Baseball | 2/27/2025 4:00:00 PM
Games 11-13
Emporia State Hornets (5-5)
vs. Central Oklahoma Bronchos (10-4)
Saturday, March 1 • 3:00 p.m. • Turnbull Baseball Field • Emporia, Kan.
Sunday, March 2 • 2:00 p.m. • Turnbull Baseball Field • Emporia, Kan.
Monday, March 3 • 1:00 p.m. • Turnbull Baseball Field • Emporia, Kan.
Series Record: ESU leads 150-74 •
Last Meeting: UCO 9, ESU 6 (3/30/24)
Video: The MIAA Network •
Live Stats: esuhornets.com
Up Next: vs. Hillsdale • Mar. 7 • St. Louis, Mo.
HOME SWEET HOME
Emporia State is set for a three-game series against Central Oklahoma at Trusler Sports Complex, the home opening series for the Hornets in 2025.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets traveled to Pittsburg State for a road series to open MIAA action. The Gorillas took the first two games on Sunday, before Emporia State answered back with an 11-7 win on Monday afternoon in the series finale. Emporia State jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the third inning, highlighted by a Logan Myers grand slam before holding Pittsburg State down the stretch.
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 5-5 through the first ten games of the season and are 1-2 in the MIAA following their road series against Pittsburg State last weekend. The Hornets are hitting .259 as a team with a .347 OBP on the season. Noah Steele, TJ Racherbaumer and Cooper Schwindt are all hitting above .300 with more than 30 at-bats this season, with Steele hitting .387. TJ Racherbaumer has a team-high three home runs, and has scored ten runs while posting a .450 OBP. In addition to those three, Dominic Felix also has double-digit hits, as he is 11-23 in just seven games played. On the mound, nine pitchers have made three or more appearances this season, with Seth Stover and Trent Warstler each leading the way with three starts. In the bullpen, Ian Lanik has a team-high five appearances, which has led to three saves and ten strikeouts while allowing one run in 6.2 innings.
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma is 10-4 on the season and 1-2 in the MIAA as the Bronchos dropped two of three on the road against Washburn last weekend to begin their conference slate. Offensively, the Bronchos rank third in slugging percentage and second in stolen bases and are led by a trio of seniors that are hitting .348 or above to begin the season. Grant Randall and Ty Chapman are batting .368 and .367 respectively while ranking first and second in hits for the Bronchos. Caden Robertson is batting .348 with six doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI, and a team-high OPS of 1.214.On the mound, Brett Pense and Caleb Burchfield have 17.0 and 16.0 innings pitched this season, with Pense leading the Bronchos with 24 strikeouts and a 1-0 record. In the bullpen, five pitchers have five or more appearances, including senior Valek Cisneros who has four saves on the season and 23 in his career at Central Oklahoma.
UP NEXT
Emporia State hits the road for their final non-conference weekend of the season as they travel to St. Louis, Mo. for two games against Hillsdale and one against Maryville.
TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his second season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 26-34 record. Hill has a career record of 912-516-3 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 912 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 444 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 155 career games. Racherbaumer has played in all ten games this season, making nine starts and eight behind the plate. He is batting .313 on the season, with three home runs, three doubles and a team-high six walks and ten runs scored.
Dylan Brisbois (R-So./Omaha, Neb.) has started four games, with one behind the plate three in the DH spot this season. Brisbois is batting .286 and has reached base in six of 16 plate appearances.
Austin Lynn (R-Fr./North Las Vegas, NV) has made two starts this season after redshirting in 2024. Lynn is 2-9 with two RBI, a walk and a run scored.
AROUND THE HORN
First Basemen/Designated Hitter Jovanni Toledo (So./Tucson, Ariz.) has started all ten games for the Hornets, with nine 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 seven games at second base, and is batting .200 after closing the Pittsburg State series 3-7 in the last two games, which included a grand slam and six RBI.
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 .241 with an OBP of .313 through seven 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 eight starts at shortstop. Unrein has three hits, one home run, four walks and four runs scored, while posting a 1.000 fielding percentage in the early stages of the season.
Utility Andy Pacheco (R-Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has made seven starts across three positions to start the season, and is batting .208 with a .296 OBP and four RBI through his eight games played.
Utility Dominic Felix (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in his first season with the Hornets and has started six games across three positions, with four starts at third base. Felix is off to a strong start at the plate, hitting .478 with three doubles, one home run, four RBI, and three runs scored.
Outfielder/First Baseman Noah Steele (Jr./Prairie Village, Kan.) has made eight starts in right field and is batting .387 to begin his first season with the Hornets. Steele has a team-high 12 hits with four doubles, a home run, six RBI and nine runs scored. He is slugging .613 with an OPS of 1.037, which is third for the Hornets.
Outfielder Elijah Reeves (Jr./Casper, Wyo.) has started eight games in centerfield in his first season at Emporia State, Reeves is batting .238, but has drawn five walks, as he has posted a .448 OBP across 29 plate appearances.
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started nine games in the corner outfield positions in his first season with the Hornets and is batting .303 with a double, home run, four RBI and a .351 OBP in 36 plate appearances.
Outfielder Gus Keller (Fr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has made three starts and has played in seven games to begin his freshman season with the Hornets. Keller has drawn four walks and reached base in six of 16 plate appearances.
ON THE MOUND
Cade Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has 39 career appearances with three 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. Barton has pitched 6.0 innings this season with three strikeouts and no walks allowed.
Ian Lanik (Sr./Eagle, Neb.) is in year three with the Hornets and has pitched in 34 career games. This season, all five of Lanik's appearances have come out of the bullpen as he has picked up three saves on the season. Lanik has pitched 6.2 innings and has recorded ten strikeouts with just three walks allowed, while only giving up one run.
Trent Warstler (Sr./Celina, Texas) has made three starts this season and has pitched 12.2 innings in his three outings. Warstler has struck out nine batters this season and has 51 strikeouts across 19 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 three appearances this season, Hernandez has pitched 11.0 innings and has 13 strikeouts.
Seth Stover (So./Columbus, Kan.) is in his second season with the Hornets and has 16 career appearances and 14 starts. Stover has made three starts this season and has pitched a team-high 13.0 innings in his three outings, while striking out 12 and allowing just two walks.
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 three 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 he has pitched 11.2 innings this season, posting a 3.52 ERA, while picking up two wins.
Grant Huffman (Sr./Lee's Summit, Mo.) is in his third season at Emporia State and has 16 career appearances with three this season. Huffman has pitched 5.1 innings in relief, and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out seven batters.
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.
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.
