Baseball | 5/8/2026 10:39:00 PM

Game 53
(RV) #6 Emporia State Hornets (37-15, 22-14 MIAA)
(#5) #1 Pittsburg State Gorillas (42-9, 27-9 MIAA)
Saturday, May 9 • 1:00 p.m. • Wendell Simmons Field • Edmond, Okla.
Complete Notes in pdf • The MIAA Network • Live Stats

SERIES NOTES
All-Time: ESU leads 92-53 • Last Meeting: PSU 11, ESU 7 (3/8/26)
Last ESU series win: 2021 (2-1) • Last ESU series sweep: 2017
Last PSU series win: 2026 (2-1) • Current Streak: L2
Last 10: PSU leads 7-3 • John Martin (career): 19-17
 

QUICK HITS

• Emporia State has defeated Missouri Southern and Missouri Western en route to the MIAA Championship Game against Pittsburg State, as the Hornets are looking for their first tournament title since 2015.
• Colby Deaver and Seth Stover have both tossed complete games on the mound for the Hornets over the past two days.
• 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.
• Emporia State and Pittsburg State will meet in the MIAA Championship Game on Saturday, with postseason implications at play.

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY
Emporia State will take on Pittsburg State in the MIAA Championship on Saturday, as the Hornets have advanced to the MIAA Championship for the first time since 2018.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 37-15 overall and went 22-14 in the MIAA on their way to finishing sixth. Their 37 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 .409 and .392, with OBP's of .548 and 538 respectively. Myers has 21 doubles, 38 RBI and 46 walks from the leadoff spot. Steele is also no stranger to the free pass, adding 45 walks of his own along with 15 hit by pitches, and has supplemented that with a career-high 16 home runs and 67 RBI for an OPS of 1.280. In addition to Myers and Steele, Frankie Santiago has been one of the best power bats in the MIAA so far this season with 16 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 1.50 ERA through 96.0 innings in his 15 starts, while striking out 102 batters and allowing just 12 walks. Seth Stover has also made 15 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 GORILLAS
Pittsburg State is 42-9 this season and enter the MIAA Championship after advancing past Central Oklahoma and Northwest Missouri over the past two days. The Gorillas have deployed one of the best offenses in the nation this season, as they rank fourth in D2 in batting average and sixth in slugging percentage. Dagen Brewer, the MIAA Player of the Year, has paced the bats all season,  as he is hitting .431 with 24 home runs and 99 RBI, which broke the MIAA record in the semifinals on Friday. Fellow First Team All-MIAA players, Grant Nottleman, Jadyn McNealy and Eric Bacon all help contribute to the offense. In addition to their four first team players, Isaac Webb is among the best run producers in the country, driving in 77 of his own behind 32 extra-base hits. 

LAST TIME VS PITTSBURG STATE
Two months ago, the Hornets and Gorillas met at the Trusler Sports Complex on the first weekend of March and Emporia State grabbed the opening game 14-2 behind six home runs. However, Pittsburg State answered back by taking game two 6-2 and in the finale, the Gorillas jumped out to a 9-2 advantage through six innings. Emporia State rallied for five straight to trim the deficit to 9-7 in the eighth, bringing the tying run to the plate. The Gorillas were able to grab two runs in the ninth and hold off the Hornets 11-7 to win the series.

ABOUT THE COACHES
John Martin is 36-15 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 354-196-1 career record. 
Brock Buckingham is 42-9 at the helm of the Gorillas baseball program and helped lead Pittsburg State to their first MIAA regular season title.

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 .280 in 46 games played and is sixth on the Hornets with 34 RBI this season. He has tallied nine multi-hit games, including three in the first four from Tucson to open the season. In addition to his ability at the plate, Brisbois has thrown out 11 runners this season.

AROUND THE DIAMOND
Logan Myers (Jr./Pittsburg, Kan.) has played in 144 career games for the Hornets in his career and started all 52 this season. In his 144 career games, Myers has a .347 batting average and ranks top ten in several career offensive categories for Emporia State. Myers is hitting .409 this season, the third-best mark in the MIAA while also totaling 21 doubles, 38 RBI, 46 walks and 69 runs scored. Myers has tallied 24 multi-hit games, including three with four hits. 

Noah Steele (Jr/Prairie Village, Kan.) has started all 52 games this season and has picked up where left off in the 2025 campaign. Steele is batting .392 with a .538 OBP, which is nearly 90 points higher than last season. He has 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 45 walks, and 67 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 87 games in his Hornet career, with 59 at shortstop while adding 25 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 .308 and has a .436 OBP through 50 games played on his way to scoring 56 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 44 starts, while posting a .287 batting average. Cruz has four doubles, four triples, four home runs, 27 RBI and 36 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 .284 with six doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI. 

Tyler Coffin (Fr./Kansas City, Mo.) has played in 39 games with 35 starts in his first season with the Hornets. Coffin is hitting .246 with a .372 OBP this season and has driven in 24 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 47 games and played in 49 this season in his first year with the Hornets. The Puerto Rican native has 43 hits and 40 walks this season, while driving in 51 runs behind four doubles, one triple and 16 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 21 multi-hit games this season while driving in 54 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 .348 with 16 doubles, and eight 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 41 games this season at both corner outfield positions and designated hitter. Schwindt is hitting .235 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 seven starts and has appeared in 27 games for the Hornets, with all seven starts coming in left field while making appearances in centerfield and as a pinch runner and hitter. Keller is 11-33 at the plate with seven walks, two doubles, three steals and 15 runs scored. Both doubles came in the series finale 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 15 starts on the year. Stover currently holds a 7-3 record with a 4.30 ERA over 75.1 innings. His best two outings of the season came against NM Highlands and in the last game against Missouri Western, as he struck out five in a seven-inning complete game in both games.

Colby Deaver (So./Blue Springs, Mo.) has been one of the best pitchers in the nation this season, as he has a 1.50 ERA through 96.0 innings in his 15 starts. In the nation, Deaver ranks first in ERA, first in WHIP (0.82), second in K/BB ratio (8.50) and third in walks per nine innings (1.03). 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 ninth 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.