Home Stand for Hornet Baseball Wraps Up Against Jets

Baseball | 3/20/2025 2:55:00 PM

Games 22-24
Emporia State Hornets (11-10, 4-6 MIAA)
vs Newman Jets (8-15, 4-10 MIAA)
Friday, March 21 • 3:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Turnbull Baseball Field
Saturday, March 22 • 2:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Turnbull Baseball Field
Sunday, March 23 • 1:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Turnbull Baseball Field
Series History: ESU leads 61-24 • Last Meeting: NU 8, ESU 3 (4/29/24)

SPRING BREAK WRAP UP
Emporia State concludes their seven-game spring break home stand with a three-game series against Newman this weekend at Trusler Sports Complex.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State hosted Missouri Western on Tuesday afternoon, starting the MIAA midweek series between the Hornets and Griffons. The Hornets got an early jump on the Griffons, getting out to a 7-0 lead in the first two innings, highlighted by a three-run home run from Noah Steele in the second frame. Emporia State got a strong start from Gerardo Grijalva and held off a late rally by the Griffons to close out the game with 10-9 win. Grijalva picked up his first career win and Ian Lanik, who pitched the ninth, recorded his fifth save of the season.

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 11-10 this season and 4-6 in the MIAA after taking the midweek matchup against Missouri Western last time out, and winning six of their last seven games. Their series win over Rogers State last weekend was the first ranked series win for Emporia State since 2019. The Hornets are hitting .285 as a team this season, and over .350 in the last seven games. Peyton Lewis has a team-high .379 average and has five consecutive multi-hit games, while driving in 14 runs in the past five. Dominic Felix and Cooper Schwindt are hitting .368 and .356 respectively while TJ Racherbaumer is hitting .324 with a .446 OBP. On the mound, Seth Stover and Cade Barton lead the way with 33.0 and 22.0 innings pitched, and Stover has gone at least 6.0 innings in his last three starts. In the bullpen, Ian Lanik has a team-high ten appearances and has five saves, which is tied for the most by a Hornet since 2017.

SCOUTING THE JETS
Newman is 8-15 this season and 4-10 in the MIAA and are coming off a narrow 25-24, 12-inning loss in the midweek against Missouri Southern. The game against the Lions was a season-high in hits, runs, and home runs for the Jets. Newman is batting .314 as a team and Trent Trammell has a team-high .462 average. Blake Mitchell has driven in a team-high 30 runs with five home runs and eight doubles. The Jets have struggled on the mound, posting a 9.50 ERA and allowing a .315 opponent batting average. Gio De Graauww has pitched a team-best 3.86 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

UP NEXT
Emporia State will hit the road in the midweek for a matchup with #27 Fort Hays State which kicks off an eight-game roadtrip which includes road series' against (RV) Missouri Southern and #2 Central Missouri.

TOP OF THE HILL
Brad Hill is in his second season at the helm of the Hornet Baseball program and has a 33-38 record. Hill has a career record of 919-520-3 in 28 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 919 wins in his 28th 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 451 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 166 career games. Racherbaumer has played in all 21 games this season, making 20 starts and 18 behind the plate. He is batting .324 on the season, with four home runs, four doubles and a team-high 12 walks and 17 runs scored. Racherbaumer has drawn 103 career walks, which ranks fourth in Emporia State history. He also ranks sixth in career at-bats and seventh in hits while nearing the top ten in home runs, doubles, and games played.
Dylan Brisbois (R-So./Omaha, Neb.) has started four games, and played in six games this season. Brisbois is batting .267 and has reached base in six of 17 plate appearances.
Austin Lynn (R-Fr./North Las Vegas, NV) has made four and played in six games after redshirting in 2024. Lynn has reached base four times, a walk and a run scored.

AROUND THE HORN
First Basemen/Designated Hitter Jovanni Toledo (So./Tucson, Ariz.) has started 14 games for the Hornets and played in 16 games this season. Toledo has two home runs and 13 RBI, including a game-tying, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning of the series finale against Rogers State.
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 is batting .292 this season and has four home runs, 12 RBI, eight extra-base hits and 18 runs scored. 
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 .379 across 18 games played and has a team-high five home runs, 1.143 OPS, and .712 slugging percentage. Lewis has three home runs and 14 RBI in his last five games.
Infielder Brady Unrein (Fr./Wichita, Kan.) is in his first season with Emporia State and has made 17 starts at shortstop. Unrein has four home runs, 11 RBI, two doubles and 15 runs scored and delivered the walk-off two-run home run in the series finale against Rogers State.
Utility Andy Pacheco (R-Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has made nine starts across three positions to start the season and played in 17 games. Pacheco has six hits and seven RBI on the season.
Utility Dominic Felix (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in his first season with the Hornets and has started 17 games and is batting .368 with three home runs, eight RBI, five doubles and 12 runs scored while reaching base at a .403 clip. Felix has also posted a team-high eight multiple hit games and has reached base in 15 of his last 17 games played.
Utility Sammy Padilla (RS-Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has played in 12 games and made ten starts, including nine of the last ten games over the past three weeks. Padilla has started at second base, left field and center field in his six starts and is batting .276 while driving in six runs and scoring seven of his own.
Outfielder Noah Steele (Jr./Prairie Village, Kan.) has made 19 starts and played in 20 games in his first season with the Hornets and has settled into the heart of the order for Emporia State. Steele has four home runs, 17 RBI, five doubles, 14 runs scored and 26 hits. Steele has also reached base in 15 of the last 17 games.
Outfielder Elijah Reeves (Jr./Casper, Wyo.) has started 11 games in centerfield in his first season at Emporia State, Reeves is batting .267, but has drawn eight walks and seven HBP as he has a team-high .511 OBP in 45 plate appearances.
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started 20 games in the corner outfield positions in his first season with the Hornets and is batting .300 with five doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and a .388 OBP in 82 plate appearances. 

ON THE MOUND
Seth Stover (So./Columbus, Kan.) is in his second season with the Hornets and has 19 career appearances and 17 starts. Stover has made six starts this season and has pitched a team-high 33.0 innings in his six outings, including 20.0 across his last two starts, with just two earned runs allowed while tallying 12 strikeouts. Stover also ranks in the top ten in the MIAA in innings pitched, ERA and walks allowed.
Cade Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has 42 career appearances with six 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 22.0 innings this season as he progresses back from injury, and has pitched 16.0 innings with 16 strikeouts in his last three starts.
Gerardo Grijalva (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in his first season with the Hornets and has made his first two career starts with the Hornets over the last two weeks. In the last game against Missouri Western, Grijalva allowed two runs over 5.0 innings with five strikeouts to pick up his first career win.
Ian Lanik (Sr./Eagle, Neb.) is in year three with the Hornets and has pitched in 39 career games. This season, all ten of Lanik's appearances have come out of the bullpen as he has picked up five saves on the season, which ranks third in the MIAA and he has pitched 13.1 innings with 17 strikeouts.
Eli Hernandez (Sr./Ontario, Calif.) is in his second season with the Hornets and made 18 relief appearances in 2024. In his five appearances this season, Hernandez has pitched 20.0 innings and has 24 strikeouts, including a season-high six strikeouts against Hillsdale. 
Graeme Rios (Jr./Houston, Texas) has made six appearances in his first season with the Hornets, including two starts. Rios' first outing came in the season opener against MSU Denver as he pitched 3.0 scoreless relief innings and he has pitched 19.1 innings, while picking up three wins which is tied for sixth in the MIAA this season.
Trent Warstler (Sr./Celina, Texas) has made five starts this season and has pitched 20.0 innings in his six outings. Warstler has struck out 11 batters this season and has 53 strikeouts across 22 appearances the last two seasons for the Hornets.
Tanner Dawe (Sr./London, Ontario) has 18 career appearances and has made five this season. Dawe has totaled 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts. His first appearance was an eight-out save against East Central on opening weekend.
Grant Huffman (Sr./Lee's Summit, Mo.) is in his third season at Emporia State and has 17 career appearances with four this season. Huffman has pitched 7.2 innings in relief, and allowed a .250 batting average with ten strikeouts and has a 1-0 record.
Ryan Sauter (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) has six appearances this season and across 9.0 relief innings, he has seven strikeouts. Against Maryville, Sauter pitched a career-high 4.1 innings with four strikeouts.
Brandon Vassalo (Jr./Santa Fe, Texas) has made four relief appearances for Emporia State in his first season with the program. Vassalo has pitched 4.2 innings and has three strikeouts while allowing a .263 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.