Baseball | 2/4/2026 8:28:00 PM

Games 5-7
Emporia State Hornets (4-0, 0-0 MIAA)
vs East Central Tigers (0-0, 0-0 GAC)
Thursday, February 5 • 1:00 p.m. • Wendell Simmons Field • Edmond, Okla.
Series History: ESU leads 2-0 • Last Meeting: ESU 4, ECU 3 (2/2/25)

vs. Missouri-St. Louis Tritons (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Friday, February 6 • 4:00 p.m. • Wendell Simmons Field • Edmond, Okla.
Series History: ESU leads 5-4 • Last Meeting: ESU 8, UMSL 1 (5/3/96)

vs. Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm (1-0, 0-0 GAC)
Saturday, February 7 • 10:00 a.m. • Wendell Simmons Field • Edmond, Okla.
Series History: SEO leads 16-14 • Last Meeting: ESU 8, SEO 5 (2/1/25)
Live Stats • Complete Notes in pdf

EARLY SEASON IN THE SOONER STATE
Following a strong start on opening weekend in Tucson, Hornet Baseball heads to the Sooner State for three games in the Edmond First Pitch Classic 

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State went 4-0 through opening weekend, which included two shutouts and an eight-run comeback as they have started 4-0 for the second consecutive season. In addition to four wins, the Hornets compiled 55 runs in their four wins, the most through the first four games since scoring 60 to open the 2017 season. Emporia State had production throughout their lineup in Tucson, as ten different players drove in at least three runs on the weekend. Notable returners Brady Unrein, Dylan Brisbois, Logan Myers and Noah Steele all reached base 12 or more times across the four games, while returners such as Evan Abbott and Nathon Cruz also made their presence felt at the plate. Abbott drove in 11 runs, including nine in ESU's two games on Saturday. On the mound, 16 different Hornets made an appearance in the first four games. Seth Stover and Colby Deaver both tossed 5.0 shutout innings in their starts, with Deaver striking out eight and allowing just one hit on his way to MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
East Central went 14-35 and 8-25 last season and will begin 2026 with their matchup against the Hornets at the Edmond First PItch Classic. Tyler Akers is the leading returner at the plate for the Tigers, as he hit .333 with ten extra-base hits with 17 RBI in the 2025 season. Blake Seefeldt also returns after hitting .269 with 34 RBI, the second-most for the Tigers in 2025. East Central will look to replace a large amount of pitching as just three of eight pitchers with ten or more appearances last season return in 2026.

SCOUTING THE TRITONS
Missouri-St. Louis went 29-24 last season and finished eighth in the GLVC standings with a 16-15 conference record. Notable returners in the lineup for the Tritons include Cade Crevegoed, Cooper Blythe and Mitch Bonczkowski who all hit over .300 last season in at least 38 games played. On the mound, Bryce Nicolay and Dustin Hagens both made 11 starts in 2025 as underclassmen, and will likely lead the way in 2026.

SCOUTING THE SAVAGE STORM
Southeastern Oklahoma went 22-30 with a 16-17 record in the GAC last season, and is 1-0 after opening their season with a 9-8 win over MIAA foe Northeastern State earlier this week. In the win over the Riverhawks, the Savage Storm trailed 8-2 and tallied 11 hits, with two each from Carter Olson, Payton Poole and Alex Showalter. The win on the mound went to Estevan Fonseca who pitched 4.0 shutout relief innings and struck out seven batters.

ABOUT THE COACHES
John Martin is 4-0 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 322-181-1 record. 
Kevin Paxson is 23-76 entering his third year at East Central.
Scott Eul is entering his fourth season at Missouri-St. Louis and is 80-75 with the Tritons.
Alan Trayler is 23-30 in his second season at Southeastern Oklahoma.

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. 

MY OH MYERS
Infielder Logan Myers (Jr./Pittsburg, Kan.) played in 92 career games through his first two seasons with the Hornets and has 14 home runs, 24 doubles, 75 RBI and a .321 batting average in his career. On opening weekend, Myers went 7-14 with three doubles and three RBI, while reaching base in 15 of 22 plate appearances.

BRADY BOMBS
Shortstop Brady Unrein (So./Wichita, Kan.) became a consistent starter for the Hornets at the shortstop position as a freshman in 2025, thanks in no small part to the power element he provided to the lineup with eight home runs. Through opening weekend, Unrein is hitting .636, while reaching base in 15 of 19 plate appearances.  

KING FELIX
Utility Dominic Felix (Sr./Tucson, Ariz.) has made three starts at three different positions through opening weekend, spending time at 1B, 3B and behind the plate. Felix has five RBI through his first three games and is hitting .281 in 48 career games for the Hornets.

SPEEDING SAMMY
Utility Sammy Padilla (R-So./Tucson, Ariz.) played a multitude of positions for the Hornets in 2025 after redshirting in the 2024 campaign, and has started all four games this season in centerfield. Padilla put together a solid opening weekend as the Hornets traveled to his hometown, as he hit .333 with seven RBI, which included a two-out, two RBI triple in the Hornets 13-12 comeback win over Minot State.

COOP AND A BLAST
Outfielder Cooper Schwindt (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) started 47 of 48 games for the Hornets in 2025 during his first season at Emporia State. Schwindt tallied seven home runs, 12 doubles, 34 RBI and a .265 average as he finished second in doubles and third in RBI on the Hornets last season.

STEELE TRAP
Outfielder/First Basemen 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. This season, Steele is hitting .471 through the first four games with three doubles and four RBi while reaching base 12 times. 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.

HOLY TOLEDO
First Basemen Jovanni Toledo (Jr./Tucson, Ariz.) has played in 58 games through his first two seasons with the Hornets and despite a dip in batting average from 2024, saw his power numbers climb last season. Toledo hit eight home runs and six doubles, while driving in 33 runs on his way to a .512 slugging percentage. Toledo's biggest hit last season came on a pinch-hit walk-off home run against Rogers State, securing the first ranked series win for Emporia State since 2019.

HOT OFF THE STOVE
Pitcher Seth Stover (Jr./Columbus, Kan.) made 13 appearances in each of his first two seasons, with 24 being starts. In 2025, Stover made big leaps as a key part of the weekend rotation as he posted a 4.25 ERA in 72.2 innings pitched. In his first start of 2026, Stover tossed 5.0 shutout innings in the season opener, with four strikeouts and just one walk allowed.

CHOPPING WOOD
Pitcher 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.

GUTTY GRAEME
Pitcher 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.

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.