Baseball | 2/19/2026 12:30:00 PM

Games 11-13
(RV) Emporia State Hornets (9-1, 0-0 MIAA)
at Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions (1-7, 0-0 MIAA)
Friday, Feb. 20 • 1:00 p.m. • Crowder Field • Fort Smith, Ark.
Saturday, Feb. 21 • 1:00 p.m. • Crowder Field • Fort Smith, Ark.
Sunday, Feb. 22 • 1:00 p.m. • Crowder Field • Fort Smith, Ark.
Series History: ESU leads 2-1 • Last Meeting: ESU 10, UAFS 3 (4/27/25)
Complete Notes in pdf • The MIAA Network • Live Stats 

MIAA ACTION OPENS IN ARKANSAS
Emporia State baseball travels to Fort Smith, Ark. for their MIAA opening series against the Lions. 

QUICK HITS

• Emporia State is off to a 9-1 start this season, which is the best start for the Hornets since the 2011 season.
• The Hornets are receiving votes in the latest ABCA Coaches Poll for the first time since the preseason poll in 2018 and are ranked #22 in the NCBWA poll.
• Colby Deaver has put together on of the best starts to a campaign in the D2 era for Emporia State, with 18.0 scoreless innings and 26 strikeouts in his first three starts in 2026.
• As a team, the Hornets have scored 111 runs through their first ten games, which is the most to begin a season since Emporia State scored 121 to open 2017. 

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has opened the season 9-1, marking their best start since opening 2011 with 15 straight wins. The Hornets received national recognition in the polls following their three wins at the Steve Anson Classic, receiving votes in the ABCA Coaches Poll for the first time since 2018 while also being ranked #22 in the latest NCBWA poll released on Wednesday. The Hornet offense is off to a blistering start through their first ten games, scoring 111 runs which is the most for Emporia State since the start to the 2017 season that saw 121 runs. 
Several Hornets have averages north of .300 so far this season, which includes freshman Evan Abbott who is hitting .347 with four doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI, which ranks top ten in the nation. Six more players have eight or more RBI, including Sammy Padilla and Dylan Brisbois who have 14 and 10 respectively. Logan Myers is off to his best start through ten games in year three as a Hornet, hitting .371 with a 1.157 OPS so far this season. Noah Steele, who was named a D2 Baseball Preseason All-American and NCBWA Preseason Central Region selection is hitting .351 with a team-best .547 on-base percentage. 
On the mound, the Hornets have a team ERA of 4.91 and have been highlighted by sophomore Colby Deaver. He has combined to throw 18.0 scoreless innings in his first three outings, the longest such start to a season in the D2 era for Emporia State, while striking out 26 batters, which is the most through three starts since Jake Barton (29) in 2020. Deaver is tied for the nations' lead in strikeout-to-walk ratio, ranks third in strikeouts, seventh in WHIP and is third in walks per nine innings among pitchers with more than 10.0 innings pitched. In the bullpen, six Hornets have made four or more relief appearances which includes Jake Khasaempanth, Owen Ruge and Quinton Chindamo who all have five or more. Grant Huffman has stood out for Emporia State to begin the season, making four relief appearances which includes two multi-innings saves and a 4.0 inning win in the last game against (RV/#23) MSU Denver. Huffman has not allowed a run and has allowed just five hits in 9.2 relief innings.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Arkansas-Fort Smith has opened the 2026 season 1-7, but have scored seven or more runs in five of their eight games and will play their home opening series against the Hornets this weekend. After falling in four games against GAC opponents at the HSU Invitation on the first weekend of February, the Lions played four games on the road against William Jewell and went 1-3 against the Cardinals. The Lions have put together a solid start at the plate to begin 2026, hitting .299 as a team with a host of players hitting above .300. CJ Snowden has started seven games and has a .400 average and has three home runs and seven RBI. Quinton Borders is hitting .344 on his own and has driven in a team-high nine runs through the first eight games. Layne Sweat and Caleb Eisenhower and hitting .378 and .375 respectively while both tallying seven RBI of their own, while Connor Earlywine is 7-7 on stolen bases, a top 25 mark in the nation. The pitching staff as a whole has struggled early, but Aden Almeida and Steffan Fak have both had multiple solid starts early in the season, with 1.74 and 3.12 ERAs respectively. 

ABOUT THE COACHES
John Martin is 9-1 in his first year with the Hornets. He is in his 11th season at the NCAA level after spending the previous ten at Central Oklahoma and has a 327-182-1 record. 
Todd Holland is 243-262 in his 12th season leading the Lions. Holland is also in year 23 as a head coach and has a 547-513 career record.

SIXTH SINCE '73
John Martin was named the head coach of Emporia State Baseball on August 25th, 2025 and is the sixth head coach of the Hornets since the 1973 season. Martin spent the previous ten seasons at MIAA foe Central Oklahoma, where the Bronchos won two MIAA championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on five occasions. The Emporia State alum went 318-181-1 in his tenure in Edmond, Okla. A native of Shawnee, Kan., Martin played one year at Hutchinson CC before coming to ESU for his three-year career as the starting catcher. During his senior season he hit .303 with 30 RBI and from his catcher position threw out 17 would be base stealers was the 2006 Roger Newell Award Winner. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 24th round of the draft. 

BEHIND THE PLATE
Dylan Brisbois (R-Jr./Omaha, Neb.) is in year four with the Hornets and has broken into the lineup consistently in a big way to begin 2026. Brisbois is batting .387 in nine games played and is one of three Hornets with double-digit RBI with ten of his own. He has tallied four multi-hit games, including three in the first four from Tucson to open the season. In addition to his strong start at the plate, Brisbois has thrown out four runners this season, including three in the first two games of the Steve Anson Classic last weekend.

AROUND THE DIAMOND
Logan Myers (Jr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 102 career games through his first two-plus seasons with the Hornets and has 14 home runs, 25 doubles, 80 RBI and a .319 batting average in his career. Through the first ten games of 2026, Myers is hitting .371 with four doubles, one triple, eight RBI, and has reached base at a .614 rate, which includes 18 walks, which is the second-best mark in the nation this season.

Noah Steele (Jr/Prairie Village, Kan.) hit .368 last season in the heart of the Hornet order and posted a team-high 15 home runs, while also leading the team with 64 hits, 53 RBI and a 1.144 OPS. Entering the 2026 season, Steele was named a Second Team Preseason All-American by D2 Baseball while also being named to the NCBWA All-Central Region Preseason Team. This season, Steele is hitting ..351 with three doubles and nine RBI. He has also drawn nine walks and been hit seven times on his way to a team-best .547 OBP.

Brady Unrein (So./Wichita, Kan.) has started 47 games in his Hornet career, with the first 45 coming at shortstop before lining up in centerfield in the last two games at the Steve Anson Classic. Unrein made his presence known as a freshman last season, tallying eight doubles and eight home runs while posting a .993 fielding percentage at shortstop. This season, Unrein is hitting .286 and has a .490 OBP through the first ten games on his way to scoring a team-high 19 runs so far.

Nathon Cruz (Jr./Oranjestad, Aruba) is in his first season with the Hornets and has made eight starts at the hot corner while posting a .364 batting average. Cruz has two doubles, one triple, one home run, eight RBI and nine runs scored so far this season

Dominic Felix (Sr./Tucson, Ariz.) is in year two at Emporia State and after playing both corner positions throughout the 2025 season, has added catcher to his list of positions this season. Felix has seven starts this season, with at least two at all three positions. He is hitting .318 with three doubles, six walks and seven RBI through those seven games.

Tyler Coffin (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has played in four games for the Hornets in his first season, including starting the final two games of the Steven Anson Classic. Coffin is 3-8 with a walk and two runs scored in the early stages of his Emporia State career.

OUT IN THE FIELD
Sammy Padilla (R-So./Tucson, Ariz.) played a multitude of positions for the Hornets in 2025 after redshirting in the 2024 campaign, but has started eight games in centerfield this season. Padilla is second on the team with 14 RBI, just two shy of his total last season, and is hitting .320 with five doubles and seven walks. 

Frankie Santiago (Jr./Cayey, Puerto Rico) has started nine games and played in all ten this season in his first year with the Hornets. The Puerto Rican native has eight hits and 12 walks this season, while driving in nine runs behind two doubles, one triple and one long ball. Santiago drove combined to drive in five runs over the final two games of the Steve Anson Classic last time out.

Evan Abbott (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has opened his Hornet career on fire, posting five multi-hit games through the first ten while driving in 21 runs, which is a top ten mark in the nation. The freshman had 16 RBI through the first five games of the season, which passed Eric Shortell (2008) for the most in the first five games of a season in program history. On the season, Abbott is hitting .347 with four doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI, and has four games so far with three or more RBI.

Cooper Schwindt (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) started 47 of 48 games for the Hornets in 2025 during his first season at Emporia State and has started the last after an injury early to open the season. Over his three starts at the Steve Anson Classic, Schwindt went 4-12 with two doubles and scored three runs.

Gus Keller (So./Pittsburg, Kan.) has two starts and has appeared in eight games for the Hornets, with both starts coming in left field while making appearances in centerfield and as a pinch runner and hitter. Keller is 3-10 at the plate with a pair of walks while driving in four runs. He also three stolen bases and five runs scored. 

ON THE MOUND
Seth Stover (Jr./Columbus, Kan.) made 13 appearances in each of his first two seasons, with 24 being starts, while seeing a major improvement in both ERA and innings pitched as a sophomore. Stover has started the first game each weekend so far in 2026. His first outing of the season in the season opener went 5.0 shutout innings against Adams State in Tucson.

Colby Deaver (So./Blue Springs, Mo.) has opened the season on a heater, posting three consecutive scoreless outings. In his first two outings, he struck out eight batters in 5.0 and 7.0 innings respectively, which earned him MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors after his first outing. Last time out against Sioux Falls at the Steve Anson Classic, Deaver struck out ten in 6.0 scoreless frames, pushing his season marks to 26 strikeouts in 18.0 innings. His 18.0 scoreless innings are the most to begin a season in the D2 era for the Hornets, and his 26 strikeouts in three outings are the most since Jake Barton (29) to begin the 2020 season. In division two, Deaver ranks first in strikeout-to-walk ratio, third in strikeouts and seventh in WHIP, while being third in BB/9 among pitchers with more than 10.0 innings pitched.

Grant Huffman (R-Sr./Lee's Summit, Mo.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets and is off to his best start yet. The Lee's Summit native has pitched 9.2 scoreless innings across four relief appearances, racking up two multi-inning saves and a win so far this season. Huffman has six strikeouts while allowing just five hits and one walk. Last weekend in Topeka, Huffman picked up a 2.0 inning save against MSU-Denver, and then followed that with 4.0 scoreless and the win in the 10-9 win over the Roadrunners on Sunday, who were ranked #23 in the NCBWA poll.

Grayson Barnes (R-Fr./Tuttle, Okla.) has made three starts this season after transferring in from Central Oklahoma this season. In his three outings, Barnes has five strikeouts, including four in 4.0 innings against Southeastern Oklahoma at the Edmond First Pitch Classic.

Jake Khasaempanth (Jr./Riverside, Calif.) has made a team-high six relief appearances in his first season with the Hornets. Khasaempanth has five strikeouts in 6.2 innings and has held opponents to a .217 batting average. His first Hornet outing came against Minot State in Tucson (1/31), as he entered with no outs and the bases loaded and pick up two strikeouts to help strand all three runners. 

Owen Ruge (Fr./Emporia, Kan.) has made five appearances in the first ten games for his hometown team and has a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 relief innings. Ruge has allowed just two hits so far this season and is allowing just a .118 opponent batting average.

Nick Woodcock (RS-Jr./Whitby, Ontario) is in year two with the Hornets and came onto the scene for the Hornets in 2025 before suffering an injury later in the season. Woodcock posted eight strikeouts in multiple outings last season, including eight in 3.0 shutout innings against Maryville early in the season. His first start of the year came against Northeastern State, where he pitched a career-high 4.0 innings and struck out another eight batters. The Ontario native struck out three or more batters in seven of his nine appearances last season.

Graeme Rios (Sr./Houston, Texas) made 15 appearances in his first season with the Hornets in 2025, making six starts and another nine appearances out of the bullpen, and already has two appearances in the early stages of the 2026 season. Rios has pitched 2.1 innings and picked up his eighth career win and sixth with the Hornets.

Quinton Chindamo (Fr./Parkville, Mo.) has made five appearances in his first season at Emporia State and has four strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. The freshman from Parkville opened the season with 3.0 scoreless innings in two outings in Tucson on opening weekend.

HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State is playing their 75th 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 26 of 31 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.