Weekend Outlook
MIAA play opens for both Washburn and Missouri Western this weekend as the Ichabods travel to St. Joseph, Mo., for a three-game series ... Washburn has won the previous three matchups against the Griffons and leads the all-time series, 64-59, but will face an MWSU team that it knocked out of the MIAA Tournament last season ... the Ichabods and Griffons split their regular season four-game series last year in Topeka before WU swept MWSU in a best-of-three opening round series in the MIAA Tournament in St. Joseph, Mo. ... MWSU enters the weekend at 4-3 overall and has not played since Feb. 14 ... Alex Clavet (6.48 ERA, five strikeouts) and Conner Schwienebart (8.38 ERA, six strikeouts) both have two starts on the year while Preston Bailey (4.50 ERA, seven strikeouts) has three appearances ... offensively, Brandon Downs (seven RBI) and Kody Mathews are each hitting .375 and Cosimo Cannella (.370) leads the team with two home runs and 12 RBI ... as a team, MWSU is hitting .298 at the plate (compared to WU's .252 average) and the Griffons have a 5.25 ERA (compared to WU's 5.91 ERA) ... more information on opponents and series history can be found on page one of the game notes.

Last Time Out (Feb. 23)
TOPEKA, Kan. – Washburn struggled to slow a Newman offense in the home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 23, falling 15-5 at Falley Field ... WU had nine hits in the game as a team but allowed 19 hits.  Zane Mapes and Kyle Carnahan each had two hits (including one double apiece) while Riley Krane had a three-run home run in the game ... Dan Gabler (1-1) took the loss after pitching 3.1 innings and allowing six runs as Washburn threw seven relievers in the game ... Down 3-1 headed for the third, Washburn took the lead briefly with five runs but couldn't sustain the offensive effort throughout ... Payton Soicher led off the inning with a single up the middle before moving to second when Mapes was hit by a pitch before Krane took the first pitch he saw over the right center fence to tie the game ... Parker Gibson continued the rally with a triple to center field, and after Carnahan walked, came home on David Gauntt's sacrifice fly ... Carnahan stole second during Lance Barkley's at-bat and moved to third on a ground out before scampering home for WU's fifth run on a wild pitch ... Newman answered with four runs in the fourth, however, to regain the lead for good.

Clutch To Open The Season
Riley Krane has fired out of the gate with a hot start this season, hitting .290 through eight games with two doubles a triple and two home runs, driving in a team-high 13 ... in the field, Krane has 18 putouts and 22 assists from the six-hole, committing just one error in 41 chances so far ... both of Krane's home runs have been three-run shots, as he's come through in the clutch early.

Offensive Frenzy
After stumbling in the SAU Invitational opener against Oklahoma Christian, Washburn erupted for 29 combined runs over two games on the final day of the SAU Invitational, defeating Central Oklahoma 16-5 and No. 14/19 Southern Arkansas, 13-5 ... WU had just 24 hits on the day but used 12 walks, seven hit-by-pitches and seven opponent errors to extend innings and score runs ... Parker Gibson was 6-for-10 and Kasey Clark had five hits over the two games, while Riley Krane drove in seven runs, scored five runs and had three hits, matching Kyle Carnahan and Tanner Triggs.

Ichabods Ninth in NCBWA Regional Poll
After receiving votes in the preseason version of the NCBWA Central Region Rankings and being ranked eighth earlier this season, Washburn baseball remained ninth in the Feb. 23 version after going 2-1 at the SAU Invitational with a win over nationally (and regionally) ranked Southern Arkansas ... from the MIAA, Missouri Southern (No. 3) are Emporia State (No. 4) are ahead of the Ichabods while Northeastern State and Pittsburg State are tied with WU ... Missouri Western is receiving votes ... national and regional rankings can be found on page five of the game notes.

Crowding the Plate
After breaking the school record last season with 90 hit-by-pitches, Washburn has already been plunked 19 times on the year through seven games ... Kyle Carnahan has been hit six times already this season to lead the team ... Parker Gibson and David Gauntt have earned three free passes while Tanner Triggs and Zane Mapes have each been tagged twice by pitches ... the Ichabods ranked third in NCAA Division II last season in hit by pitches ... individually, David Gauntt was 11th nationally with 18 hit-by-pitches while Connor Crimmins (current student assistant coach) was 14th (17) and Carnahan ranked 30th (14).

2016 Season Preview
The Ichabods enter 2016 poised for a postseason run under second year skipper, Harley Douglas ... WU returns return three All-MIAA Third Team picks in Kyle Carnahan, David Gauntt and Parker Gibson and have supplemented a roster that returns 22 letterwinners with 24 newcomers, including 17 new arms on the pitching staff ... The Ichabods return their top three hitters (sorted by average) in Carnahan (.371/.602/.462), Riley Krane (.355/.538/.407) and Gibson (.335/.398/.403), and the top two power threats in Gauntt (16 home runs, 53 RBI) and Carnahan (10 home runs, 53 RBI ... Also returning in the lineup is Payton Soicher, who started 44 games with a .299 average and Tanner Triggs, who hit six home runs with a .287 average and earned All-MIAA honorable mention honors while serving as the primary designated hitter ... On the bump, Maustin Otterstatter (4-2, 5.47 ERA, 28 strikeouts) and All-MIAA honorable mention pick Mike Hefferan (4-1, 2.31 ERA, 34 strikeouts) return as the most seasoned in a starting role, while Ryne Dowling (2-0, 3.06 ERA), Greg Mason (16 appearances, 4.84 ERA) and Dan Gabler (11 apperances, 32 strikeouts) return with the most experience out of the bullpen ... Newcomers Lance Barkley (Fort Scott CC), Quentin McGrath (East Central) and Nick Silva (Colby CC) transferred to Washburn for the 2015-16 school  year and are expected to contend immediately for starting roles.

2015 In Review
Washburn Baseball went 33-20 last season in the first season under head coach Harley Douglas ... The Ichabods reached the 30-win mark for the first time since the 2000 season, and finished as one of the final three teams in the MIAA Postseason Tournament after earning the fifth seed ... Washburn opened the year with a 14-game win streak and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the NCBWA national poll and No. 19 in the ABCA poll early in the year ... The 2015 season was dedictated to former head coach Steve Anson, who passed away in a tragic accident after the 2014 season, his 35th at Washburn ... Douglas was named the full-time head coach on Aug. 22, 2014 after serving in the interim role over the summer ... Washburn had eight All-MIAA selections at the conclusion of the 2015 season ... David Gauntt, Kyle Carnahan and Parker Gibson were picked to the All-MIAA third team while Mike Hefferan, Tanner Kilmer, Riley Krane, Connor Crimmins and Tanner Triggs were named honorable mention.
 
Receiving Votes in Preseason Polls
Washburn baseball received votes in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division II Preseason Poll, released Dec. 22 and in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) Central Region Preseason Poll, released Jan. 26 ... in the ABCA poll, WU was joined by four other MIAA schools ... Missouri Southern was picked 24th while Emporia State was 38th ... Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney were also in the receiving votes section ... in the NCBWA Preseason Poll, ESU, MSSU and UCM were listed in the Top 10.

Home Run Record List
David Gauntt's home run against Southern Arkansas in the second game of the season was not only his first of 2016, but also moved him into sole possession of the third spot on Washburn's career home run record list ... Gauntt has 26 home runs in his career and ended 2015 tied for third with Terry Middendorf (1984-85, 87-88) and Jesse Schmidt (2002-06) ... his now just two short of No. 2 (Scott Greger), who had 28 home runs from 1985-87 ...   No. 1 on the list is J.P. Wright, who played at Washburn from 1986-88 and hit 64 home runs ... Gauntt has led the Ichabods in home runs in both of the previous two seasons with 16 in 2015 and eight in 2014.

Career RBI Record Watch List
Kyle Carnahan, David Gauntt and Parker Gibson enter ed the 2016 season just outside of the Top 15 on Washburn's career RBI record list ... four games in, Kyle Carnahan has joined the Top 15 while Gauntt and Gibson are inching closer ... 
 

Career RBI List
Rank	Name	RBI
10	Dylan Smith	115
	Wes Joy	115
	Steve Johnson	115
13	Kyle Carnahan	110
14	Billy Crooks	109
15	Brian Arnold	108
	David Gauntt	102
	Parker Gibson	83

Career Record Watch List - Parker Gibson
Senior outfielder Parker Gibson already ranks in the Top 15 of several career record lists as the 2016 season is in its early stages ...
 

Career Steals List
Rank	Name	Steals
2	Sam Sissom	90
3	Harley Douglas	75
4	Carvel Reynoldson	73
5	Brian Sodderberg	71
6	Parker Gibson	65
Career At Bats List
Rank	Name	At Bats
1	Sam Sissom	662
2	Dane Simoneau	612
3	Jesse Schmidt	598
4	Pat Colley	597
5	Wes Joy	591
6	Parker Gibson	586
Career Runs List
Rank	Name	Runs
5	Pat Colley	156
6	Scott Greger	144
7	Steve Johnson	139
8	Harley Douglas	136
9	Parker Gibson	131

Upperclassman dominate starting lineup
Of the 10 offensive positions in WU's projected lineup for 2016, nine are held by either juniors or seniors ... Tanner Triggs (designated hitter) is the lone sophomore in the lineup ... at the three positions marked as preseason battles, second base is between a junior and senior while first base and right field are between two juniors ... aside from the position battles, four seniors are listed as projected offensive starters with one junior, Riley Krane, already locked in at shortstop.

Best College for Baseball
Washburn baseball received national recognition in September after NCSA Athletic Recruiting named the program the No. 1 "Best College for Baseball in 2015" in NCAA Division II on its website.
  
Gauntt named Perfect Game Summer College All-American
Washburn's David Gauntt was named a 2015 Second Team Summer Collegiate All-American by Perfect Game for his play with the Xenia Scouts of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League over the summer ... Announced Aug. 19, the All-American honors came in addition to Gauntt earning First Team All-League honors and being picked to the All-Star Team earlier in the summer ... Gauntt finished the summer with a .322 batting average while slugging .587 and posting a .430 on base percentage ... Gauntt's seven home runs ranked fourth in the GLSCL and came alongside 13 doubles, two triples and 39 runs batted in.
  
Three Ichabods named GLSCL All-League, All-Stars
Washburn's David Gauntt, Kyle Carnahan and Quentin McGrath played together on the Xenia Scouts of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League over the summer and were all named to the All-League and All-Star teams ... Gauntt hit .322 for the summer with 46 hits, 13 doubles, seven home runs and 39 RBI ... Carnahan played in 40 games, hitting .299 with 46 hits, 12 doubles, seven home runs and 27 RBI ... McGrath went 6-0 on the hill, putting together a 3.58 ERA over 47.2 innings with 19 earned runs allowed, 38 strikeouts (team-high).

MIAA Preseason Poll
Missouri Southern earned 11 first place votes and was picked by the coaches to win the MIAA in baseball ... The Lions earned the top spot in the poll after winning the MIAA regular season and post-season title in 2015 ... Emporia State, the other MIAA school in the NCAA Tournament last season, earned the second spot with one first place vote ... Central Missouri who earned two first place votes, was picked third by the coaches. Lindenwood earned 122 points to take the fourth spot in the poll, coming in just two points ahead of Missouri Western (picked fifth) ... Washburn was six points behind MWSU with 114 votes while Nebraska-Kearney (97), Central Oklahoma (87), Fort Hays State (64) and Northeastern State (60) closed the Top 10 ... The final four spots in the rankings went to Southwest Baptist, Northwest Missouri, Pittsburg State and Lincoln.