after previously playing at Baker and Bluefield State. Lewis is batting .269 with an OBP of .345 through six starts. His first Hornet home run came in the opening game of the HSU Invitational, where he went 2-4 with two runs scored against Henderson State.
Infielder Brady Unrein (Fr./Wichita, Kan.) is in his first season with Emporia State and has made five starts at shortstop. Unrein has a pair of hits, one home run, three walks and two runs scored, while posting a 1.000 fielding percentage in the early stages of the season.
Infielder Gus Keller (Fr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has made two starts and has played in four games to begin his freshman season with the Hornets. Keller has drawn three walks and scored a pair of runs on the season.
Utility Andy Pacheco (R-Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has made five starts across three positions to start the season, and is batting .278 through his five games played. Pacheco has one double, one run scored.
Utility Dominic Felix (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in his first season with the Hornets and has started four games in three different positions while playing in five. Felix is 5-15 at the plate with a double and two runs scored.
Outfielder/First Baseman Noah Steele (Jr./Prairie Village, Kan.) has made five starts, will all coming in right field. Steele has put together a strong start to the season, posting a .450 batting average with a home run, three RBI, three doubles and six runs scored. His 15 total bases and .750 slugging percentage also lead the Hornets.
Outfielder Elijah Reeves (Jr./Casper, Wyo.) has started six games in centerfield in his first season at Emporia State, Reeves is batting .250, but leads the Hornets in walks and has a .500 OBP while scoring three runs.
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started six games in his first season with the Hornets, with all six coming in the corner outfield positions. Schwindt is batting .318 and has one home run, four RBI, one double and three runs scored.
ON THE MOUND
Cade Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has 38 career appearances with two this season. In 2024, Barton earned Honorable Mention All-MIAA despite suffering a late season injury as he posted a 3.18 ERA in 62.1 innings pitched. His first start this season came at the HSU Invitational against Southern Arkansas, as he allowed two run in 3.0 innings pitched.
Ian Lanik (Sr./Eagle, Neb.) is in year three with the Hornets and has pitched in 33 career games. This season, all four of Lanik's appearances have come out of the bullpen as he has picked up three saves on the season. Lanik has pitched 4.2 scoreless innings on the season with eight strikeouts.
Trent Warstler (Sr./Celina, Texas) has made two starts this season and has pitched a team-high 10.2 innings in his two outings. Warstler has struck out seven batters this season and has 49 strikeouts across 18 appearances the last two seasons for the Hornets.
Eli Hernandez (Sr./Ontario, Calif.) is in his second season with the Hornets and made 17 relief appearances in 2024. In his two appearances this season, Hernandez has pitched 8.0 innings and has 10 strikeouts.
Seth Stover (So./Columbus, Kan.) is in his second season with the Hornets and has 15 career appearances and 13 starts. Stover has made two starts this season and has tallied 4.0 innings in both outings, while striking out eight batters.
Tanner Dawe (Sr./London, Ontario) has 15 career appearances and has made two this season. Dawe has totaled 4.2 innings with five strikeouts and a .176 opponent batting average. His first appearance was an eight-out save against East Central on opening weekend.
Graeme Rios (Jr./Houston, Texas) has made two appearances in his first season with the Hornets, including one start. Rios' first outing came in the season opener against MSU Denver as he pitched 3.0 scoreless relief innings, and his first start came against Henderson State. He has five strikeouts and has posted a 3.52 ERA in 7.2 innings.
Grant Huffman (Sr./Lee's Summit, Mo.) is in his third season at Emporia State and has 15 career appearances with two this season. Huffman has pitched 4.1 scoreless innings to start 2025 and has six strikeouts.
Brandon Vassalo (Jr./Santa Fe, Texas) has made three relief appearances for Emporia State in his first season with the program. Vassalo has pitched 4.1 innings and has two strikeouts while allowing a .154 batting average.
Coby Rogers (Sr./Fenton, Mo.) is in year two with the Hornets and has two appearances on the season. Rogers has pitched 4.0 relief innings and has six strikeouts and opponents have a .154 batting average against him.
HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State is playing their 74th season of baseball in 2025 and have won over 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.
