By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Christian Roduner's college baseball career at Emporia State is winding down, but the Rossville native made sure last weekend that he won't soon be forgotten.
Turning in a Senior Day performance for the ages against Fort Hays State, Roduner went 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and three runs batted jn for ESU in a 13-3 first-game MIAA win over the Tigers and then put that performance to shame in the second game, achieving one of baseball's rarest single-game feats when he hit for the cycle in the Hornets' second straight 13-3 romp.
Roduner is believed to be the first Hornet to hit for the cycle since Emporia State moved to the NCAA Division II ranks in 1992.
"I had never done that,'' said Roduner, the MIAA HItter of the Week. "I was close my freshman year at Colby (Community College). I was a triple away from a cycle, but I didn't get it.''
Emporia State senior infielder Christian Roduner, a Rossville native, hit for the cycle in last Saturday's 13-3 MIAA win over Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Stephen Coleman]
On Saturday Roduner was able to get the triple, arguably the hardest of the four cycle components to get, out of the way on his first at bat.
"The triple was the luckiest one,'' Roduner said. "I hit it to dead center and it actually kind of kicked off the center fielder's glove and it winded up rolling down the fence and it was a standup triple. That was a lucky one for sure.''
Roduner singled his second time up before hitting his second homer of the day in his third at bat.
That left Roduner needing a double to complete his historic day.
"Going up to my last AB, that's when I was like, "Man, I'm actually a double away from the cycle,' and fortunately I got it somehow,'' Roduner said.
"I told one of my teammates, Hayden Schaeffer, that I was one away from the cycle and I'm pretty sure he spread the word. When it happened it was pretty cool.''
Roduner's 6 for 8 day (4 for 4 in the second game) boosted his team-high batting average to .487.
Rossville product Christian Roduner is hitting a team-high .487 for Emporia State. [Photo courtesy of Stephen Coleman]
Roduner, who has primarily been playing second base, has now had multiple hits in four straight games and he has homered in three of his last four games entering the Hornets' weekend series at Pittsburg State.
"I guess I've got a little hot streak going now,'' Roduner said. "This is definitely something I'll remember when I'm done playing, for sure.
"I'll remember last weekend for the rest of my life. My phone's been blowing up recently so it will be pretty cool when I get back to Rossville to talk to people about it and just reminisce about it over the years.''
