Complete Game Notes (pdf)
Leading Off...
The Ichabods had eight straight games canceled due to snow including five MIAA games that cannot be made up.
Washburn will be playing for the first time since February 19. The Ichabods got swept that day in a doubleheader at Fort Hays State.
Prior to that, Washburn scored 31 runs in a three-game series against Truman in the season openers February 16-17. Washburn won two of three in that series.
Head coach Steve Anson just coached his 1,600th career game on February 19 at Fort Hays State. He's gone 832-766-3 in 35 seasons with 34 at Washburn and one at Wayne State (Neb.).
Washburn leads the all-time series with Northwest Missouri, 51-49 after winning three of four last year in Maryville. The Ichabods have won six of the last eight.
The two teams have met every year since 1979 and the series started in 1966.
Washburn leads the all-time series against Pittsburg State, 48-45. The Gorillas won three of four against Washburn last year and have won six of the last eight.
The series goes back to 1963 and has been played every year since 1996.
Riley Price leads the Ichabods batting .400 (4 of 10) with five RBI this year.
Dakota Kell is batting .375 with four RBI and two doubles.
After 15 days in the snow, Ichabods set to resume action with five MIAA games this week
The Ichabods will play their first games in 15 days as they host Northwest Missouri Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in a doubleheader at Falley Field. They will then head to Pittsburg State for a 2 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Washburn has had eight straight games canceled due to snow. The Ichabods last played February 19 as they got swept in a doubleheader at Fort Hays State. They're 2-3 overall and 2-3 in the MIAA. Washburn has played the fewest games among the 15 teams in the MIAA.
Northwest Missouri State is 2-11 and 2-8 in the MIAA. The Bearcats were swept in three games at Central Oklahoma March 2-3 in their last action. Their two wins came against Lindenwood and Northeastern State.
Pittsburg State is 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the MIAA. The Gorillas took two of three games against Nebraska-Kearney March 3-4 and are scheduled to play two games at Missouri Southern Wednesday this week before hosting Washburn.
Snow around the conference cancels eight games for Ichabods
The Ichabods will have gone 15 days without playing when they take the field Thursday after snow in the area canceled eight straight games against three different opponents. Their last games were February 19 at Fort Hays State.
The MIAA games against Lincoln and Nebraska-Kearney cannot be made up due to MIAA rules. The Rockhurst series may be made up if an open date can be found.
Head Coach Steve Anson beginning 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 in his 34th season at Washburn with an 809-744-3 (.521) record.
Anson, the winningest coach in the MIAA, is 832-766-3 (.521) in 35 seasons overall as a head coach after coaching the 1979 season at Wayne State (Neb.) and then starting at Washburn in 1980.
He was born in Mishawaka, Indiana, and is a 1976 graduate of Kansas State where he still holds the Wildcats' career record with 19 triples.
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.
Alberts is currently batting .353 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Last time out
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Ichabods never led as they were swept in the doubleheader February 19 at Fort Hays State. The Tigers took the opener, 5-3 and then won the finale, 14-2 in seven innings.
Connor Crimmins was 2 for 3 in the first game with three stolen bases. Only two Ichabods had ever stolen more bases in a game. He led off the fourth inning with a single then stole second base and advanced to third in a grounder.
Dakota Kell then grounded out to third to drive him in to make the score 2-1 FHSU.
The Tigers answered with two in the bottom of the fourth then
David Lammers tripled in
Richard Swan in the fifth. Crimmins then singled to start the sixth then stole second and third base and scored on a single from
Brad Alberts.
The Tigers added one more run in the bottom of the sixth to give them a 5-3 lead.
Riley Price had a pinch hit single to start the second but Washburn posed no further threat.
Alberts started the first game on the mound and gave up four runs off six hits in four innings.
Ethan DeVader went the final two innings and allowed a run off two hits.
Fort Hays State scored seven runs in the fourth inning of game two to build an 11-1 lead and scored three runs in the sixth to invoke the 10-run rule.
Parker Gibson went 2 for 4 with a run scored but only three other Ichabods got hits.
David Gauntt singled in a run in the fourth and
Taylor Herrington did the same in the fifth, driving in Gibson after he singled.
Mark Biesma started the second game and gave up the first eight runs in 3 1/3 innings. Three other Ichabods worked out of the bullpen.
Gibson went 4 for 8 in the leadoff spot in the two games.
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 return home to host Missouri Western March 12 at Falley Field and then Emporia State March 16 in doubleheaders. They will then head to Emporia to play ESU on March 17.
