Turnpike Tussle at Trusler as Hornet Baseball Hosts Ichabods

Baseball | 4/10/2025 3:48:00 PM

Games 34-36
Emporia State Hornets (16-17, 9-13 MIAA)
vs. Washburn Ichabods (19-19, 12-13 MIAA)
Friday, April 11 • 6:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Trusler Sports Complex
Saturday, April 12 • 2:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Trusler Sports Complex
Sunday, April 13 • 1:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Trusler Sports Complex
Series History: ESU leads 180-87-1 • Last Meeting: WU 9, ESU 7 (4/23/24)
The MIAA Network • Listen • Live Stats • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Missouri Western • April 15 • 5:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan.

QUICK HITS

• The Hornets and Ichabods are set for three games this weekend, adding to their total of 232 past meetings.
• Emporia State is hoping to turn the tide back in the favor in the Turnpike Tussle, as the Hornets are looking for their first series win over the Ichabods since 2019.
• Despite falling in all three games at #1 Central Missouri over the weekend, the Hornets brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the late innings of all three games, including in the ninth in the last two.

PACK THE PARK FOR THE TURNPIKE TUSSLE
Emporia State's home stand continues this weekend as they host the Washburn Ichabods in a three-game slate from the Trusler Sports Complex. For game two of the series on Saturday, Emporia State is hosting Pack the Park which features free admission, $2 hot dogs, ESU promo items and an easter egg hunt, while also including a field dedication and first pitch ceremony.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State hosted #27 Fort Hays State on Wednesday afternoon at Turnbull Field for the second of two midweek matchups this season between the Hornets and Tigers. The Hornets trailed for the entirety of the game, eventually falling 8-1 with the lone run coming off the bat of Noah Steele who went 2-4, recording his fourth straight multi-hit game.

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 16-17 this season and 9-13 in the MIAA with three of their four losses last week coming in walk-off fashion. The Hornets are led offensively by Noah Steele who is batting .385 which ranks eighth in the MIAA. The junior from Prairie Village has hit .500 over the last five games, including four straight multi-hit games and a home run in each game of the series against Central Missouri. In addition to ten home runs from Steele, four Hornets have five or more homers on the season. Logan Myers has a team-high 19 walks drawn this season, including three in game two of the series against Central Missouri, while Cooper Schwindt and TJ Racherbaumer each have 18 of their own. On the mound, Cade Barton and Seth Stover continued strong seasons in their last outings against Central Missouri. The bullpen has seen six different pitchers with six or more relief outings on the season, with Ian Lanik making a team-high 13 appearances and recording six saves, the most by a Hornet since Nathan Whitcomb had 11 saves in 2017.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn is 19-19 on the season and 12-13 in the MIAA, and are coming off a midweek 14-7 win over #3 Central Missouri in which they hit four home runs and had eight extra-base hits. As a team, the Ichabods are batting .299 on the season which is the fourth-best mark in the MIAA. They also lead the conference in home runs while ranking top three in doubles, slugging percentage and walks. Hayden Priest and Jackson Mervosh are hitting .354 and .342 respectively and both have seven home runs. Jett Buck is batting .325 and is second in the MIAA with 14 home runs and 49 RBI on the season. On the mound, Caleb Lunnon and Cooper Carlgren are tied for the most starts with nine, and Lunnon was recently named the MIAA and NCBWA Central Region Pitcher of the Week after throwing 13.0 scoreless innings with ten strikeouts over his last two starts. In the bullpen, five pitchers have ten or more relief appearances, including Max Clark and Kai Bennett who both 13 appearances of their own.

UP NEXT
Emporia State's five-game home stand will conclude with the midweek series finale against Missouri Western on Tuesday, April 15 at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets and Griffons have split the first two meetings this season.

CLIMB THE HILL
In 2024, Emporia State baseball not only improved their win total by three games from 2023 in the first season under head coach Brad Hill, but improved in a multitude of categories, both offensively and on the mound. The Hornets saw notable jumps in batting average, OPS, OBP and walks while dropping the number of strikeouts. On the mound, the Hornets put together a team ERA nearly 80 below the 2023 mark and dropped the opponent batting average against from .316 to .303.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
Emporia State's series win over Missouri Southern marked three consecutive weekend series wins for the Hornets after previously beating #23 Rogers State and Newman the two weekends prior. For the Hornets, the back-to-back-to-back series wins mark the first time since the 2019 season that Emporia State has won three consecutive series' over MIAA opponents.

RANKED MATCHUPS
Emporia State's ranked win over #23 Rogers State at the Trusler Sports Complex was the first series win over a ranked opponent for the Hornets since 2019 when Emporia State took two of three games from #18 Central Oklahoma on the road in Edmond. The three scheduled games between the Hornets and Mules will mark the first time since 2021 the Hornets will play more than six ranked games in a season.

POWER SURGE
On the season, the Hornets have a team total of 48 home runs, which currently ranks fourth in the MIAA this season. Five Hornets have hit five or more home runs this season, including junior Noah Steele who has a team-high ten which also ranks fifth in the MIAA. As a team, Emporia State has homered three or more times in a game nine times this season, with a season-high six in an 18-11 win over Maryville (3/7).

TOP TEN TJ
Catcher TJ Racherbaumer (Sr./Herrmann, Mo.) is in year four with the Hornets and has played in 178 career games, as he passed Bob Moore and Josh Stratman for eighth-most in Emporia State history. In addition to career games played, Racherbaumer ranks fourth in walks (109), fourth in at-bats (618) and seventh in base hits (180). He also has 23 home runs and 35 doubles in his career, which is near the top ten in both categories.

MY OH MYERS
Infielder Logan Myers (So./Pittsburg, Kan.) is hitting .283 this season with five home runs, 20 RBI and 28 runs scored. His first home run of the season came on the road against Pittsburg State in the series finale and was a grand slam, the second of his two-year career at Emporia State. Myers is one of two Hornets with at least 11 multi-hit games, and has three games with three hits this season.

BRADY BOMBS
Shortstop Brady Unrein (Fr./Wichita, Kan.) has become a consistent starter at shortstop for the Hornets in his first season, and along with strong defense, has brought a power element to the lineup. Unrein is tied for the team-high with seven home runs and has six in his last 16, including a walk-off, two-run homer in the tenth inning of the series finale against Rogers State.

FIRST IN A DECADE
Infielder Peyton Lewis (Sr./Kansas City, Mo.) is in year one with the Hornets and has made an immediate impact on the Emporia State lineup. Earlier this season, Lewis went 2-4 against Maryville (3/9), beginning a six-game streak of multi-hit games, becoming the first Hornet since Justin Harris in 2015 (7 games) to record more than five in a row. Lewis is batting .311 with 18 RBI this season.

KING FELIX
Utility Dominic Felix (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) has played both corner infield positions this season and has a .298 batting average in 29 starts. Similar to Lewis, Felix had a stretch of consecutive multi-hit games earlier this season, as he rattled off five in a row, including three games with three hits. Felix has also reached base in 26 of his 29 starts this season.

SPEEDING SAMMY
Utility Sammy Padilla (R-Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has found his way into the lineup in his second year with the Hornets after redshirting in 2024, and has a .268 average and .436 OBP this season. Padilla has played second base and all three outfield positions and has four stolen bases while also being one of two players with two triples on the season.

COOP AND A BLAST
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started 29 of 30 games for Emporia State in his first year with the Hornets. Schwindt has six home runs, seven doubles, 26 RBI and a .279 average while also being top three on the team in slugging percentage.

TAKE ME TO THE ER
Outfielder Elijah Reeves (Jr./Casper, Wyo.) has played in 27 games and while he is hitting .263 in 57 at-bats, Reeves has drawn 12 walks and been a ball-magnet, being hit by a pitch eight times en route to a .449 OBP. Reeves has also stolen six bases this season.

STEELE TRAP
Outfielder/First Basemen Noah Steele (Jr./Prairie Village, Kan.) is hitting .385 this season in the heart of the Hornet batting order and has a team-high ten home runs while also leading Emporia State with 45 hits, 36 RBI and a 1.158 OPS. Steele has also reached base in 29 of 31 starts this season and has 12 multi-hit games.

HOLY TOLEDO
First Basemen Jovanni Toledo (So./Tucson, Ariz.) has four home runs, four doubles and 18 RBI this season. Toledo's biggest hit of the season being a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth of the series finale against Rogers State, as the Hornets rallied to win the finale 9-8 in ten innings, securing the first ranked series win since 2019.

CONSISTENT CADE
Pitcher Cade Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has 45 appearances and 30 starts in his Emporia State career. Barton is posting a 2.89 ERA in 43.2 innings this season as he has worked back from an injury suffered in the final month of the 2024 season. Barton has gone 6.0 or more innings in each of his last four starts, including 7.1 shutout innings against Missouri Southern and 8.1 innings while allowing just three hits against #1 Central Missouri. His start against the Mules marked the 12th start for Barton of at least 6.0 innings pitched in the last two seasons.

HOT OFF THE STOVE
Pitcher Seth Stover (So./Columbus, Kan.) has made nine starts this season and is up to 20 starts and 22 appearances in his two seasons with the Hornets. Stover is off to a strong start through the first half of the season, posting a 3.16 ERA in 51.1 innings, while striking out 33 with just seven walks allowed. He currently ranks inside the top ten in ERA, innings pitched and walks allowed. Stover has also pitched 5.0 or more innings in six of his eight starts this season and has pitched 7.0 innings in three starts.

LATE INNING LANIK
Pitcher Ian Lanik (Sr./Eagle, Neb.) is in year three at Emporia State, and after tallying 29 starts over his first two years with the Hornets, has transitioned to the bullpen in 2025, where he has been a consistent arm at the back end. Lanik has a team-high 13 appearances, and has converted six saves. His six saves are the most in a single season by a Hornet pitcher since Nathan Whitcomb recorded 11 saves in 2017.

GUTTY GRAEME
Pitcher Graeme Rios (Jr./Houston, Texas) has nine appearances and five starts in his first year with Emporia State, including starts in each of the last four Friday games. Rios holds a 4-2 record and has 19 strikeouts on the season.

G2 TUESDAY
Pitcher Gerardo Grijalva (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in his first year at Emporia State and has five starts this season, including the nod in each of the four MIAA midweek matchups. Grijalva has 15 strikeouts in 20.0 innings while allowing just a .256 opponent batting average.

CHOPPING WOOD
Pitcher Nick Woodcock (Whitby, Ontario) is in year one at Emporia State and has six appearances, with his first coming against Central Oklahoma at the beginning of March. Woodcock struck out eight in three innings in a win against Maryville and struck out three against Missouri Southern in the series finale to seal the series win and earn a five-out save.

SOUGHT AFTER SAUTER
Pitcher Ryan Sauter (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) has pitched 15.2 innings across ten appearances and has a 1-1 record with 12 strikeouts. Sauter has seven strikeouts and just three earned runs allowed over his last 9.0 innings, including no earned runs and three strikeouts in 3.0 innings last week against Missouri Western.

HOW SWEEP IT IS
In addition to winning the series against Newman at the end of spring break, the Hornets' 10-5 win in the series finale against the Jets clinched the first series sweep for Emporia State since the 2021.

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.

LISTEN & WATCH LIVE
This weekend against the Ichabods, Hornet Baseball will be available on the Flagship radio station of the Hornet Sports Network, KFFX 104.9FM as the Voice of the Hornets Blake Cripps calls the action. The Turnpike Tussle will the first of two series' called by Cripps, with the final home series against Arkansas-Fort Smith on April 25-27 also being on the air.
Audio is also available on kvoe.com and the Audacy app and video webcasts for all of Emporia State's regular season games are available on a pay-per-view basis from the MIAA Digital Network. The MIAA Network content is available live and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event. Fans can find the action on www.themiaanetwork.com and on The MIAA Network apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.

PACK THE PARK
On Saturday, April 12, for game two of series between Emporia State and Washburn, Emporia State will be hosting Pack the Park at Trusler Sports Complex. The game will begin with a dedication of Turnbull Baseball Field and a first pitch ceremony. In addition, the day will include free admission, $2 hot dogs, ESU promo items and an Easter Eggstravaganza hosted by ESU SAAC.