Washburn opens season with 13-game road trip. . . 
•    The Washburn Ichabod softball team will open the 2015 season with a 13-game road trip beginning in Weatherford, Okla., with three games at the Southwestern Oklahoma  Round Robin beginning Feb. 7.
•    The Ichabods will face Science and Arts of Oklahoma on Feb. 7 and then wrap up the two-day event with Eastern New Mexico and host squad Southwestern Oklahoma State the following day starting at noon.
•    Live stats will be available for all three games at www.sidearmstats.com/swosu/softball.

 Warm ups . . . 
•    The Washburn Ichabod softball team finished the campaign with a 20-23 overall record going 12-14 in the MIAA finishing in a tie for sixth place overall. However the Ichabods lost a four-way tiebreaker for the MIAA Tournament as only eight teams qualify for postseason play.
•    Marina Quimby earned first team all-league honors in 2014. She is joined by three other returnees this season in Samantha Carson was a second team selection as a utility/pitcher position along with first baseman Lauren Thimmesch, and junior outfielder Haylee Marsteller who all earned honorable mention all-MIAA honors.    

 Scouting the field . . . 
Science and Arts of Oklahoma
•    Recorded a 37-24 record last season as a member of the NAIA and the Sooner Athletic Conference.
•    Last season the Drovers stole 80 bases in 95 attempts while hitting .307 with 25 home runs while recording a 3.15 earned run average.
•    The Ichabods lead the all-time series 2-0 after winning a pair of 1-0 games on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 in 2005.
Eastern New Mexico
•    The Zias were 15-40 last season and finished 3-24 in the Lone Star Conference.
•    The Zias had a .298 batting average and swiped 48 bases in 62 attempts in 2014.
•    ENMU recorded a 6.52 earned run average.
•    The Ichabods hold a 11-1 all-time record against the Zias and have won the last three meetings.
•    The two teams have not met since an Ichabods 8-7 win on March 5, 2011.
Southwestern Oklahoma
•    The Bulldogs were 13-39 last season going 9-31 in the Great American Conference.
•    Overall the Bulldogs stole 67 bases in 80 attempts in 2014.
•    The Ichabods trail in the all-time series 8-0 to the Bulldogs and have not met since a 6-3 win on March 15, 2009.

 WU Bod Notes . . . 
#1 • Courtney Todd • IF/OF • Fr. • set numerous career records at Park Hill South High School.
#2 • Alex Sweeney • OF • So. • made five starts playing in 10 games as a freshman
#3 • Kristen Bell • C • Jr. • has made 79 career starts appearing in 76 games recording 44 hits with 21 RBI and 29 runs scored.
#4 • Megan Stegman • C/UT • So. • a transfer from Nebraska Omaha where she appeared in 29 games scoring 11 runs with a walk and reaching after being hit by a pitch.
#5 • Marina Quimby • P/IF • Jr. • returning first team all-MIAA player from 2014 … has made 73 starts appearing in 78 games overall recording a .357 batting average with 65 hits, six doubles, seven home runs and 39 runs scored.
#6 • Brianna White • IF • Fr. • as a senior at Goodland High School she was an all-league pick at shortstop and was named the outstanding female athlete also earning letters in cross country and basketball.
#7 • Savannah Moore • 3B • Fr. • at Washburn Rural High School she was a three-time first team all-city, all-league, all-state and all-region selection at third base following her senior, junior and sophomore seasons.
#8 • Jordan Erickson • OF • So. • has appeared in 41 games making 39 starts including 29 in left, three in center and seven in right field.
#9 • Haylee Marsteller • OF • Jr. • Honorable mention all-MIAA in 2014 … has a .274 career batting average making 71 starts playing in 73 games collecting 52 hits, 24 RBI with 36 runs scored in 190 at bats.
#10 • Kimberly Euler • P/OF • Fr. • Named all-league as a senior at Wathena High School.
#11 • Samantha Carson • P/IF • So. • Second team all-MIAA pick in 2014 … Started all 43 games and has recorded 42 hits with six doubles and eight home runs making 18 pitching appearances.
#14 • Taylor Kemp • P • Jr. • As a sophomore she was a first team all-conference choice at pitcher earning all-region and was an All-American nominee with a 2.03 ERA with 133 strikeouts in 168 innings pitched … also batted .402.
#15 • Berkley White • C • Fr. • As a senior at Goodland High School she was an honorable mention all-league selection at catcher lettering in cross country, softball and basketball.
#16 • Lauren Thimmesch • P/IF • Sr. • Enters senior season fifth on Ichabod all-time home run chart with 27 … has started all 89 games of her Washburn career collecting a .284 batting average with 81 hits, 11 doubles, 65 runs scored and 61 RBI … has 17 wins in the circle in 52 appearances with 21 complete games.
#17 • Cassidy Merriman • 3B/SS • Fr. • As a senior she was an all-league and a second team all-state pick.
#18 • Maddie Abbs • IF/OF • Fr. • Named second team all-league at first base at Olathe North High School.
#20 • Taylor Zimmerman • IF • Jr. • Batted .295 as a sophomore with 38 hits, 23 runs scored, 10 doubles and 17 RBI adding two home runs.
#21 • Lindsey Marcus • IF/P • Fr. • Named team MVP as a senior at Shawnee Mission Northwest and all-Sunflower League after recording a 2.80 earned run average with 111 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched which led the league … also batted .314.
#22 • Sierra Kemp • IF • Jr. • as a sophomore third baseman was a first team all-conference, first team all-region after hitting .455.

 Bods and ends . . . 
Lauren Thimmesch's 15 home runs in 2014 was third on the all-time single season chart at Washburn … Haylee Marsteller is carrying a three-game hitting streak into the season opener in 2015 … Washburn was 13-3 last season when out hitting its opponents … the Ichabods were 10-5 when hitting at least two home runs … Lauren Thimmesch had 16 multi-hit games in 2014 and recorded nine multi-RBI games … Washburn was picked 10th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

 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 52-80 in her fourth season on the bench at Washburn and overall Becerra has recorded a 86-98 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 12 Ichabods to all-MIAA honors.
• has had 38 Ichabods named to the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll.

 Ichabod softball history. . . 
• The Ichabods are 1067-787-1 in their 46th 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 will return to action Feb. 13-15 at the Southeastern Oklahoma State Regional Invitational in Durant, Okla., for six games over three days