By MATT PIKE
The Missouri Western State University baseball team saw its 2026 season come to an end with a 14-1 loss to Emporia State in seven innings in the MIAA tournament semifinals in Edmond, Oklahoma.
The Hornets benefited from six walks through the first two innings, leading 4-0 after that point. Emporia State scored three runs in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Noah Steele, scoring Logan Myers, an RBI single by Nathan Cruz driving in Evan Abbott, and a bases loaded walk to Dylan Brisbois bringing home Frankie Santiago. The lead extended on a lone run in the second, a groundout by Santiago scoring Gus Keller.
MoWest got baserunners on, but failed to capitalize, with lead-off singles in the first, second and fourth innings, but double plays in each of those frames ended the threat. In the fourth inning, the Hornets poured on four more runs, after a scoreless third inning, Steele driving in Abbott with a ground rule double, Brady Unrein tripling to score Steele and Cruz, before Unrein scored himself on a single by Brisbois to put Emporia State up 8-0 at the end of four innings.
The Griffons got their lone run in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Luke Parmentier, bringing home David De Hoyos, but in the bottom half of the inning the Hornets continue to add to the lead with three runs in the bottom half. All three runs for Emporia State in the inning came on the first home run of the game, after six were hit in the first semifinal between Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State, Santiago driving in three more runs on a three run home run, scoring Abbott and Myers.
The Hornets put the game away in the sixth inning on way to the run rule victory, scoring the final three runs needed. Myers drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI single, scoring Brisbois. Abbott brought home the final two runs with a two RBI single, driving in Myers and Tyler Coffin to go up 14-1. MoWest did get one runner on in the seventh inning, Seth Winkler hit by a pitch, but had two ground outs and a line out to end the game.
Evan Peterson made the start and took the loss, his first of the season falling to 4-1, walking three of his six batters faced in the first inning. He was charged with three earned runs and two hits in just 0.1 innings pitched. Micah Kobuszewski went 2-for-3 in his final game as a Griffon. De Hoyos, who ended the season getting on base in 25 straight games, went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
MoWest ends the season 28-24, capping off a season that was full of milestones for the team, including:
- The first winning season since 2018
- Most overall wins and conference wins since 2018
- First trip to the MIAA tournament since 2019, first trip to MIAA tournament semifinals since 2017
- First above .500 record in MIAA play since 2019
- Most wins by a first-year head coach in program history
- 446 runs scored and 64 home runs- both the second most in a single season in program history
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