Complete Game Notes (pdf)
Leading Off...
Washburn has played eight straight games away from a home field as the last three series have had to be moved to neutral sites to avoid weather and poor playing conditions.
WU has had 8 games canceled due to snow including 5 MIAA games that can't be made up.
Taylor Gentry was the MIAA pitcher of the week last week after going 5.2 scoreless innings against No. 3 UCM. He followed that by going 7 inn. in a start vs UNK allowing 1 unearned run off four hits.
Riley Price is eighth in the MIAA hitting .411 this year. He's one of 13 MIAA players hitting above .400.
Connor Crimmins is 3rd in the MIAA with 10 stolen bases. He's been thrown out once.
Washburn leads the MIAA with 11 triples but is 13th with eight home runs.
Taylor Herrington leads the league with 5 triples.
Head coach Steve Anson coached his 1,600th career game on February 19 at Fort Hays State. He's gone 835-782-3 in 35 seasons with 34 at Washburn and one at Wayne State (Neb.).
The series with NWMSU is tied at 51-51 after the Bearcats swept a DH earlier this year. Washburn had won 3 of 4 in each of the last two years.
MSSU leads the series against Washburn 40-33. Washburn won 3 of 4 in Topeka last year.
Washburn's five wins have been spread between five pitchers.
Drew Ridley leads the starters with a 4.40 ERA, 15th in the MIAA, and he's struck out 13 in 22 1/3 innings.
Mark Biesma leads WU with 23 K in 23 2/3 innings.
Ichabods set for five MIAA road games this week
After rain and snow moved eight straight games away from a home field, the Ichabods will play their first true road games since March 18 when they play a pair of MIAA teams this week.
Wednesday they will play at Northwest Missouri in a 1 p.m. doubleheader and then this weekend they'll play at Missouri Southern in a three-game series. The two will play a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m. and then a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
Washburn has lost seven straight and is 5-19 overall and 5-18 in the MIAA. The Ichabods had to move their home games last week with Nebraska-Kearney to Manhattan and their games with Northeastern State were moved to Emporia for two and Shawnee Lake in Topeka for the finale.
Northwest Missouri lost all five of its games last week as well and is 9-21 overall and 7-18 in the MIAA. The Bearcats swept Washburn in Topeka last month.
Missouri Southern swept the Bearcats last weekend and is 19-11 overall and 15-9 in the MIAA. The Lions have won eight straight games and will host College of the Ozarks on Wednesday before hosting Washburn this weekend.
Keeping up with the changes
The Ichabods have had eight games canceled this year due to snow and at one point went 15 days without being able to play. One game from the Rockhurst series was rescheduled and the other two games in that original series may be made up if an open date can be found. The MIAA games against Lincoln and Nebraska-Kearney cannot be made up due to MIAA rules.
Of the 19 dates on the schedule so far this year, only one of them has had its games played at the originally-scheduled date, time and location.
Gentry follows MIAA pitcher of the week award with solid outing in first career start
Junior pitcher
Taylor Gentry was named the MIAA pitcher of the week last week after pitching over five innings of scoreless relief March 23 as Washburn came back from a 6-2 deficit to beat the third-ranked Mules.
He then was given the ball to start the first game in the series last week against Nebraska-Kearney. He allowed just one unearned run off four hits through seven innings and struck out six while walking just one. Two runs were given up after he left the game and the Ichabods lost 2-1.
Against Central Missouri, Gentry gave up just two hits and a walk and struck out four as he entered with one out in the third and runners on first and third. He gave up an infield single to allow one of his inherited runners to score but retired the side with the bases loaded. After that, he pitched three straight hitless innings.
He gave up a hit in the seventh but got out of the inning to send the game to extra innings. Washburn scored twice in the eighth and Gentry pitched a hitless bottom of the eighth to get the win.
This is Washburn's first MIAA athlete of the week award for baseball this year.
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 812-780-3 (.517) record.
Anson, the winningest coach in the MIAA, is 835-782-3 (.516) 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 .288 with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored.
Last time out
TOPEKA, Kan. -- After at least a run was scored in every inning but the ninth and 10th, Northeastern State went ahead with five runs in the 11th to beat the Ichabods 11-6 Saturday at the Bettis Sports Complex.
The Ichabods gave up single runs in the seventh and eighth inning as Northeastern State tied the game at 6-6. The RiverHawks then scored five runs on four hits in the 11th including a three-run home run. Washburn was then retired in order in the bottom of the 11th.
Washburn took the lead in the bottom of the first as
Parker Gibson led of the game with a single and later scored on a hit from
Matt Jackson.
Kyle Carnahan then drove in Jackson with a single. The Ichabods maintained the lead until NSU's run in the eighth tied the game.
John Stoothoff, playing in just his second game, had a solo homer in the fourth inning in his third official at-bat as an Ichabod. He also doubled and scored in the sixth. He joined five other Ichabods with two hits.
The two teams combined for 36 runs while they left 24 runners on base. Northeastern State left 17 on base and had 22 of the hits. The RiverHawks' 52 at-bats is the most Washburn has ever faced in a game.
Greg Mason took the loss on the mound for Washburn as he allowed the first two runs in the 11th inning.
Mark Biesma started and allowed four runs and 12 hits in the first six innings.
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
Washburn will host five of its final eight home games next week and attempt to return to Falley Field for the first time since March 16. The Ichabods will host Fort Hays State April 9 at 2 p.m. in a doubleheader and then host a three-game series with Southwest Baptist that weekend. April 13 the two will play twice starting at 2 p.m. and then they will play one game April 14 at 1 p.m.
