LEADING OFF
For the third consecutive season, Washburn baseball opens its season in Grand Prairie, Texas as it takes part in the 2018 Air Hogs Classic. The Ichabods' season opener comes Thursday afternoon as they meet up with Southeastern Oklahoma State at 1 pm. Washburn will then follow with Southern Arkansas on Friday (1 pm), Oklahoma Christian on Saturday (4 pm), and close the opening weekend with Arkansas Tech on Sunday (10 am).
FAMILIAR FACES
Head coach Harley Douglas returns 15 players from the last season's lineup including six seniors and three juniors ... Darian Abram (Sr./OF) returns after finishing last season hitting .286, with 38 runs, 15 extra base hits and 14 steals en route to earning All-MIAA honors ... the Ichabod pitching staff will rely more heavily on Josh Ramirez (Jr.) and Zach Linquist (Sr.) in 2018 while Braden Larkey (Sr.), Tanner Strickbine (Jr.) and Matthew Hicks (Sr.) will each see an up-tick in their inning count this season.
NEW UNI, WHO DIS
Head coach Harley Douglas welcomes 21 new faces into the fold for Washburn for 2018 ... in spite of being new to the Ichabod lineup, the crop of newcomers is largely experienced with just four players coming directly from the HS ranks while reminder either played at the junior college level or with a Division I program.
TEXAS TWO-STEP
In the last two seasons, Washburn is 5-3 when playing in Grand Prairie, Texas ... last season, the Ichabods went 3-1 after 2-2 mark in to open the 2016 season ... in each trip, the Ichabods have scored 21 runs while opponents combined to score 19 runs in 2017 and 18 in 2016.
THE STORM AHEAD
Southeastern Oklahoma State is an experienced laden squad with just 27 of its 34 players listed upperclassmen including 13 seniors ... the Savage Storm went 16-29-1 last season ... since 2016, SEOSU is 1-8-1 against MIAA opponents.
SERIES HISTORY - SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
The season opener with the Storm will be the third meeting all-time with series tied 1-1 ... the Ichabods and Storm began the series last season in Durant, Okla. ... Thursday's match-up will be the first of five games the teams will against each other this season.
SCOUTING THE 'RIDERS
Southern Arkansas opens 2018 as the top pick in the GAC Preseason Poll and among top 40 in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason rankings ... SAU returns four All-GAC selections from a season ago ... the Muleriders were 39-16 last season and appeared in the NCAA Central Region Tournament ... since 2016, SAU is 5-3 against the MIAA competition.
SERIES HISTORY - SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
Friday's game with the Muleriders will be the sixth all-time meeting for Washburn as it holds a 3-2 series lead ... this will also be the third consecutive season the Ichabods face SAU in the opening weekend of the season ... WU split the two-game series last season falling 12-6 during the Air Hog Classic before earning a 5-3 victory the following weekend in Monticello, Ark.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Oklahoma Christian opens the 2018 campaign listed fifth in the Heartland Preseason Poll ... the Eagles are coming off a 28-21 season in 2017 ... catcher Kolton Brown was the lone OCU player to earn preseason All-Heartland team honors after hauling various regional accolades as a junior ... since 2016, OCU is 4-7 against MIAA opponents.
SERIES HISTORY - OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN
Saturday will be the fourth all-time meeting between Washburn and OCU with WU trailing the series 2-1 ... the series began with a single-game in 1985 when both teams were members of the NAIA ... in 2016, the teams met during the Air Hog Classic with OCU winning 7-3 ... in last season's edition of the Air Hog Classic, the Ichabods downed the Eagles 4-1.
SCOUTING THE WONDER BOYS
Arkansas Tech returns 7 of 9 players from its primary lineup from 2017 squad that went 34-21 and reached the semifinals of the GAC Championship Tournament ... all-region selection Dyaln McDearmon heads the crop of returners for 2018 ... the Wonder Boys were tabbed third in the GAC Preseason Poll ... since 2016, ATU is 6-6 against MIAA opponents.
SERIES HISTORY - ARKANSAS TECH
Sunday's match-up will be the first-ever meeting between the Ichabods and Wonder Boys.
BIG LEAGUE 'BODS
Washburn baseball has been home to many talented alumni with some being able to take their talents to the Majors ... to date, their have been six former Ichabods who have played a regular-season or playoff game for an MLB club including George Darrow, Rick DeHart, Jerad Head, Davey Lopes, Jerry Robertson and Steve Simpson and has had six players chosen in the MLB Amateur Draft.
MIAA PRESEASON RANKINGS
Washburn begins the season ranked in a tie for ninth with NW Missouri in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll ... Emporia State topped the list with 11 first -place votes ... No. 2 Central Missouri and No. 5 Missouri Western also each received a first-place vote ... the remainder of the top five consisted of No. 3 Central Oklahoma and No. 4 Lindenwood ... Pitt State claimed sixth with Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist following respectively ... Northeastern State was listed at No. 11, Nebraska-Kearney at No. 12 and Fort Hays State at No. 13.
PRO 'BODS UPDATE
Former Washburn hurler Brett Ash (2010-12, 14) continues his baseball career as a member of the Seattle Mariners organization ... Ash, who's second in program-history in strikeouts (199), is set to begin his second season with the Mariners' Double-A affiliate, Arkansas Travelers ... former Ichabod slugger Riley Krane (2014-2017) returns to the Windy City Thunder Bolts ... Krane signed with the Frontier League club after the 2017 season and batted .321 with 22 runs, 15 extra base hits, and 26 RBI in 42 appearances.
UPDATES & MORE
Fans can fellow every pitch of the 2018 season via live stats available by visiting wusports.com/live ... for in-game updates, news and more be sure to also follow Washburn athletics on Twitter (@wusports) and Facebook ... fans should also be on the look out for all new baseball/softball coaches' show featuring head coach Harley Douglas.
