Game Notes (pdf)

vs Truman State Bulldogs
Topeka, Kan. • Falley Field

Saturday	02/16	vs	Truman State	7 inn.	1:00 p.m.	Live Stats
Saturday	02/16	vs	Truman State	9 inn.	3:00 p.m.	Live Stats
Sunday	02/17	vs	Truman State	9 inn.	1:00 p.m.	Live Stats

Leading Off
The Ichabods will begin the 2012 season, their 61st in school history, Saturday at 1 p.m. as they face Truman in a doubleheader at Falley Field. They'll wrap up the three-game series Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.

Washburn went 27-24 last year and finished fourth in the MIAA with a 22-18 record. The Ichabods advanced to their second straight MIAA tournament and won a first round game. They went 14-5 at Falley Field last year.

Truman is also opening up its season after going 16-32 and finishing 10th in the MIAA at 13-25.

The MIAA has expanded from 11 teams last year to 15 teams this year. Washburn will welcome Nebraska-Kearney, Northeastern State, Central Oklahoma and Lindenwood to the league this year. The league schedule also changed this year. Teams will play three-game weekend series against some teams and two-game, home and away series against the rest of the MIAA.

The Series Records
Washburn is 58-23 all-time against Truman after taking three of four against the Bulldogs on the road last year. Washburn has taken three of four against Truman in each of the last five years. Washburn has taken 11 of 14 games against Truman at Falley Field in the last eight years.

Head Coach Steve Anson begins his 34th season at Washburn
Washburn head coach Steve Anson reached a career milestone with his 800th win as the Ichabods coach last year and he's beginning 2013, his 34th season at Washburn, with an 807-741-3 (.521) record.

Anson, the winningest coach in the MIAA, is 830-7630-3 (.521) in 34 seasons overall as a head coach after coaching the 1979 season at Wayne State (Neb.) and then starting at Washburn in 1980.

Alberts named to NCBWA preseason all-region team
Senior first baseman Brad Alberts was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason all-Central Region second team announced in the preseason.

Alberts earned second team all-MIAA last year as he finished second on the team hitting .377 and was third with eight home runs. He finished with 41 RBI, 16 doubles and 37 hits, all second best on the team. He will be Washburn's leading returner in all of those categories.

Ichabods return three all-MIAA selections from last year
Senior pitcher Brett Ash and senior first baseman Brad Alberts earned all-MIAA second team honors last year and sophomore catcher Richard Swan earned honorable mention.

Ash went 7-4 last year with a 2.81 ERA. He tied for the NCAA Division II lead with 10 complete games. Alberts was second on the team batting .377. Swan batted .243 and he threw out 18 would-be base stealers.

Washburn lost all-MIAA first-teamer and All-American John Calhoun, who batted .398 with 43 RBI. The Ichabods also lose second-teamer Tyler Bean and honorable mention players Kerry Schachenmeyer and Marcus Peavler.

MIAA coaches pick Ichabods seventh in preseason poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Ichabods were picked seventh in the MIAA preseason baseball coaches poll released January 23.

Washburn went 27-24 overall last year and finished fourth in the MIAA at 22-18. The Ichabods advanced to their second straight MIAA tournament as the No. 4 seed and won a first round game before falling twice on the second day.

The Ichabods totaled 118 points in the voting, 10 points above No. 8 Lindenwood, one of four MIAA newcomers. Missouri Southern was sixth with 135 points. Three-time defending champion Central Missouri was the unanimous choice at No. 1, followed by Missouri Western at No. 2, Emporia State at No. 3, Central Oklahoma at No. 4 and Fort Hays State at No. 5.

With the addition of four new schools (LWU, UCO, No. 9 Northeastern State and No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney) pushing MIAA baseball to a 15-team sport, the conference tournament will expand to an eight-team event. The top four teams will host Nos. 5 through 8 in an on-campus, best of three round and then the tournament will shift to a neutral site for the final four teams.

Coming Up Next
The Ichabods will travel to Fort Hays State Wednesday for a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader to continue MIAA action. They will then face off with their only non-conference opponent as they host Rockhurst next weekend for a three-game series. Saturday they'll play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and Sunday they'll play one game at 2 p.m. The two teams will also play one game in Kansas City on May 1 to wrap up Washburn's regular season.