Warm ups . . . 

• The Washburn Ichabods have six games scheduled this week starting with a doubleheader against Ottawa at the Washburn Softball Complex starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

• Washburn split its opening games of the season with Southwest Baptist on Feb. 22 falling 10-6 in the first game and coming back for a 7-4 win in the nightcap.

• Washburn will then take part in the annual Missouri Southern Terri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Joplin.

• Washburn will face three Northern Sun schools in Upper Iowa, Northern State and Winona State along with Great Lakes Valley foe William Jewell.

 Knowing the foes . . . 

Ottawa

• Ottawa is 3-5 entering a doubleheader with Avila on Tuesday in Kansas City.

• Washburn leads the all-time series with Ottawa 6-0.

• The two teams have not met since Washburn swept a twinbill on March 28, 2012.

Upper Iowa - March 1, 12 p.m. • Joplin

• The Peacocks are 4-8 this season and have won their last three games entering weekend play.

• Washburn leads the series 3-1 and they have not played since a 5-3 Ichabod win on March 21, 2008.

Northern State - March 1, 6 p.m. • Joplin

• The Wolves have played yet this season and they are scheduled to open on Feb. 28 in a doubleheader against Fort Hays State in Joplin.

• Washburn and Northern State have not played each other in the program's history.

• Washburn will also take on NSU at the Missouri Western Invitational on Feb. 21 in St. Joseph.

William Jewell - March 2, 12 p.m. • Joplin

• The Cardinals are 4-6 this season and topped Bacone 9-1 last time out.

• They have gone 2-5 against MIAA schools this season.

• Washburn is 3-0 all-time against William Jewell and they have not played since the Ichabods swept a doubleheader on March 14, 2008 winning 10-3 and 7-1.

Winona State - March 2, 2 p.m. • Joplin

• Winona State is 5-1 this season entering the MSSU Invitational.

• Washburn is 0-1 all-time against Winona State falling in the only meeting on Feb. 23, 2013 in a 14-2 loss.

• Winona State received votes in last week's NFCA Coaches Poll and the new poll will come out on Feb. 25.

 WU Bod Notes . . . 

#2 • Alex Sweeney • Went 1 for 3 in her first weekend of play collecting three walks and scoring a run against SBU.

#3 • Kristen Bell • Recorded 10 putouts in the first action against SBU from her catcher's position.

#4 • Katie Schroeder • Went 2 for 7 with two runs scored and 2 RBI collecting a stolen base.

#5 • Marina Quimby • Had a stolen base and scored a run against SBU in the second game of the doubleheader.

#6 • Kaylee Erickson • Made one plate appearance in the first weekend of play against SBU.

#8 • Jordan Erickson • Had a hit and scored a run against SBU while being hit by a pitch.

#9 • Haylee Marsteller • Has a .205 batting average entering her sophomore season after collecting 17 hits while scoring 13 runs with nine RBI and three home runs appearing in 34 games making 33 starts.

#10 • Deidra Jones • Had a home run and an RBI and was hit twice by pitches in the second game against SBU.

#11 • Samantha Carson • Went 5 for 8 with 5 RBI and two home runs (both coming in the second game against SBU) recording a 1.500 slugging percentage.

#13 • Skyler Gentry • Missed the first weekend of play with an injury.

#15 • Leah Garland • Has appeared in 43 games making 37 starts adding 19 hits with six home runs and 16 RBI while scoring 12 runs.

#16 • Lauren Thimmesch • Had a home run in each game against SBU driving in two while walking twice and she picked up the win in the circle striking out seven in the second game.

#21 • Bre Hixon • Had a hit in the first game against SBU.

#22 • Shelby Erickson • Had 2 RBI with three hits and two runs scored in the first weekend action of the season.

 What's in a name . . . 

• Starting the 2013-14 school year, all of the women's athletic teams will be called Ichabods.

• All women's teams prior to the 2013-14 school year can and will be referenced to as Lady Blues.

• Name change was made to have a unified athletic department and to have a graphical representation of the sports teams at Washburn.

• 'Bods is allowable on second reference

• Lady Ichabods or Lady 'Bods should never be used.

 Last time out for Washburn . . . 

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team finally got on the field after eight cancelations and postponements splitting a doubleheader with Southwest Baptist in their first action of the season. Washburn lost the opener 7-4 before rallying for a 10-6 win in the night cap. 

Samantha Carson had five hits to lead the Ichabod attack on the day with five RBI and two home runs. Shelby Erickson had three hits. Lauren Thimmesch also had two home runs for the Ichabods.

Game 1 – SBU 7, WU 4

The Bearcats scored five runs in the first two innings to take a 5-0 lead before the Ichabods would get on the board with a run on a solo shot by Deidra Jones to right field for her first of the season. Neither team scored until the top of the sixth when SBU added a pair of runs increasing their lead to 7-1. Washburn added three in the bottom of the seventh on solo home runs by Katie Schroeder and Lauren Thimmesch and an RBI single by Samantha Carson but it was not enough as the Ichabods fell 7-4. Marina Quimby took the loss allowing four earned runs. Carson came in the game in the second inning and pitched six innings striking out two. Caitlyn Cooner drove in five with a pair of home runs for SBU and Kyra Parker picked up the win allowing four earned runs with five strike outs. Kacey Ayers picked up the save striking out the final Ichabod batter.

Game 2 – WU 10, SBU 6

SBU scored in the first inning taking the early lead and they added two more in the top of the third before the Ichabods used a pair of two-run homers by Carson and by and Shelby Erickson put the Ichabods up 4-3 after three innings. SBU came back with two more in the top of the fourth to take back the lead 5-4. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Washburn came back to take the lead 9-6 with five runs in the frame taking advantage of two SBU errors. Carson crushed a two-run homer to right field and then Thimmesch became the first Ichabod to hit the new scoreboard with another homer to right field putting Washburn up 10-6. Washburn batted around in the inning with all six innings going down as unearned for the Bearcats. Thimmesch then shut the door on the Bearcats in the seventh inning as Washburn picked up the split. Thimmesch struck out seven in the game and Carson finished with a team-high three hits with four RBI.

 Ichabod head coach Vanessa Becerra . . . 

• was named the Washburn Ichabod head softball coach on Aug. 3, 2011 after spending four seasons at Metro State in Denver, Colo., with the final season coming as the head coach. 

• is 33-58 in her third season on the bench at Washburn and overall Becerra has recorded a 67-76 mark in her fourth year as a head coach.

• in her lone season as the head coach at Metro State, Becerra led the Roadrunners the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship while advancing to the NCAA regional tournament for the third-straight season finishing with a 34-18 record. 

• has coached six Ichabods to all-MIAA honors.

• has had 25 Ichabods named to the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll.

 Ichabod softball history. . . 

• The Ichabods are 1048-765-1 in their 45th year of softball. 

• The Ichabods have made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008). 

• Washburn won the 2002 regular season MIAA title.

 Up next . . . 

• The Ichabods are scheduled to face Missouri Western on March 7 in Topeka in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. and then take on Northwest Missouri on March 8 in Topeka starting at 12 p.m. in a pair of MIAA doubleheaders.