Leading off . . .
•    The Washburn Ichabod softball team looks to keep its winning streak going as they travel to Bentonville, Ark., for six games at the Eight State Classic starting on Friday and running through Sunday.
•    The Ichabods have won their last two games starting with an 8-0 win over Chadron State and an 8-6 win over Fort Lewis in their final two games of the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs Classic
•    After games this weekend, Washburn (2-9) will face MidAmerica Nazarene on Feb. 25 and Maryville (Mo.) in St. Louis in a pair of non-conference doubleheaders before opening MIAA play at Central Oklahoma on March 6 followed by another conference twinbill against Northeastern State on March 7.
•    Washburn will open its home slate with weekend games against Missouri Southern on March 10 and Pittsburg State on March 11.
•    Erica Harper is carrying a six-game hitting streak into this weekend's action … she has also reached base in six straight games.
•    Savannah Moore, Ashley Ruder and Erica Harper are tied for the team lead with two multi-hit games.
•    Lacie Myers, Savannah Moore and Jordan Erickson all have two multi-RBI games.
•    Megan Stegman has started in three different positions in the field this season starting six in right field, two in center field and three at second base.

Where to follow . . .
•    Live stats for the weekend's invitational will be posted on the Washburn Softball Schedule page and via twitter at @wusports as location for the games will be announced. Fans can also follow the Ichabod softball team at @WashburnSB for updates as well at the athletic department twitter handle at @wusports.
 
This week's opponents . . .
Upper Iowa
•    The Peacocks have yet to play at game this season.
•    Upper Iowa was predicted to finish seventh in the 16-team league
•    UIU is the defending NSIC Tournament Champions and finished their record-setting 2016 season with a school-best 41 wins.
•    A pair of Peacocks, outfielder Sammy Garrett and pitcher Courtney Clayberg, were named NSIC Players to Watch for the upcoming season.
•    Washburn leads the series 6-1 and has won the last four in the series.
 
Drury
•    The Panthers have not played yet this season.
•    The Drury University softball team is picked to finish 11th in the 16-team Great Lakes Valley Conference in the league's preseason coaches' poll.
•    The Panthers return 11 players from last year's squad that went 18-32 and finished 11th in the GLVC with an 11-17 league record.
•    Among the returners is Drury's leading hitter last season, Kaelie Smith who hit .335 with four home runs and 30 runs batted in.
•    The Panthers also return starting pitcher Jessica Kjeldgaard, who posted a 3.16 earned run average and struck out 118 batters while walking 30 in 133 innings.
•    Washburn leads the series 2-1 … Drury won the last meeting on Feb. 8, 2013 in a 7-1 win.
 
William Jewell
•    This weekend will be the first action for the Cardinals this season.
•    The Cardinals were selected ninth with in the GLVC Preseason poll returning their top player from a season ago in first team All-Region and second team All-GLVC honoree Brooke Bernard. Bernard set the new Jewell batting record and placed herself in the top seven in multiple single season categories in 2016. Two other All-GLVC players return in third team selections Madi Giles and Maddie Greenstreet.
•    The Ichabods lead the series 3-0 and the two teams have not met since March 14, 2008 when Washburn swept a doubleheader winning 10-3 and 7-1.
 
East Central
•    After having a week off, the East Central University softball team will return to the field this weekend at the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark., Feb. 17-19.  This is the fourth year that the Tigers have participated in tournament against teams from across the NCAA Central Region.
•    The Tigers went 5-1 in the opening games of the season in Durant, Okla., and the Southeastern Regional Invitational.  ECU was led by sophomore Mariah Ewy, with a .667 average, one run and two hits.  Freshman Catherine Barrera added a .500 average, a run, seven hits and six RBIs.
•    Freshman Karlie Milburn went 3-0 in the circle, with a 0.50 ERA, a complete game-shut out, 14 total innings, nine hits, two runs and four Ks.
•    ECU leads the series 2-1 …the teams have not placed since a doubleheader on Feb. 13, 2009.
 
Rogers State
•    The Wildcats are 4-2 this season and have won their last four games.
•    The teams have never met.
 
Arkansas-Monticello
•    AMU is 2-2 this season and has a 17-4 win over Missouri Western and a 7-0 win over Pittsburg State … one of its losses is to Northwest Missouri in a 9-2 defeat.
•    AMU leads the series 2-1 … the teams last met on Feb. 2, 2013 with the Blossoms winning 11-3.
 
Last time out . . .
CANYON, Texas – The Washburn Ichabod softball team picked up two wins on the final day of the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs Invitational topping Chadron State 8-0 in six innings and then wrapping up the day with an 8-6 win over Fort Lewis.
Game 1 – Washburn 8, Chadron State 0 (6 innings)
The Washburn Ichabod softball team picked up its first win of the season breaking open a 2-0 lead with a six-run sixth inning cruising to an 8-0 over Chadron State.
Washburn got on the board in its first at bat following a lead off single by Ashley Ruder and after reaching second base on a passed ball, scored on a double to right center by Savannah Moore.
Washburn added another in the third when Moore doubled again and then scored on Erica Harper's double to left.
Washburn then finished off the Eagles with six runs in the sixth starting with a single by Moore. Following a walk by Harper, Lacie Myers drove in two with a double to right center. After a pitching change, Megan Stegman recorded a single and then Lexie Myers hit a 2-RBI double to center. Jordan Erickson hit a 2-run home run capping the scoring leading to the 8-0 win.
Kelsee Henry scattered three hits striking out three retiring the last 11 batters she faced picking up the win.
Moore finished with 3 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Stegman had two hits and Lacie Myers drove in two.
Game 2 - Washburn 8, Fort Lewis 6
Washburn led 2-0 after its first at bat when Ashley Ruder led off the game with a triple and then later scored on a sac fly by Erica Harper. After Savannah Moore stole a base, she would later score on a ground out by Lacie Myers.
The Skyhawks came back to tie with two in the third inning, but Washburn took the lead for good on an RBI by Lacie Myers in the third inning scoring Moore who reached on a fielder's choice staking Washburn to a 3-2 lead after three.
In the fourth, Washburn added two more on a 2-RBI single by Moore scoring both Jordan Erickson and Ruder and then the Ichabods added three in the fifth inning capped by a 2-RBI double by Erickson scoring both Britnee Douglas who entered as a pinch runner and Taylor Kemp putting Washburn up 8-3 after six. Fort Lewis scored three in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to two, but the Ichabods finished out the game picking up their second-straight win.
Samanatha Carson got the win in relief pitching four innings allowing four earned runs and seven hits coming in for Kelsee Henry who tossed three innings with four strikeouts.
Ruder had two hits for Washburn and Moore and Lacie Myers and Erickson each drove in two.
 
Head coach Brenda Holaday
•    is 2-9 in her first season as the Ichabod head softball coach.
•    coached the previous 19 seasons at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka compiling a 351-93 record.
•    led the Junior Blues to three 6A state championships as well as winning 14 league championships earning 16 6A state tournament berths, five second-place state finishes and three third-place state finishes.
•    was been named the Centennial League Coach of the Year and City Coach of the Year nine different times earning the Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year in 2011 and the 6A Kansas Coach of the year two times in 2008 and 2011 and was named the overall Kansas Coach of the Year in 2011.
•    while at Washburn Rural, she coached more than 40 players who have gone on to play college softball including three at the NCAA Division I level including for Ichabod head softball coach Lisa Carey, the winningest coach by wins in program history.
 
Washburn Ichabod softball history . . .
•    The Ichabods are 1115-845-1 in their 48th year of softball.
•    The Ichabods have made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008).
•    Washburn won the 2002 regular season MIAA title.
 
Up Next . . .
•    After games this weekend, Washburn (2-9) will face MidAmerica Nazarene on Feb. 25 and Maryville (Mo.) in St. Louis in a pair of non-conference doubleheaders before opening MIAA play at Central Oklahoma on March 6 followed by another conference twinbill against Northeastern State on March 7.