Baseball | 4/16/2026 4:00:00 PM

Games 41-43
Emporia State Hornets (28-12, 15-11 MIAA)
vs #16 Central Missouri Mules (29-9, 19-7 MIAA)
Friday, April 17 • 6:00 p.m. • Turnbull Field • Emporia, Kan.
Saturday, April 18 • 2:00 p.m. • Turnbull Field • Emporia, Kan.
Sunday, April 19 • 1:00 p.m. • Turnbull Field • Emporia, Kan.
Complete Notes in pdf • The MIAA Network • Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
All-Time: UCM leads 145-67 • Last Meeting: UCM 3, ESU 2 (4/7/25)
Last ESU series win: 2017 (2-1) • Last UCM series win: 2025 (3-0)
Last 10 Games: UCM leads 8-2 • Current Streak: L4

RANKINGS
Emporia State: ABCA - NR; NCBWA NR/8; D2 Baseball - RV
Central Missouri: ABCA - 16; NCBWA 14/3; D2 Baseball - 15

QUICK HITS

• Emporia State hosts #16 Central Missouri from the Trusler Sports Complex, and are looking for their first series win over the Mules since 2017.
• The Hornets fell in their midweek series finale against Missouri Western, but won the season set 2-1.
• Central Missouri has taken 19 of the last 22 games over the Hornets dating back to their 2019 series.
• Colby Deaver and Sawyer Allen will feature on the mound, as the two are first and second in the MIAA in ERA for starters this season.

RANKED MATCHUP WITH THE MULES
Emporia State returns to the Trusler Sports Complex for the third consecutive weekend as they host the 16th-ranked Mules of Central Missouri.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 28-12 overall and 15-11 in the MIAA, with their 28 wins being the most since the 2019 season. At the plate, the Hornets are in the top four of the MIAA in several categories, including OBP, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs and runs scored.
The offensive catalysts for Emporia State have been Logan Myers and Noah Steele who are hitting .417 and .396, with OBP's of .550 and .556 respectively. Myers has 19 doubles, 32 RBI and 33 walks from the leadoff spot. Steele is also no stranger to the free pass, drawing a team-high 38 walks of his own along with 12 hit by pitches, and has supplemented that with 12 home runs and 51 RBI for an OPS of 1.283. In addition to Myers and Steele, Frankie Santiago has been one of the best power bats in the MIAA so far this season. Santiago is second in the MIAA with 13 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 1.21 ERA through 66.2 innings in his 11 starts, while striking out 67 batters and allowing just eight walks. Seth Stover and Quinton Chindamo round out the weekend rotation. Jake Khasaemanth has been the midweek starter in all five midweek MIAA matchups. In the bullpen, six pitchers have made 13 or more relief appearances, with Grant Huffman anchoring the back end with a 1.03 ERA in 26.1 innings while having a win and six saves, with four saves being 2.0 or more innings pitched. Huffman's six saves lead the MIAA and are tied for the third-most in the nation.

SCOUTING THE MULES
Central Missouri is 29-9 overall and 19-7 and are currently ranked #16 in the latest ABCA Coaches Poll. The Mules have been one of the best offenses in the country this season and producing runs, despite just ranking 12th in the MIAA in home runs. Central Missouri is top 20 in the nation in walks, average and runs, while also stealing the second-most bases in the nation with 154, which is just one shy of the nation's leader. Of players that have played in 24 or more games this season, the Mules have nine with an average north of .300, with Ryker Edwards leading the way at .400. Chase Wilcox is batting .372 with 30 walks and 34 RBI, while Cole Funkhouser is hitting .361 with a team-high 37 RBI. Eleven different players have double-digit steals on the season, with Drew Veatch swiping 18 of 19 to lead the way.
On the mound, the Mules rank 11th in the nation in WHIP, as their staff is highlighted by Sawyer Allen. Allen has a 2.13 ERA over 42.1 innings in nine starts, and has 44 strikeouts to just eight walks this season. As a team, opponents are hitting just .224 against Central Missouri.

LAST TIME VS CENTRAL MISSOURI
Last season, the Hornets traveled to Warrensburg against the top-ranked Mules, and fell in a trio of close games. The Hornets trailed 13-4 in game one before a six-run seventh nearly sparked a comeback before falling 13-10. Game two featured a four-run seventh by Emporia State, but the Hornets were unable to hold off Central Missouri as the Mules clinched the series with a 6-5 extra-inning win. The finale was another close one, as the Hornets scored a run in the top of the ninth to tie the game 2-2, before Central Missouri was able to walk-off the Hornets in the bottom half.

ABOUT THE COACHES
John Martin is 28-12 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 346-193-1 career record.
Kyle Crookes is 475-156 in his 12th season at the helm of Central Missouri and has led the Mules to the D2 World Series on five occassions.

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 .294 in 34 games played and is fifth on the Hornets with 28 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 eight runners this season.

AROUND THE DIAMOND
Logan Myers (Jr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 132 career games for the Hornets in his career and started all 39 this season. In his 132  career games, Myers has a .344 batting average and ranks sixth in program history in walks (93) and tied for seventh in doubles (40) and is also approaching career top ten in multiple other categories. Myers is hitting .417 this season, the second-best mark in the MIAA while also totaling 19 doubles, 32 RBI, 33 walks and 57 runs scored. Myers has tallied 20 multi-hit games, including three with four hits. 

Noah Steele (Jr/Prairie Village, Kan.) has started all 40 games this season and has picked up where left off in the 2025 campaign. Steele is batting .395 with a .556 OBP, which is nearly 100 points higher than last season. He has eight doubles, 12 home runs, 38 walks, and 51 RBI this season. Steele was the team leader in 2025 with 64 hits, 53 RBI and a 1.144 OPS, on his way to Second Team All-MIAA honors in the outfield, and is looking to surpass all three marks this season. He has tallied 27 home runs over the past two seasons, which is the ninth-most in program history.

Brady Unrein (So./Wichita, Kan.) has started 75 games in his Hornet career, with 59 at shortstop while adding 13 in the outfield and three at DH 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 .296 and has a .413 OBP through 38 games played on his way to scoring 44 runs. In the series opener against Newman, Unrein went 6-6, matching an MIAA record, and setting a D2 record for Emporia State with six hits in a single game.

Nathon Cruz (Jr./Oranjestad, Aruba) is in his first season with the Hornets and has made 32 starts, while posting a .279 batting average. Cruz has two doubles, four triples, two home runs, 18 RBI and 28 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 17 starts this season, with at least two at all three positions. He is hitting .281 with five doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI. 

Tyler Coffin (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has played in 28 games with 24 starts, including each of the last 19 for the Hornets in his first season. Coffin is hitting .2889with a .406 OBP this season and has driven in 21 runs. Coffin hit his first career home run in the series finale against Rogers State (3/29).

OUT IN THE FIELD
Frankie Santiago (Jr./Cayey, Puerto Rico) has started 37 games and played in 38 this season in his first year with the Hornets. The Puerto Rican native has 37 hits and 30 walks this season, while driving in 43 runs behind four doubles, one triple and a team-high 13 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 19 multi-hit games through the first 40 while driving in 47 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 .359 with 15 doubles, and seven 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 32 games this season at both corner outfield positions and designated hitter. Schwindt is hitting .242 with 28 runs, nine doubles, 13 walks and six homers. He has two games this season with two home runs, including two in the eight-run fifth frame against Missouri Southern in the last home game.

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 .255 with five doubles and eight walks. 

Gus Keller (So./Pittsburg, Kan.) has two starts and has appeared in 17 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 6-16 at the plate with a pair of walks while driving in seven runs. He also three stolen bases and nine 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 primarily been the series opening starter this season and has 11 starts on the year. Stover holds a 5-2 record with a 4.82 ERA over 52.1 innings. His best outing of the season came against NM Highlands where he pitched a seven-inning shutout 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 1.21 ERA through 66.2 innings in his first 11 starts. In the nation, Deaver ranks first in ERA, second in walks per nine innings (1.08), first in WHIP (0.78), and third in K/BB ration (8.38). 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. 

Quinton Chindamo (Fr./Parkville, Mo.) has made 13 appearances in his first season at Emporia State and has 28 strikeouts in 37.1 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 six series finales 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. 

Grant Huffman (R-Sr./Lee's Summit, Mo.) is in his fourth year with the Hornets and is putting together the best season of his career. The Lee's Summit native has pitched 26.1 innings across 15 relief appearances, racking up four multi-inning saves and six total, along with a win so far this season. Huffman has 20 strikeouts while allowing just 17 hits and six walks and holds a 1.03 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.

Jake Khasaempanth (Jr./Riverside, Calif.) has made 13 relief appearances along with making six starts, including each of the three midweek MIAA matchups. Khasaempanth has 15 strikeouts in 26.1 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. 

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. This season, Nick Woodcock has a team-high 17 relief appearances and has pitched 27.0 innings this season while striking out 37 on his way to a 3-2 record. In the series finale against Missouri Southern, Woodcock put together his strongest outing of the season, tossing 3.0 shutout innings while striking out six.

Graeme Rios (Sr./Houston, Texas) made 16 appearances in his first season with the Hornets in 2025, making six starts and another ten appearances out of the bullpen, and has matched that with 16 appearances this season. Rios has pitched 16.0 innings and has a trio of wins, giving him ten in his career while holding a 7.88 ERA this season.

Grayson Barnes (R-Fr./Tuttle, Okla.) has made three starts and 11 relief appearances this season after transferring in from Central Oklahoma. In his 14 outings, Barnes has 11 strikeouts, including four in 4.0 innings against Southeastern Oklahoma at the Edmond First Pitch Classic and an inning against NM Highlands where he struck out the side.

Owen Ruge (Fr./Emporia, Kan.) has made 16 appearances in the first 40 games for his hometown team and has a 4.11 ERA in 15.1 relief innings. Ruge has allowed just ten hits so far this season and is allowing just a .192 opponent batting average.

IN THE POLLS
The Hornets are receiving votes in the latest edition of the D2 Baseball poll and are currently ranked eighth in the latest NCBWA Central Region poll. The Hornets are one of five MIAA teams in the top eight.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Central Region, and specifically the MIAA feature in each of the Division II 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 ten by the ABCA with Rogers State ranked 15th.

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.