Baseball | 5/6/2025 4:36:00 PM
Game 48
MIAA Tournament First Round
#9 Emporia State Hornets (23-24, 16-20 MIAA)
vs. #8 Missouri Southern Lions (26-24, 18-18 MIAA)
Wednesday, May 7 • 1:00 p.m. • Joplin, Mo. • Warren Turner Field
Series History: ESU leads 73-57 •
Last Meeting: ESU 2, MSSU 0 (3/30/25)
The MIAA Network •
Live Stats •
Tickets •
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Winner advances to MIAA Quarterfinals • Thursday, May 8 • Joplin, Mo.Â
QUICK HITS
- Emporia State earned the ninth seed in the MIAA Tournament, making their return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
- The matchup between the Hornets and Lions is the first MIAA Tournament meeting since 2017, and the eighth overall between the two teams.
- The Hornets' 23 regular season wins and .444 winning percentage in the MIAA this season are the best marks since the 2019 season.
- Emporia State has 70 home runs this season, which is tied for the most by an Emporia State team since the 2016 season.
- The Hornets took the season series over the Lions, 2-1 in late March, which featured a 2-0 rubber match win behind Wednesday's expected starter Cade Barton.
BACK IN THE TOURNEY
Emporia State earned the ninth seed in the MIAA Tournament and is set for a first round matchup against Missouri Southern. The Hornets are returning to the MIAA Tournament for the first time since the 2022 season.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets went on the road last weekend to take on Northwest Missouri in Maryville and struggled against the Bearcats. Northwest Missouri scored first in all three games, forcing Emporia State to play from behind throughout the weekend. The Hornets entered the final three innings tied or trailing by just one run in all three games, but were unable to complete comebacks against the Bearcats, falling in all three matchups.
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 23-24 this season and 16-20 in the MIAA, as they earned the ninth seed in this week's MIAA Tournament. The Hornets are led offensively by Noah Steele who is batting .368 which ranks sixth in the MIAA. The junior from Prairie Village has a 1.149 OPS and 15 home runs, which rank seventh and fifth in the association respectively. In addition to 15 home runs from Steele, five Hornets have seven or more homers on the season. Four Hornets have drawn 22 or more walks this season, including TJ Racherbaumer who leads the way with 31 and has 122 in his career, which ranks fourth in program history. In addition to walks, Racherbaumer ranks inside the top ten in six more career categories. On the mound, the weekends have been highlighted by Cade Barton and Seth Stover who have 4.80 and 4.25 ERA's respectively. The pair have combined to strikeout 83 batters and allow just 17 walks in 132.0 combined innings. Nick Woodcock has also continuously increased his role for the Hornets, and has tallied 20 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched over his last four outings. The bullpen has seen four pitchers make 11 or more relief appearances, including Ryan Sauter who has a 4.74 ERA in 16 appearances, while holding a .207 batting average against. Ian Lanik has pitched in a team-high 17 games and has seven saves which is third in the MIAA and the most by a Hornet pitcher since 2017.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern is 26-24 this season, and finished 18-18 in the MIAA to earn the eighth seed in the MIAA Tournament at their home field in Joplin, Mo. The Lions are making their sixth straight appearance and have only missed the tournament four times in 18 seasons under Bryce Darnell. Offensively, Drew Townsend leads the way with a .369 average and a 1.120 OPS. Townsend also has a team-high 11 home runs, 15 doubles, .626 slugging and .494 OBP. Brayden Luikart, Ethan Clark and Jacob Filip are also all hitting .315 or better on the season. Luikart and Clark and hitting .338 and .336 respectively, with Clark leading the Lions with 54 RBI, including seven games with four or more. On the mound, Cole Gayman, Casey Stalzer and Kyle Moore have been pivotal to the Lion pitching staff. Gayman has struck out 74 batters in a team-high 59.1 innings and was an All-American in 2024.Â
UP NEXT
Emporia State will travel to Joplin, Mo. for the MIAA Tournament which begins on Wednesday, May 7 for seeds 7-10, with the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 8.
TOP OF THE HILL
Head coach Brad Hill is in his second season as the head coach at Emporia State and is 44-53 back at this alma mater. Hill has won 930 games in his 26 seasons as a four year head coach, and including his three seasons at Hutchinson Community College from 1988-90, he has won 1,013 games in 28-plus seasons in his head coaching career. Hill was twice named Big 12 and ABCA Midwest Coach of the Year at K-State and won a national championship in 2003 at Central Missouri.
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 points below the 2023 mark and dropped the opponent batting average against from .316 to .303.
TOP TEN TJ
Catcher TJ Racherbaumer (Sr./Herrmann, Mo.) is in year four with the Hornets and has played in 192 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 (122), fourth in at-bats (662), fifth in base hits (199), seventh in doubles (40), tied for seventh in home runs (28), ninth in runs scored (144). 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 .328 this season with six home runs, 40 RBI and 48 runs scored. Myers holds a 15-game hitting streak entering the MIAA Tournament and is hitting .414 in that span, with ten doubles, 20 RBI and eight multi-hit games. He is also hitting .317 in 90 career games for the Hornets.
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 include 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 .341 with 22 extra-base hits and 31 RBI.
KING FELIX
Utility Dominic Felix (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) has played both corner infield positions this season and has a .285 batting average in 43 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 38 of his 43 starts while doing so in 19 of his last 21 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 36 games across all three outfield positions and second base. Padilla is batting .310 and reaching base at a .454 rate while stealing five bases and being one of four players with multiple triples this season.
COOP AND A BLAST
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Jr./Shawnee, Kan.) has started 46 games for Emporia State in his first year with the Hornets. Schwindt has seven home runs, 11 doubles, 34 RBI and a .263 average while also being third on the team in RBI and doubles on the season.
TAKE ME TO THE ER
Outfielder Elijah Reeves (Jr./Casper, Wyo.) has played in 38 games and while he is hitting .256 in 90 at-bats, Reeves has drawn 17 walks and been a ball-magnet, being hit by a pitch nine times en route to a .415 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 .368 this season in the heart of the Hornet batting order and has a team-high 15 home runs while also leading Emporia State with 63 hits, 53 RBI and a 1.149 OPS. Steele has also reached base in 41 of 45 starts this season and has 17 multi-hit games. He was named Second Team All-MIAA in the outfield.
HOLY TOLEDO
First Basemen Jovanni Toledo (So./Tucson, Ariz.) has eight home runs, six doubles and 33 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 .303 in 56 career games over his first two seasons at Emporia State.
CONSISTENT CADE
Pitcher Cade Barton (Sr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has 49 appearances and 34 starts in his Emporia State career. Barton is posting a 4.80 ERA in 60.0 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 seven 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 13 starts this season and is up to 24 starts and 26 appearances in his two seasons with the Hornets. Stover is posting a 4.25 ERA in 72.0 innings, while striking out 44 with just 15 walks allowed. He currently ranks eighth in the MIAA in innings pitched and seventh in walks allowed. Stover has also pitched 5.0 or more innings in eight of his 12 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 17 appearances and has converted seven saves. His seven 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 24.2 innings across 16 appearances and has a 1-1 record with one save and 26 strikeouts. Sauter has 18 strikeouts and just seven earned runs allowed over his last 14.2 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 nine 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 seven of his nine appearances.
GUTTY GRAEME
Pitcher Graeme Rios (Jr./Houston, Texas) has 14 appearances and six starts in his first year with Emporia State, including starts in four Friday games. Rios holds a 5-2 record and has 26 strikeouts on the season, including his fifth win of the season after 5.2 relief innings with three strikeouts in game one against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
G2 TUESDAY
Pitcher Gerardo Grijalva (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in his first year at Emporia State and has seven starts this season, including the nod in five of the six MIAA midweek matchups. Grijalva has 17 strikeouts in 26.0 innings while allowing just a .258 opponent batting average.
RANKED MATCHUPS
Emporia State's ranked win over #23 Rogers State at the Trusler Sports Complex earlier this season 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 Hornets have played nine ranked matchups this season, the most since 2019.
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 70 home runs, which currently ranks third in the MIAA this season, and is tied for the most by a Hornet team since 2016. Five Hornets have hit eight or more home runs this season, including junior Noah Steele who has a team-high 15 which ranks 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 in their last road series 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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.
