Final Midweek Matchup as Hornet Baseball Travels to Take on Tigers

Baseball | 4/21/2025 4:00:00 PM

Game 41
Emporia State Hornets (21-19, 14-15 MIAA)
at #23 Fort Hays State Tigers (29-11, 23-6 MIAA)
Tuesday, April 22 • 4:00 p.m. • Hays, Kan. • Larks Park
Series History: ESU leads 152-71 • Last Meeting: FHSU 8, ESU 1 (4/9/25)
The MIAA Network • Live Stats • Listen • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Arkansas-Fort Smith • April 25-27 • Emporia, Kan. • Turnbull Field

QUICK HITS

• The Hornets and Tigers are meeting for the third time this season, wrapping up the midweek series between the two teams.
• Emporia State is playing their ninth ranked game of the season, the most in a season since 2019.
• In the last game against Northeastern State, the Hornets scored a season-high 20 runs in large part due to four RBI and a cycle by TJ Racherbaumer, as the senior become the second Hornet in the NCAA era to complete the cycle
• Emporia State scored 56 runs in the series against the Riverhawks, marking the most in a three-game series since the Hornets scored 58 in a sweep against Lincoln in 2016.

FINAL MIDWEEK MATCHUP
Emporia State's road trip to Hays on Tuesday marks the end of midweek MIAA action for the Hornets this season, as the Hornets and Tigers will wrap up their three-game midweek series, with Emporia State looking to salvage the series finale.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State traveled to Tahlequah, Okla. for a three-game slate against Northeastern State and showcased the offense, scoring 56 runs in the series and a season-high 20 in the series finale. The Hornets' 56 runs are the most in a three-game series since Emporia State scored 58 in a sweep of Lincoln in 2016. TJ Racherbaumer went 7-10 in the series with 10 RBI, including hitting for the cycle in the finale. Racherbaumer's cycle was just the second in the NCAA era for Emporia State, joining Christian Roduner who completed the cycle against Fort Hays State in 2021.

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 21-19 this season and 14-15 in the MIAA, as they are currently sixth in the MIAA standings, with teams 5-8 all holding a 14-15 MIAA record. The Hornets are led offensively by Noah Steele who is batting .372 which ranks ninth in the MIAA. The junior from Prairie Village has hit 13 home runs this season and has a 1.151 OPS, which both rank fifth in the association. In addition to 13 home runs from Steele, six Hornets have seven or more homers on the season. Four Hornets have drawn 20 or more walks this season, including TJ Racherbaumer who leads the way with 24 and is currently ranked in the top ten in seven career offensive categories in Emporia State history. On the mound, the weekend's have been highlighted by Cade Barton and Seth Stover who have 3.35 and 4.45 ERA's respectively. The pair have combined to strikeout 68 batters and allow just 14 walks in 114.1 combined innings. Nick Woodcock has also continuously increased his role for the Hornets, including pitching a career-high 4.0 innings with eight strikeouts in his first career start against Northeastern State. The bullpen has seen five pitchers make nine or more relief appearances, including Ryan Sauter who has a 3.92 ERA in 12 appearances, while striking out 13 in his last 9.1 innings. Ian Lanik has pitched in a team-high 14 games, and has six saves which is third in the MIAA and the most by a Hornet pitcher since 2017.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 29-11 this season and 23-6 in the MIAA, while ranking #23 in the latest ABCA Coaches Poll. The Tigers are hitting .302 as a team and have three hitters with a .333 average or higher this season. Tony Moore and Trey DeGarmo have been focal points in the offense with Moore hitting .392 with a 1.150 OPS and 11 doubles while DeGarmo is tied for fifth in the MIAA with 13 home runs while driving in 52 on the season. Five Tiger pitchers have double-digit appearances this season, with Ty Riley and Cade Flaherty being staples in the weekend rotation. The bullpen has featured Brandon Chavez and Kaleb Carpenter who have combined for 38 relief appearances and 95 strikeouts across 83.0 relief innings.

UP NEXT
Emporia State will return home this weekend for the final home series of 2025, as they will host new MIAA member Arkansas-Fort Smith on April 25-27 at Turnbull Field. The three games will be the first ever matchups between the two teams.

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.

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 scheduled matchup between the Hornets and Tigers is the ninth ranked game for the Hornets this season, the most since the 2019 season. 

TOP TEN TJ
Catcher TJ Racherbaumer (Sr./Herrmann, Mo.) is in year four with the Hornets and has played in 185 career games, as he passed Tim Barger for seventh-most in Emporia State history. In addition to career games played, Racherbaumer ranks fourth in walks (112), fourth in at-bats (627), seventh in base hits (183), eighth in home runs (27), and tenth in runs scored (138). He also completed the cycle against Northeastern State, becoming the second Hornet to achieve it in the NCAA era.

MY OH MYERS
Infielder Logan Myers (So./Pittsburg, Kan.) is hitting .329 this season with five home runs, 33 RBI and 42 runs scored. Myers is 19-39 over the last eight games, with seven doubles and 13 RBI, while recording multiple hits in six of the last. He is also hitting .316 in 83 games over his first two seasons at Emporia State.

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 has eight home runs, the most by a Hornet freshman since TJ Racherbaumer tallied ten in 2022. His eight long balls includes a walk-off, two-run homer in the tenth inning of the series finale against Rogers State to seal the series win.

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, and has 14 on the season. Lewis is hitting .338 with 19 extra-base hits and 28 RBI.

KING FELIX
Utility Dominic Felix (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) has played both corner infield positions this season and has a .300 batting average in 36 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 33 of his 36 starts while doing so in each of the last 14 games.

SPEEDING SAMMY
Utility Sammy Padilla (R-Fr./Tucson, Ariz.) has become an important utility player for the Hornets in his second season in Emporia, playing in 30 games across all three outfield positions and second base. Padilla is batting .262 and reaching base at a .432 rate whie stealing four bases and being one of four players with multiple triples this season.

COOP AND A BLAST
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started 39 games for Emporia State in his first year with the Hornets. Schwindt has seven home runs, ten doubles, 33 RBI and a .293 average while also being second on the team in RBI doubles on the season.

TAKE ME TO THE ER
Outfielder Elijah Reeves (Jr./Casper, Wyo.) has played in 34 games and while he is hitting .265 in 83 at-bats, Reeves has drawn 16 walks and been a ball-magnet, being hit by a pitch nine times en route to a .427 OBP. Reeves has also stolen nine bases this season. In the series opener against Washburn, Reeves went 4-5 with four RBI, marking career-highs in both in the 14-8 win against the Ichabods.

STEELE TRAP
Outfielder/First Basemen Noah Steele (Jr./Prairie Village, Kan.) is hitting .372 this season in the heart of the Hornet batting order and has a team-high 13 home runs while also leading Emporia State with 54 hits, 46 RBI and a 1.151 OPS. Steele has also reached base in 35 of 38 starts this season and has 14 multi-hit games. He has also recorded an RBI in 11 of the last 12 games with 18 total in that span.

HOLY TOLEDO
First Basemen Jovanni Toledo (So./Tucson, Ariz.) has seven home runs, six doubles and 28 RBI this season. Toledo's biggest hit of the season was 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. Toledo is hitting .480 over his last seven games, including a 4-5 game with five RBI in the series opener against Northeastern State.

CONSISTENT CADE
Pitcher Cade Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has 47 appearances and 32 starts in his Emporia State career. Barton is posting a 3.35 ERA in 53.2 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 five of his last six 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 Washburn marked the 13th 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 ten starts this season and is up to 22 starts and 24 appearances in his two seasons with the Hornets. Stover is posting a 4.45 ERA in 60.2 innings, while striking out 37 with just 12 walks allowed. He currently ranks 12th in the MIAA in innings pitched and fourth in walks allowed. Stover has also pitched 5.0 or more innings in seven of his ten starts this season and has pitched 7.0 innings in three outings.

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 14 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.

SOUGHT AFTER SAUTER
Pitcher Ryan Sauter (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) has pitched 19.2 innings across 12 appearances and has a 1-1 record with one save and 21 strikeouts. Sauter has 13 strikeouts and just four earned runs allowed over his last 13.0 innings, including no earned runs and three strikeouts in a three inning save in the opener against Washburn, the first save of his career.

CHOPPING WOOD
Pitcher Nick Woodcock (Whitby, Ontario) is in year one at Emporia State and has eight appearances. 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. His first start came in the last series against Northeastern State, as Woodcock struck out eight in a career-high 4.0 innings pitched. Woodcock has also struck out three or more batters in six of his eight appearances.

GUTTY GRAEME
Pitcher Graeme Rios (Jr./Houston, Texas) has 11 appearances and six starts in his first year with Emporia State, including starts in four Friday games. Rios holds a 4-2 record and has 21 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 five MIAA midweek matchups. Grijalva has 17 strikeouts in 26.0 innings while allowing just a .250 opponent batting average.

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.

POWER SURGE
On the season, the Hornets have a team total of 64 home runs, which currently ranks third in the MIAA this season. Six Hornets have hit seven or more home runs this season, including junior Noah Steele who has a team-high 13 which ranks tied for fifth in the MIAA. As a team, Emporia State has homered three or more times in a game 12 times this season, with a season-high six in an 18-11 win over Maryville (3/7).

HOW SWEEP IT IS
In addition to winning the series against Newman at the end of spring break, which was the first series sweep for the Hornets since 2021, Emporia State's sweep of Northeastern State last time out marked the first time since 2019 that the Hornets have picked up multiple series sweeps in the same season.

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.