Warm ups . . . 

• The Washburn Ichabods will step out of MIAA play on Wednesday when they will face Texas A&M International at 2 p.m. at the Washburn Softball Complex before heading for a four-game MIAA road trip at Fort Hays State and at Nebraska-Kearney starting Friday.

• Washburn (7-3, 5-1 MIAA) has won its last five games which is the longest winning streak since winning seven in a row between March 24 and March 28.

• The Ichabods were 4-0 in MIAA play last week sweeping Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri.

 Knowing the foes . . . 

Texas A&M International

• The Dustdevils are 11-16 entering a doubleheader at Emporia State on March 11.

• The Ichabods are 3-3 all-time against the Dustdevils. They have not met since a 9-3 loss on Feb. 25, 2012. 

• Washburn swept a doubleheader with the Dustdevils on March 17, 2011 in Topeka.

Fort Hays State

• The Lady Tigers are 14-5 entering a doubleheader with Emporia State on March 14.

• Entering the weekend, the Lady Tigers have won their last four with MIAA sweeps over Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist.

• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 35-31 but have lost the last eight meetings.

• Washburn's last win was on Mary 1, 2010 in a 5-4 win.

Nebraska-Kearney

• The Lopers are 3-11 this season entering a doubleheader with Emporia State on March 15.

• They have lost their last three overall.

• Washburn trails in the all-time series 26-14.

 WU Bod Notes . . . 

#2 • Alex Sweeney • Has appeared in five games this season scoring a run with two hits.

#3 • Kristen Bell • Has nine assists and 24 putouts from her catcher's position.

#4 • Katie Schroeder • Leads the team by being hit by four pitches.

#5 • Marina Quimby • Leads the Ichabods with a .516 batting average with 15 hits and eight runs scored.

#6 • Kaylee Erickson • Has two complete games this season going 1-1 in the circle.

#8 • Jordan Erickson • Second on the team with a .385 batting average with seven RBI and six runs scored.

#9 • Haylee Marsteller • Batting .350 in six starts with six runs scored.

#10 • Deidra Jones • Tied for second on the team with three home runs.

#11 • Samantha Carson • Her 13 RBI is tied for the team lead and her 10 runs scored is second … also 3-0 in the circle with a 3.11 ERA.

#13 • Skyler Gentry • Returned to action last weekend after missing the first six games of the season with an ankle injury.

#15 • Leah Garland • Has yet to appear in a game this season.

#16 • Lauren Thimmesch • Leads the team with eight home runs and a 1.086 slugging percentage … 3-1 in the circle with a 4.80 ERA.

#21 • Bre Hixon • Two of her four hits this season have been home runs.

#22 • Shelby Erickson • Has five RBI this season with 13 hits and eight runs scored.

 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 won its fifth-straight game sweeping a doubleheader with Northwest Missouri winning 7-6 and then winning the second game 11-4 to improve to 7-3 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA.

Game 1 - WU 7, NWMSU 6

Samantha Carson's single in the bottom of the seventh scored Jordan Erickson to push Washburn to the 7-6 win over the Bearcats. Washburn took a 2-0 lead in its first at bat on Lauren Thimmesch's sixth home run of the season scoring Carson. The Ichabods added two more in the bottom of the second on a 2 RBI single by Carson. The Bearcats came back with five in the top of the third taking the 5-2 lead. Washburn took back the lead after a home run by Jordan Erickson. The Ichabods added another in the frame on an RBI single by Shelby Erickson. The Bearcats tied the score at 6-6 in the top of the sixth, but Washburn picked up the winner in the bottom of the frame on Carson's winner. Carson drove in three in the game with two hits and Thimmesch drove in two. She also picked up the win in relief throwing 4 2/3 innings striking out six improving to 3-1 this season. Washburn finished with 10 hits overall and the Bearcats had 13.

Game 2 - WU 11, NWMSU 4

After the Bearcats scored three of their four runs off Washburn errors, the Ichabods came back to tied the game with four of their own capped by a 3-run homer by Jordan Erickson. The Ichabods added one in the fourth on a sac fly by Katie Schroeder and then in the fifth the Ichabods added two more on back-to-back home runs by Lauren Thimmesch and Deidra Jones. Washburn pushed across four more in the sixth inning when Marina Quimby homered scoring Shelby Erickson and then Thimmesch hit her second home run of the game driving in Carson who doubled in the inning. Carson picked up the complete-game win striking out four allowing one earned run improving to 3-0 on the season. The Ichabods tied a single-game Washburn record with six home runs in the game.

In the doubleheader Shelby Erickson was 4 for 8 with 2 RBI while Lauren Thimmesch had 5 RBI with three home runs.

 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 39-60 in her third season on the bench at Washburn and overall Becerra has recorded a 73-78 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 1054-767-1 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 . . . 

• Washburn are scheduled to play nine games next week starting with a doubleheader at Wayne State on March 18 before hosting Northern State on March 19 in a pair of non-conference doubleheaders before facing five Northern Sun Conference teams at the Missouri Western Invitational.