• The Washburn Ichabod softball team will get a double dose of Turnpike Tussle action this weekend as the Emporia State Hornets and Ichabods will play a four-game series starting on Friday in Emporia.

• The first doubleheader on the road will count as MIAA games.

• The twinbill in Topeka will count as non-conference games.

• The Ichabods lead the nation in home runs averaging two per game in the latest NCAA standings and with their next home run they will tie the school single season record of 50 set in 2002.

• Washburn is also second in the nation in slugging percentage at 0.619 and fifth in the nation in scoring at 7.87 runs per game.

• Washburn's Lauren Thimmesch is ranked fourth in the nation in home runs per game (0.52) and fifth in overall home runs in the latest rankings.

• Katie Schroeder is eighth in the nation in triples this season as of the latest NCAA rankings.

 Knowing the foe . . . 

Emporia State

• Emporia State is 26-7 on the year and 8-0 in MIAA play. 

• They are ranked No. 9 in the NFCA National Poll. 

• The Hornets lead the MIAA in doubles, are second in stolen bases and fifth in home runs and batting average. 

• Defensively they are second in the nation and lead the league in double plays with 20 and are ranked fourth in the MIAA in overall fielding percentage. 

• They have won 16 of their last 19 games including a 12 game winning streak. 

• Kaitlyn Caston is leading the nation with 19 wins on the season.

 Series Notes with ESU . . . 

• The Hornets lead the all-time series 73-49-1.

• The Hornets have won the last 29 games in a row after taking the first game of a doubleheader against ESU in Topeka on April 20, 2005 when the Hornets were ranked No. 7 in the nation.

• The last time the Ichabods won in Emporia was in a 10-7 victory on March 16, 2004 when the Ichabods won the second game of a doubleheader.

 WU Bod Notes . . . 

#2 • Alex Sweeney • Has appeared in seven games this season scoring two runs with two hits and an RBI.

#3 • Kristen Bell • Has nine assists and 32 putouts from her catcher's position.

#4 • Katie Schroeder • Her 7 RBI against Texas A&M-International on March 12th tied a school record.

#5 • Marina Quimby • Leads the team with 35 hits and a .450 batting average.

#6 • Kaylee Erickson • Has gone 2-4 in the circle with five complete games.

#8 • Jordan Erickson • Fourth on the team with five home runs while driving in 20 runs scoring 19 runs.

#9 • Haylee Marsteller • Batting .350 with 21 hits in 21 games.

#10 • Deidra Jones • Tied for third with six multi-RBI games this season.

#11 • Samantha Carson • Second on the team with 10 multi-hit games.

#13 • Skyler Gentry • Has made 10 starts appearing in 12 games.

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

#16 • Lauren Thimmesch • Her 24 career home runs is tied for fifth at Washburn.

#21 • Bre Hixon • Four of her 10 hits have been for home runs while driving in 17.

#22 • Shelby Erickson • Third on the team with a .356 batting average with four home runs and five doubles.

 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 Ichabods split a non-conference softball doubleheader on Wednesday with Metro State falling 5-4 before winning the nightcap 12-4 in a run-rule game. Washburn (15-10) will return to MIAA play at No. 9 Emporia State on Friday. The same two teams will play a non-conference twinbill on Saturday afternoon in Topeka.

Game 1 – Metro State 5, Washburn 4                            

Katie Schroeder led off the game with a home run to left to put the Ichabods up 1-0, but the Roadrunners came back with three runs in the bottom of the second taking advantage of an Ichabod error as only two of the three runs were earned. The Roadrunners added two more in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. In the sixth, Washburn cut the lead to 5-4 on a three-run homer by Deidra Jones. However the Ichabods went down in order in the seventh in the one-run loss. Washburn was limited to five hits in the game. Lauren Thimmesch had two hits to lead Washburn. Kaylee Erickson took the loss in the circle striking out two allowing three earned runs as she fell to 2-4 on the season.

Game 2 – Washburn 12, Metro State 4

The Roadrunners scored three in their first at bat and then Washburn knotted the score at 3-3 after scoring three runs in its first at bat. Marina Quimby had a 2 RBI single and Shelby Erickson had an RBI single of her own in the inning. Washburn added another in the bottom of the second tying the score at 4-4 on Schroeder's second home run of the day. Neither team would score until the fourth inning when the Ichabods broke the game open with eight runs in the inning as Washburn sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning. Bre Hixon led off the inning with a pinch-hit walk and Skyler Gentry reached on an error. Schroeder drove in two with a double to left center. After Samantha Carson walked and Thimmesch was intentionally walked, Jones drew a bases loaded walk. After Quimby walked, Hixon singled driving in one run and then Jordan Erickson doubled scoring two more putting Washburn up 12-4. The Roadrunners were scoreless in the top of the fifth leading to the run-rule win for the Ichabods. Schroeder finished with three hits and 3 RBI to lead Washburn while scoring two runs in the game along with Carson, Thimmesch, Jones and Hixon. Thimmesch picked up the win improving to 7-2 on the season allowing three earned runs. There were 12 wild pitches in the game.

 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 47-67 in her third season on the bench at Washburn and overall Becerra has recorded a 81-85 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 1062-774-1 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 will take on Emporia State in a MIAA doubleheader on March 28 and then face the Hornets in Topeka in a non-conference doubleheader the following day.