Hornet Baseball Takes on Tigers in Midweek at Trusler

Baseball | 4/8/2025 4:08:00 PM

Game 33
Emporia State Hornets (16-16, 9-12 MIAA)
vs. #27 Fort Hays State Tigers (23-9, 17-4 MIAA)
Wednesday, April 9 • 4:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • Turnbull Baseball Field
Series History: ESU leads 152-70 • Last Meeting: FHSU 15, ESU 5 (3/25/25)
The MIAA Network • Live Stats • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Washburn • April 11-13 • Emporia, Kan. • Turnbull Baseball Field

QUICK HITS

• The Hornets and Tigers are meeting for the second of three times this season, with Emporia State falling in the first matchup in Hays.
• Emporia State is playing their eighth ranked game of the season, the most in a season 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. 

ROUND TWO AGAINST THE TIGERS
Emporia State returns home on Wednesday afternoon as they take on Fort Hays State in the second of three midweek matchups between the Hornets and Tigers this season. The Hornets game against the Tigers begins a five-game home stand with the Turnpike Tussle coming up this weekend.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State traveled to Warrensburg, Mo. for a weekend series against #1 Central Missouri. The Hornets rallied in game one from down 13-4, eventually loading the bases in the seventh down 13-10 but were unable to inch any closer. In game, the Hornets again rallied in the seventh, scoring four runs to take 5-4 lead but ultimately fell 6-5 in ten innings. On Monday afternoon in the finale, the Hornets got a career-high 8.1 innings from senior Cade Barton but fell 3-2 on a walk-off single.

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 16-16 this season and 9-12 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 .381 which ranks eighth in the MIAA. The junior from Prairie Village hit .500 last week, including three straight multi-hit games with a home run in the series against Central Missouri. Peyton Lewis and Dominic Felix are both batting over .300 on the season, and 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 TIGERS
Fort Hays State is #27 in the latest ABCA Coaches Poll and hold a 23-9 record, 17-4 in the MIAA. The Tigers are nearing their highest win total under their head coach Justin Wichert, which 25 last season, and are currently atop the MIAA standings. The offense is led by Tony Moore and Trey Degarmo who are both hitting over .350 on the season. Moore is batting .384 and has nine extra-base hits and 21 RBI. Degarmo is hitting .355 and is the team leader in doubles, home runs and runs scored. His 11 home runs on the season are currently ranked fourth in the MIAA. Other key bats for the Tigers include Brady Kreutzer, Derek Woolwine and Elliott Herrmann. In the last matchup, Fort Hays State used just two pitchers, Mike Acierno and Brett Jacobs. Jacobs is one of three relievers with double-digit relief outings this season, and is joined by Brandon Chavez and Kaleb Carpenter. Carpenter has a team-high 17 appearances and Chavez has struck out 39 in 32.2 innings across 15 appearances. 

UP NEXT
Emporia State will continue their home stand on the weekend against Washburn on April 11-13. The series will include Pack the Park on Saturday, April 12, featuring a first pitch ceremony and dedication of Turnbull Field.

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 third 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 177 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 (615) and seventh in base hits (178). 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 .276 this season with five home runs, 20 RBI and 27 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 ten 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 .304 batting average in 28 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 25 of his 28 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 .284 average and .456 OBP this season. Padilla has played second base and all three outfield positions and has four stolen bases while also being the lone Hornet with multiple triples on the year.

COOP AND A BLAST
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started 28 of 29 games for Emporia State in his first year with the Hornets. Schwindt has six home runs, seven doubles, 26 RBI and a .287 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 .381 this season in the heart of the Hornet batting order and has a team-high ten home runs while also leading Emporia State with 43 hits, 35 RBI and a 1.164 OPS. Steele has also reached base in 28 of 30 starts this season and has 11 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 four starts this season, including the nod in each of the three MIAA midweek matchups. Grijalva has 14 strikeouts in 17.1 innings while allowing just a .254 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.

PACK THE PARK
On Saturday, April 12, for game two of the Turnpike Tussle 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.