• The Washburn Ichabods will continue MIAA play this weekend when they will host Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri starting Friday at 2 p.m. at the Washburn Softball Complex.

• The Ichabods were 2-2 in a pair of games last week splitting a pair of non-conference doubleheaders with Ottawa and Illinois Springfield.

• Washburn has had 10 games so far this season canceled because of weather.

 Knowing the foes . . . 

Missouri Western

• The Griffons are 10-4 this season and have not played a conference game yet.

• Missouri Western received notes in the latest NFCA top 25 poll and would be ranked 28th playing out the poll points.

• Tiffany Gillaspy leads the team with a .429 batting average and a team-high three home runs. Kat Sephonovich has 12 RBI while batting .263.

• Jackie Bishop is 6-2 this season with a 0.76 earned run average with 70 strikeouts compared to only six walks as opponents are batting .141 against her.

• Washburn leads the all-time series 44-40 but the Griffons have won the last six overall.

• The Ichabods' last win in the series was on April 1, 2011 in the second game of a doubleheader.

Northwest Missouri

• The Bearcats are 3-6 this season and are playing their first MIAA game against the Ichabods.

• Stephanie Mark leads the team with a .414 batting average. Taszia Roseberry leads the team with four home runs.

• Abbie Vitosh is 1-3 in the circle with a 4.70 earned run average.

• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 49-30.

• The Bearcats swept the two meetings last year.

 WU Bod Notes . . . 

#2 • Alex Sweeney • Has gone 2 for 8 with an RBI so far this season.

#3 • Kristen Bell • Has seven assists from her catcher's position.

#4 • Katie Schroeder • Leads the team with three stolen bases.

#5 • Marina Quimby • Leads the Ichabods with a .500 batting average going 9 for 18 with five runs scored and an RBI.

#6 • Kaylee Erickson • Has gone 1-1 in the circle in two appearances.

#8 • Jordan Erickson • Third on the team with a .400 batting average with eight hits and 3 RBI.

#9 • Haylee Marsteller • Returned to action last week and hit .429 with three hits in seven at bats scoring two runs.

#10 • Deidra Jones • Has scored four runs with two home runs and 3 RBI this season.

#11 • Samantha Carson • Leads the team with 9 RBI while batting .364.

#13 • Skyler Gentry • Has missed the first six games with an ankle injury.

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

#16 • Lauren Thimmesch • Leads the team with five home runs in six games after hitting 12 home runs last season.

#21 • Bre Hixon • Has recorded 3 RBI this season.

#22 • Shelby Erickson • Tied for the team lead with two doubles while batting .318 this 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 . . . 

HAYS, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabod softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Illinois Springfield falling 6-5 before taking the nightcap 10-8. Washburn will return to MIAA play weather permitting against Missouri Western on March 7.

Katie Schroeder led the Ichabods in the twinbill with a .500 batting average going 3 for 6 with two triples, 3 RBI and three runs scored. Shelby Erickson, Haylee Marsteller, Jordan Erickson and Marina Quimby also had three hits. Samantha Carson drove in three runs with a double.

Game 1 -- UIS 6, WU 5

Washburn took a 2-0 lead after scoring two in the top of the second inning after Washburn took advantage of an UIS error and a passed ball and a wild pitch taking the 2-0 lead. The Prairie Stars scored four in the bottom of the third and then Washburn came back with two more in the top of the fourth after a two-out triple by Schroeder scoring Marsteller and Bre Hixon. UIS scored two more in the bottom of the fifth taking a 6-5 lead. The Ichabods added one more in the top of the seventh on an RBI by Schroeder scoring Jordan Erickson who led off the inning with a triple but Washburn went down in order to finish the game. Marsteller went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and Schroeder had 3 RBI. Kaylee Erickson took the loss allowing five earned runs striking out three and walking one.

Game 2 -- WU 10, UIS 8

The Prairie Stars (6-5) took an early 1-0 lead after their first at bat but Washburn came back with two in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run homer by Lauren Thimmesch, her fifth of the year. UIS scored six runs in the top of the third inning regaining the lead at 7-2, but Washburn (3-3) knotted the score in its turn in the bottom of the third inning scoring five runs sending ten to the plate. After a lead off walk and a single by Schroeder and a double by Carson scoring both, Thimmesch walked as did Deidra Jones and Shelby Erickson singled driving one and Jordan Erickson singled picking up an RBI as well. Washburn took the lead on a Carson sac fly scoring Schroeder  who led off the inning with a triple. The Ichabods added two more in the bottom of the sixth all coming with two outs when Shelby Erickson singled and was followed by a single from Marina Quimby and they both scored on a triple by Marsteller putting the Ichabods up 10-8. UIS scored one more in the seventh but the game ended with a double play securing the win for Washburn. Carson picked up the win in the circle striking out four allowing seven earned runs scattering 14 hits.

 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 35-60 in her third season on the bench at Washburn and overall Becerra has recorded a 69-78 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 1050-767-1 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 . . . 

• The Ichabods return to action on March 12 hosting Texas A&M International at 2 p.m. before hosting Fort Hays State on March 15 and Nebraska-Kearney on March 16 in MIAA play.