Baseball | 3/23/2026 5:59:00 PM

Game 28
(RV) Emporia State Hornets (21-6, 8-5 MIAA)
vs Fort Hays State Tigers (9-18, 6-11 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 24 • 3:00 p.m. • Turnbull Field • Emporia, Kan.
Complete Notes in pdf • The MIAA Network • Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
All-Time: ESU leads 152-72 • Last Meeting: #21 FHSU 5, ESU 4 (4/22/25)
Last ESU series win: 2023 (2-1) • Last ESU series sweep: 2021 (3-0)
Last FHSU series win 2025 (3-0)
Last 10 games FHSU leads 6-4 • Current Streak: L4
John Martin (career) 21-9

RANKINGS
Emporia State: ABCA - RV; NCBWA NR/7; D2 Baseball - RV
Fort Hays State: NR

QUICK HITS

• The Hornets and Tigers are meeting for their first of three MIAA midweek matchups this season.
• Emporia State is looking for their first win against Fort Hays State since game two of the 2024 series, as the Tigers took all three midweek matchups last season.
• The Hornets are 21-6 to begin the season, their fewest games to reach 21 wins since the 2017 season when Emporia State started 21-5.
• Emporia State is hitting .326, the fourth-best mark in the MIAA, while ranking top three in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and runs scored. 

TIGERS AT TRUSLER ON TUESDAY
Emporia State is set to host Fort Hays State in their first of three midweek games this season on Tuesday afternoon from the Trusler Sports Complex.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 21-6 overall and 8-5 in the MIAA after taking two of three on the road against Central Oklahoma and then winning all five games last week, including a four-game sweep over NM Highlands and a win over Missouri Western in their first midweek matchup this season.
The offensive catalysts for Emporia State have been Logan Myers and Noah Steele who are hitting .442 and .392 to open the year with OBP's of .582 and .534 respectively. Myers has 16 doubles, 24 RBI and 27 walks from the leadoff spot. Steele is also no stranger to the free pass, drawing 22 walks of his own along with eight hit by pitches, and has supplemented that with eight home runs and 35 RBI for a team-high 1.252 OPS. In addition to Myers and Steele, Frankie Santiago has become one of the best power bats in the MIAA so far this season. Santiago is tied for the league lead with 11 home runs.
On the mound, Colby Deaver has made his case as one of the best pitchers in the nation, as he has posted a 0.92 ERA through 48.2 innings in his seven starts, while striking out 52 batters and allowing just six walks. Seth Stover has made the first start for the Hornets each weekend and Quinton Chindamo has made the last five Sunday starts. Stover put together his best outing of the season in his last outing against New Mexico Highlands, pitching seven shutout innings with five strikeouts. In the bullpen, six pitchers have made ten or more relief appearances, with Grant Huffman anchoring the back end with a 0.90 ERA in 17.2 innings while having a win and five saves, with three saves being 2.0 or more innings pitched.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 9-18 to begin the season with a 6-11 MIAA record. The Tigers have seven losses by two or fewer runs, including three in their last five games. Offensively, Fort Hays State ranks fifth in batting average, eighth in runs scored, seventh in doubles, and seventh in doubles. Antonio Avila, Derek Woolwine, Cooper Howell and Erick Ordonez all have four or more home runs, with Woolwine recording a team-high eight and 29 RBI. Avila is hitting .388 and has 14 doubles this season, a top five mark in the MIAA. 
On the mound, Fort Hays State has an 8.40 team ERA and have struck out 181 batters in 231.1 innings pitched. Aaron Boutz started the last midweek game for the Tigers against Washburn and struck out five in 4.1 innings pitched. Five pitchers have made five or more relief appearances this season, including Caleb Camp who has eight appearances from the bullpen and has 20 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched this season.

ABOUT THE COACHES
John Martin is 21-6 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 339-187-1 career record.
Justin Wichert is 86-90 in his fourth season at Fort Hays State and was the 2025 MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 32-16 record, their first 30-win season since 2010.

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 .341 in 24 games played and is fourth on the Hornets with 22 RBI this season. He has tallied eight 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 six runners this season, including three in the first two games of the Steve Anson Classic.

AROUND THE DIAMOND
Logan Myers (Jr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 119 career games for the Hornets in his career and started all 27 this season. In his 119 career games, Myers has a .343 batting average and ranks ninth in program history in both walks (87) and doubles (37) and is also approaching career top ten in multiple other categories. Myers is hitting .442 this season, the fourth-best mark in the MIAA while also totaling 16 doubles, 24 RBI, 27 walks and 42 runs scored. Myers has tallied 14 multi-hit games, including three with four hits. 

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. Steele has seemingly picked up where he left off last season from a run production standpoint. He is second on the Hornets with 35 runs scored and 35 RBI this season. Also, Steele has a .534 OBP as he has drawn 22 walks and been hit by eight pitches. Steele was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week after going 6-10 with two homers and ten RBI against Arkansas-Fort Smith (2/20-22).

Brady Unrein (So./Wichita, Kan.) has started 63 games in his Hornet career, with 53 at shortstop while adding ten in centerfield this season. 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 .274 and has a .407 OBP through the first 27 games on his way to scoring 30 runs of his own.

Nathon Cruz (Jr./Oranjestad, Aruba) is in his first season with the Hornets and has made 24 starts at the hot corner while posting a .273 batting average. Cruz has two doubles, three triples, two home runs, 13 RBI and 22 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 ten starts this season, with at least two at all three positions. He is hitting .278 with three doubles, nine walks and eight RBI through ten games.

Tyler Coffin (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has played in 15 games for the Hornets in his first season, including starting the final two games of the Steven Anson Classic and the last five. Coffin is 14-40 with six walks and ten RBI. He has a hit in eight of the last nine games, including three games with multiple hits.

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, and has started 18 games this season. Padilla is one of many with double-digit RBI, driving in 14 so far this season, just two shy of his total last season. He is hitting .259 with five doubles and seven walks. 

Frankie Santiago (Jr./Cayey, Puerto Rico) has started 24 games and played in 25 this season in his first year with the Hornets. The Puerto Rican native has 26 hits and 23 walks this season, while driving in 34 runs behind four doubles, one triple and a team-high 11 homers. In the MIAA opening series against Arkansas-Fort Smith, Santiago homered in all three games and he also homered three times in the final two games against Central Oklahoma.

Evan Abbott (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has opened his Hornet career with 13 multi-hit games through the first 27 while driving in a team-high 38 runs. 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 the D2 era for Emporia State. On the season, Abbott is hitting .328 with eight doubles, and five home runs. In the series finale against Arkansas-Fort Smith, Abbott launched his first career grand slam.

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 nine after an injury early to open the season. Schwindt has made 21 starts at both designated hitter and in left field, and is hitting .308 with 23 runs, eight doubles, nine walks and four homers. His first two homers both came in the 5-0 win in game two of the series against Northwest Missouri (2/28).

Gus Keller (So./Pittsburg, Kan.) has two starts and has appeared in 13 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 4-13 at the plate with a pair of walks while driving in seven runs. He also three stolen bases and six 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 last outing was his best of the season, as he pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout in the series opener against New Mexico Highlands while also matching his career-high with five strikeouts.

Colby Deaver (So./Blue Springs, Mo.) has been one of the best pitchers in the nation this season, as he has a 0.92 ERA through 48.2 innings in his first eight starts. He began the season without an earned run allowed over his first 34.1 innings pitched. 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. Against Sioux Falls at the Steve Anson Classic, Deaver struck out ten in 6.0 scoreless frames. His 34.1 innings without an earned run are the most to begin a season in the D2 era for the Hornets. 

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 20.0 innings across nine relief appearances, racking up three multi-inning saves and five total, along with a win so far this season. Huffman has 17 strikeouts while allowing just nine hits and three walks and holds a 0.90 ERA. At the Steve Anson Classic, 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.

Grayson Barnes (R-Fr./Tuttle, Okla.) has made three starts and five relief appearances this season after transferring in from Central Oklahoma. In his eight outings, Barnes has nine 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 12 relief appearances and has made two starts. Khasaempanth has ten strikeouts in 16.2 innings. 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 ten appearances in the first 23 games for his hometown team and has a 3.86 ERA in 9.1 relief innings. Ruge has allowed just five hits so far this season and is allowing just a .156 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. 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. In 2026, Woodcock has 13 appearances with 23 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched.

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 is up to 11 appearances in the early stages of the 2026 season. Rios has pitched 10.1 innings and picked up his eighth career win and sixth with the Hornets this season.

Quinton Chindamo (Fr./Parkville, Mo.) has made ten appearances in his first season at Emporia State and has 24 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched. The freshman from Parkville opened the season with 3.0 scoreless innings in two outings in Tucson on opening weekend. Chindamo has also started the last five Sunday's for Emporia State which included an MIAA Pitcher of the Week performance in his last outing against NM Highlands where he struck out nine batters in 6.0 shutout innings.

IN THE POLLS
The Hornets are receiving votes in the latest edition of the polls for both the ABCA and D2 Baseball, and are currently ranked seventh in the latest NCBWA Central Region poll. The Hornets are one of five MIAA teams in the top seven.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Central Region, and specifically the MIAA feature in all three polls, including three ranked teams by the ABCA, while both Emporia State and Northwest Missouri are receiving votes. Pittsburg State and Central Missouri are both ranked in the top eight by the ABCA.

HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State is playing their 76th season of baseball in 2026 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.