Baseball | 5/6/2026 2:00:00 PM

Game 51
(RV) #6 Emporia State Hornets (35-15, 22-14 MIAA)
vs. (RV) #3 Missouri Southern Lions (33-16, 26-10 MIAA)
Thursday, May 7 • 7:00 p.m. • Wendell Simmons Field • Edmond, Okla.

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: ESU leads 74-60 • Last Meeting: ESU 13, MSSU 7 (4/12/25)
Last ESU series win: 2025 (2-1) • Last ESU series sweep: 2020 (3-0)
Last MSSU series win: 2026 (2-1) • Last 10 games: MSSU leads 7-3

MIAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
All-Time: Series Tied 4-4 • Last Meeting: MSSU 7, ESU 3 (5/7/25)
Last ESU Win: ESU 10, MSSU 9 (2015)

QUICK HITS

• Emporia State earned the sixth seed in the MIAA Tournament, going 22-14 in the MIAA for their most conference wins since the 2017 season.
• The Hornets and Lions will meet for the second straight season to open the MIAA Tournament and for the ninth time in tournament history.
• The Lions took the season series over the Hornets just under a month ago at the Trusler Sports Complex 2-1.
• Colby Deaver, Logan Myers, Noah Steele and Grant Huffman were all named to the All-MIAA First Team. Deaver was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Year and Evan Abbott earned the MIAA Freshman of the Year.

2025 TOURNAMENT REMATCH
Emporia State will take on Missouri Southern in the MIAA Quarterfinals on Thursday, as the Hornets and Lions will open the MIAA Tournament against each other for the second straight season.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 35-15 overall and went 22-14 in the MIAA on their way to finishing sixth. Their 35 overall wins and 22 in the MIAA are both the most since the 2017 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 .411 and .397, with OBP's of .550 and .546 respectively. Myers has 21 doubles, 37 RBI and 44 walks from the leadoff spot. Steele is also no stranger to the free pass, matching Myers' team-high with 44 walks of his own along with 15 hit by pitches, and has supplemented that with a career-high 16 home runs and 65 RBI for an OPS of 1.300. In addition to Myers and Steele, Frankie Santiago has been one of the best power bats in the MIAA so far this season with 15 home runs of his own.
On the mound, Colby Deaver has made his case as one of the best pitchers in the nation, as he has posted a 1.45 ERA through 87.0 innings in his 14 starts, while striking out 86 batters and allowing just ten walks. Seth Stover has also made 14 starts for the Hornets, while Quinton Chindamo and Jake Khasaempanth have made ten and eight respectively. In the bullpen, six pitchers have made 15 or more relief appearances, with Grant Huffman anchoring the back end with a 1.64 ERA in 33.0 innings while having three wins and eight saves, with four saves being 2.0 or more innings pitched. Huffman's eight saves are tied most in the MIAA and seventh-most in the nation. 

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Missouri Southern went 33-16 in the regular season with a 26-10 MIAA record and are coming off a series win over #24 Central Missouri on the road last week. The Lions rank inside the top four of the MIAA in batting average, slugging percentage, and doubles while leading the association in home runs. Missouri Southern's offense has been paced by Brayden Luikart who holds a .389 average with 22 doubles, 11 home runs, 45 RBI and an OPS north of 1.200. In addition to Luikart, the Lions have six qualified hitters above .300, with Jacob Filip, Ethan Clark and Blake Jones all hitting above .330. Jones leads the Lions with 13 home runs, while Will Doherty has 12 of his own along with a team-high 63 RBI which is fifth in MIAA.
On the mound, Owen Schneider is the likely starter for Missouri Southern, as he has been one of the best pitchers in the MIAA this season. Schneider has a 3.31 ERA over 84.1 innings and allowed just one run over eight innings against the Hornets earlier this season.

LAST TIME VS MISSOURI SOUTHERN
Nearly one month ago, the Lions and Hornets met at Trusler Sports Complex. Missouri Southern was able to edge out Emporia State 3-1 in the opener, as both Colby Deaver and Owen Schneider put together strong starts on the mound. The Lions grabbed game two 15-3, before the Hornets responded with a 13-7 win in the series finale that included seven combined RBi by Noah Steele and Cooper Schwindt.

ABOUT THE COACHES
John Martin is 35-15 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 353-196-1 career record. 
Bryce Darnell is 584-390 in his 19th season as the head coach at Missouri Southern. Darnell has led Missouri Southern to the MIAA Tournament in 15 times with five NCAA regional appearances.

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 and 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 .289 in 41 games played and is tied for fifth on the Hornets with 32 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 11 runners this season.

AROUND THE DIAMOND
Logan Myers (Jr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 139 career games for the Hornets in his career and started all 44 this season. In his 136  career games, Myers has a .346 batting average and ranks top ten in several career offensive categories for Emporia State. Myers is hitting .411 this season, the third-best mark in the MIAA while also totaling 20 doubles, 34 RBI, 41 walks and 61 runs scored. Myers has tallied 22 multi-hit games, including three with four hits. 

Noah Steele (Jr/Prairie Village, Kan.) has started all 47 games this season and has picked up where left off in the 2025 campaign. Steele is batting .389 with a .545 OBP, which is nearly 90 points higher than last season. He has 11 doubles, 16 home runs, 44 walks, and 63 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 31 home runs over the past two seasons, which is fifth-most in program history. Steele delivered the walk-off homer in the series finale against #16 Central Missouri, marking the first series win over the Mules since 2017, while also notching his third multi-homer game of the season last week against Fort Hays State.

Brady Unrein (So./Wichita, Kan.) has started 82 games in his Hornet career, with 59 at shortstop while adding 20 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 .294 and has a .431 OBP through 45 games played on his way to scoring 53 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 39 starts, while posting a .281 batting average. Cruz has four doubles, four triples, three home runs, 23 RBI and 32 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 19 starts this season, with at least two at all three positions. He is hitting .282 with six doubles, five home runs and 21 RBI. 

Tyler Coffin (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has played in 35 games with 31 starts in his first season with the Hornets. Coffin is hitting .262 with a .385 OBP this season and has driven in 23 runs. Coffin hit his first career home run in the series finale against Rogers State (3/29), and homered in the series finale against Fort Hays State (4/21).

OUT IN THE FIELD
Frankie Santiago (Jr./Cayey, Puerto Rico) has started 42 games and played in 44 this season in his first year with the Hornets. The Puerto Rican native has 37 hits and 30 walks this season, while driving in 44 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 47 while driving in 48 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 .344 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 40 games this season at both corner outfield positions and designated hitter. Schwindt is hitting .241 with 31 runs, 11 doubles, 15 walks and six homers. He has two games this season with two home runs, including two in the eight-run fifth frame in the series finale against Missouri Southern (4/12).

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 three starts and has appeared in 22 games for the Hornets, with all three starts coming in left field while making appearances in centerfield and as a pinch runner and hitter. Keller is 9-22 at the plate with four walks, two doubles, three steals and 12 runs scored. Both doubles came last week against Fort Hays State (4/21). 

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 12 starts on the year. Stover currently holds a 5-3 record with a 4.91 ERA over 62.1 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 1.35 ERA through 80.0 innings in his 13 starts. In the nation, Deaver ranks first in ERA, first in WHIP (0.80), second in K/BB ratio (7.80) and third in walks per nine innings (1.13). 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 32 strikeouts in 44.0 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 31.0 innings across 19 relief appearances, racking up four multi-inning saves and eight total, along with two wins so far this season. Huffman has 24 strikeouts while allowing just 22 hits and six walks and holds a 1.45 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 15 relief appearances along with making seven starts, including all of the MIAA midweek matchups. Khasaempanth has 18 strikeouts in 32.0 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 20 relief appearances and has pitched 33.0 innings this season while striking out 46 on his way to a 3-3 record. Woodcock has two outings with six strikeouts this season.

Graeme Rios (Sr./Houston, Texas) made 18 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 17.2 innings and has a trio of wins, giving him ten in his career while holding a 9.17 ERA this season.

Grayson Barnes (R-Fr./Tuttle, Okla.) has made three starts and 13 relief appearances this season after transferring in from Central Oklahoma. In his 16 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 20 appearances in the first 44 games for his hometown team and has a 3.32 ERA in 19.0 relief innings. Ruge has allowed just ten hits so far this season and is allowing just a .159 opponent batting average.

IN THE POLLS
The Hornets are receiving votes in the latest edition of the ABCA Coaches and D2 Baseball polls and are currently ranked tenth in the latest central region rankings. The Hornets are one of six MIAA teams in the top ten.

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.